No-one is talking about the biochemical and low serotonin aspect of imposter syndrome and the role tryptophan plays. This really does need to be part of the discussion and part of the solution.
In case you aren’t familiar with the term imposter syndrome, many of my clients who appear to have very successful careers will say to me … “I feel like I’m an imposter. They’re going to catch me out at what I’m doing. I’m not really as good as everyone thinks I am.” Perhaps you can relate to this? You just don’t feel that you’re good enough – you’re faking it until you make it and putting on a brave face.
An article published on Psychology Today states that these “feelings of inadequacy are surprisingly common” and cites the results of a 2020 systematic review: “62 studies with over 14,000 participants found that a staggering 56 percent to 82 percent of individuals, across genders, backgrounds, and ages, experienced imposter feelings at some point.“
Valerie Young’s excellent book, The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It, [my Amazon link] has created the awareness we need and offers so much in terms of recognizing the way imposter syndrome manifests in our lives. She shares these examples which you may also resonate with:
From the high-achieving Ph.D. candidate convinced she’s only been admitted to the program because of a clerical error to the senior executive who worries others will find out she’s in way over her head, a shocking number of accomplished women in all career paths and at every level feel as though they are faking it – impostors in their own lives and careers.
This article in Harvard Business Review, Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, states
Imposter syndrome can be defined as a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success. ‘Imposters’ suffer from chronic self-doubt and a sense of intellectual fraudulence that override any feelings of success or external proof of their competence.
The article mentions phrases such as “I must not fail”, “I feel like a fake” and “it’s all down to luck”, offering these tools: recognize the imposter feelings, reframe, talk about how you feel, be kind to yourself, visualize success and seek support.
This is all great advice but it’s hard work when you’re already struggling. And what if there was a simple solution that involved addressing low serotonin with an amino acid supplement such as tryptophan or 5-HTP?
How you will feel if your serotonin is low
If your serotonin is low you WILL feel like this: plenty of self-doubt, lack of confidence and negative self talk. It’s common to feel anxious and inadequate, have ruminating thoughts, do lots of reprocessing and overthinking, and be a perfectionist (you may get stuck because of the perfectionism and overthinking things). This often occurs together with carb cravings (especially late afternoon and evening), PMS/perimenopausal/menopausal symptoms. Insomnia is common and this is when much of the ruminations and negative self-talk occurs.
There is a very simple solution. Figure out if low serotonin is the issue and address it with tryptophan or 5-HTP. Using co-factors like zinc, vitamin B6, iron, magnesium, and diet and lifestyle changes may be necessary too. Other neurotransmitter imbalances like low GABA, low endorphins and low dopamine may also be factors.
I can relate to all this personally. I had a very successful corporate job in my late 30s and I started to feel sure I was useless and that I was going to lose my job. I felt like they were going to figure I didn’t really know what I was doing despite my leadership abilities! Then the dreadful perimenopausal symptoms and anxiety and panic attacks started. And then I figured out it was low serotonin, low GABA and hormone imbalances, and a number of other root causes that contributed to my low neurotransmitters. I list many typical root causes below.
Why is serotonin low (and address the root causes)
You need to figure out why serotonin is low and address this. Low serotonin may be caused by many factors such as:
- dysbiosis and a messed up microbiome (we make so much serotonin in the gut)
- stress and the adrenals (cortisol affects your sex hormone production)
- the birth control pill (which lowers zinc and vitamin B6, both of which are needed for serotonin production)
- gluten issues (leading to low serotonin and other nutritional deficiencies)
- not consuming enough quality animal protein (amino acids are the building blocks of our neurotransmitters, and grass fed red meat provides zinc, iron and omega-3s – all needed to make serotonin)
- low stomach acid (meaning you can’t digest the protein you’re consuming)
- sex hormone imbalances (serotonin and estrogen are very closely linked)
- liver issues (affecting how you process xenoestrogens)
- low bile production (so you’re not digesting the healthy fats you’re eating)
- statins (leading to cholesterol that is too low)
- not getting enough exercise, sunshine or nature
- mold exposure
- heavy metal toxicity
- Lyme disease and other co-infections
- and more
I’ve poured through the research on imposter syndrome and there is no mention of serotonin. A few articles – like this one in Forbes, Why You Need To Understand The Neuroscience Of Imposter Syndrome – do mention serotonin and dopamine:
feelings of “not deserving” correlate with lower levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin which relates to mood, and low levels of dopamine which are connected to reward and motivation
There is no mention of tryptophan (or 5-HTP) or any of the above approaches for raising serotonin (other than exercise) or tyrosine to help raise dopamine. However, clinically we see all the signs of imposter syndrome disappear once low serotonin is addressed, and motivation improve once low dopamine is addressed.
Update July 2024: A paper published shortly after this blog was published, Focusing on the Neuro-Psycho-Biological and Evolutionary Underpinnings of the Imposter Syndrome, does mention the need to explore the role serotonin and other neurotransmitters:
exploring the serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine systems among imposterism sufferers could be a worthy research pursuit. Likewise, it would be intriguing to know how these neuro-hormones and other bioactive molecules are functionally interconnected, and how they are related to the feelings of self-doubt in the syndromal imposters.
Based on my experience, I suspect research will eventually confirm that low serotonin is a major factor with imposter syndrome but also that many other neurotransmitters play a role too – with low levels of oxytocin, dopamine, endorphins and GABA. The above paper also mentions a possible role of cortisol and sex hormones. And just as we see with anxiety, fears and worries, the combination of root cause factors will likely be unique for each person.
Additional resources when you are new to using tryptophan and other amino acids as supplements
As always, I use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low serotonin or other neurotransmitter imbalances may be an issue.
If you suspect low levels of any of the neurotransmitters and do not yet have my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and using amino acids on your own so you are knowledgeable. And be sure to share it with the practitioner/health team you or your loved one is working with.
There is an entire chapter on the amino acids and they are discussed throughout the book in the sections on gut health, gluten, blood sugar control (this is covered in an entire chapter too), sugar cravings, anxiety and mood issues.
The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the amino acids that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.
If, after reading this blog and my book, you don’t feel comfortable figuring things out on your own (i.e. doing the symptoms questionnaire and respective amino acids trials), a good place to get help is the GABA QuickStart Program (if you have low GABA symptoms too). This is a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance and community support.
If you are a practitioner, join us in The Balancing Neurotransmitters: the Fundamentals program. This is also a paid online/virtual program with an opportunity to interact with me and other practitioners who are also using the amino acids.
Imposter syndrome and low serotonin? Have you made the connection and can you relate?
Please comment below if imposter syndrome resonates with you so we can all learn from each other. I’d love to hear:
- how imposter syndrome shows up in your life and how you’d describe it to your best friend?
- when do you feel like this – at work, all the time (work and home life) or only certain situations?
- are these new feelings and if yes when did they start? or have you always felt like this?
- what type of job do you have? or are you an entrepreneur?
- have you sought help for imposter syndrome and what has helped?
- are you surprised to learn there is a biochemical aspect and nutritional solutions?
- what other low serotonin symptoms do you have?
- have you used tryptophan (or 5-HTP) for other low serotonin symptoms (like anxiety, ruminations, insomnia etc) and then realized that imposter syndrome is no longer an issue for you?
- have you figured out and addressed some of the root causes of your low serotonin?
- have you found that other neurotransmitter support has helped too – such as GABA (for low GABA) or DPA (for low endorphins) or tyrosine (for low dopamine) or glutamine (for low blood sugar)?
(if you feel more comfortable sharing some of this anonymously feel free to use a nickname when commenting – I’m aware that there is a stigma to admitting this in the corporate world)
Feel free to post your questions too.
Hello Trudy where can I get L tryptophan?
Nalini
I recommend Lidtke tryptophan 500mg for my clients (I have found it to be excellent quality) and have them purchase from my online store. You can see tryptophan and all the supplements I recommend here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-pyroluria-supplements/
Are you familiar with the term imposter syndrome and are resonating with what I’ve written here about imposter syndrome?
Is Tryptophan the same as 5-HTP?
Theresa
Tryptophan is not the same as 5-HTP. Both of them can be considered precursors for serotonin production. 5-HTP is an immediate precursor to serotonin whereas tryptophan is converted to 5-HTP and then used for the production of serotonin.
Some people do better on one vs the other. I typically have my clients start with tryptophan and if they don’t get the expected results in a week or two we switch to 5-HTP.
Are you familiar with the term imposter syndrome and are you resonating with what I’ve written here about imposter syndrome?
Hi Trudy,
I took your advice and bought the Lidtke L-Tryptophan so I’m excited to see how my body responds! However, I have so many of the potential causes of low serotonin which you list, and I’m just feeling overwhelmed. Where should I start? Will I even be able to absorb the tryptophan if I have gut dysbiosis? I’m 42 and my weight keeps going up, I wake up every night around 3am and can’t get back to sleep and I’m just so frustrated. Is starting with tryptophan a good idea, or should I address one of the other areas first? What are your thoughts about the healing order of these root causes? For instance, my ALT and AST are a little elevated so should I fix the gut and liver issues before attempting the addition of neurotransmitters? Thank you for all you do! I have learned so much by listening to your interviews and reading your blogs!
Erica
I always start with the amino acids because they offer results quickly (my clients get immediate feedback when doing a trial) and within a week or two my clients find the ideal dose for their needs. And they feel hopeful! And then we start to work on all the other factors which typically take longer to unravel and address. Having improved neurotransmitter status makes everything else, including dietary changes so much easier to deal with.
I cover the amino acids (tryptophan/GABA) and melatonin for sleep in my interview on the upcoming Best Sleep Ever Summit so be sure to tune in to this one – reisgter here https://bestsleepsummit.com/?idev_id=739 (my interview is available as soon as you register)
Regarding dysbiosis and absorption, using the amino acids sublingually helps. Keep in mind they also improve gut health
And you’re most welcome!
How much tryptophan should one take?
Should we start off in smaller doses and then increase? Can we take gaba and tryptophan at the same time?
I have also bought gaba calm. It says to take one 3 times a day? Is that okay with the tryptophan
Nicole
I use the trial method and start with the lowest amount of recommended tryptophan (500mg) and less for sensitive folks. We increase based on symptom improvement. We do the same with GABA. And yes I have many clients using both but we trial one at a time so they can easily monitor improvements or adverse effects.
I highly recommend you read my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” so you are well-informed. It has an entire chapter on the amino acids.
Hi there
a huge amount of what you’ve written resonates – i’m in a high corporate role, feel constantly panicky and like i’m grinding to a halt. No joy or sex drive. i’m waiting for feedback from blood test from a menopause specialist, should i wait for that or try 5HTP? I’m not sure whether to go with that or the tryptophan?
Separately, my 8yr old daughter had terrible food allergies as a baby (all dairy, gluten) and is highly anxious now. I have a feeling there is deep connection between her gut and her moods but i’m unsure where to even begin to unravel this. I know i should cut out sugar for her but it’s HARD…would you have any advice about where to start? Many thanks
Laura
Laura
Thanks for sharing glad to hear this resonates – it’s the first step to finding a solution. Using amino acids like tryptophan (or 5-HTP) and GABA ((more here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/tryptophan-for-pms-premenstrual-dysphoria-mood-swings-tension-irritability/) help right away and it’s always best to be communicating with your doctor and working together. When I’m working with a client I will collaborate with the hormone doctor or nurse practitioner to make sure we’re all on the same page.
I start with tryptophan (Lidtke brand only) but some folks start with 5-HTP – folks do better with one vs the others and we figure that out, plus the ideal dose when doing the trial. We do need to also address the other root causes listed above.
Children respond very quickly to dietary changes so we always start there. With high sugar consumption we end up nutritionally depleted (contributing to anxiety due to low zinc, low B vitamins etc) and blood sugar swings (which are a common trigger of anxiety). First steps I recommend with children is gluten-free, sugar-free and quality breakfast that does contain animal protein + healthy snacks (with protein/healthy fats) throughout the day and meals with protein/healthy fats.
Here are 2 examples – gluten and pediatric OCD https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/integrative-medicine-approach-pediatric-ocd-anxiety/ and anxiety/low blood sugar https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/anxiety-hypoglycemia-symptoms-diet-modification/
I highly recommend you read my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” so you are well-informed about the amino acids and eating for blood sugar control.
Super helpful, thank you
Thank you for this article. This is exactly what I have been going through for the last two years. All of these feelings, anxiety, panic, not being enough started to get out of hand when a dog I was taking care of was attacked and almost killed by a larger dog while we were taking a walk. This triggered everything. I’ve been in therapy since. The thing that made me consider what was really going on was that all of this was in me all along. It just came out as part of my trauma. I’m seventy years old. I’ve been in retirement for the last five years. While I was working I was constantly under stress and yes I thought I could barely make it and hoped that no one would notice that I wasn’t good enough. The fact is that I was doing a great job and was highly respected at the university I worked for. My therapist has been trying to help me realise this for the longest time. It just hasn’t helped me yet. It feels a though another person is living inside of me. Could this be imposter syndrome?
Fifteen years ago I had a hormone count done on four hormones, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and one other that I can’t remember. There were no traces of any of these hormones in my blood. My gynecologist said that he couldn’t help me. So I always thought this was the reason for everything that was going on. Lately I’ve been trying to get information on natural medicine and a plant based diet to help me balance my body. I live in Germany
Dorie
I’m sorry to hear about your traumatic experience – this can be a trigger when resilience is low or when we have hormone imbalances and nutritional deficiencies. I do like EMDR for helping with trauma recovery, together with addressing biochemical imbalances.
I encourage you to find a functional medicine practitioner to help with the hormone imbalances and low serotonin. Both can be factors with feelings of stress, not feeling good enough, hoping no-one would notice the feelings i.e. imposter syndrome. I start my clients with a tryptophan trial based on low serotonin symptoms and we also look at the other possible causes of low serotonin.
My book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” has been translated into German so I encourage you to pick up a copy if German is your main language.
Thank you so much Trudy! I will definately get a copy of your book. And yes I will talk to my physician who is also a doctor for natural medicine. And I’ll ask my therapist about EMDR. Hopefully this will lead to an improvement: body and mind. Now I know where to start.
Thank you Trudy for this article. As I read this I have been lying in bed for two days not able to get the motivation to go to work. I have a successful job and when I started working with a functional medicine practitioner after testing found that I have celiac disease. When I eat gf and very clean my hormones feel more balanced, I have a tone of confidence and in general have an amazing life. But as soon as I have exposure I lack confidence, energy and am back in a depression state of mind. Many highs and lows. I have found it very interesting that I can balance this with diet. Many years ago I gave up in our medical system as all my family dr wanted to do was write me a prescription for anti depressants.
i have not ever heard the term imposter syndrome. But it describes it so well. When the lows kick in your description is bang on for me. I question why me feel like I should not be there and feel like I’m going to be fired. It’s clearly not reality, My boss wants to promote me and I am very fearful at times when I am feeling low. I do find it is around my monthly cycle after my period my body bottoms out with my hormone levels and these symptoms appear. Cravings appear and I typically have something with gluten and my clean eating goes off the rails. I have incorporated more exercise in the last few months and that has also helped. Thank you for your article!
Mandy
Thanks for sharing and thanks for the feedback: “I have not ever heard the term imposter syndrome. But it describes it so well.” The growing awareness is slow but steady
The good news is that you have identified two big root causes: gluten and hormone imbalances, and low serotonin are common in both instances. Addressing low serotonin with an amino acid like tryptophan is the 1st step I take with clients in this situation – it improves the lows, lack of confidence, feeling fearful and reduces cravings so one doesn’t need to rely on willpower.
A few other factors we look at are low zinc, low B6 and low progesterone, possible pyroluria (more here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/tryptophan-for-pms-premenstrual-dysphoria-mood-swings-tension-irritability/), low catecholamines (the low motivation, low energy, depression) and other possible root causes on the list in the blog
Trudy you are my hero, thank you for everything you have given us. You are an amazing human being so blessed to have found you.
Travis
Thank you for your kind words! I’m assuming this topic resonate with you? I’d love to hear more if you’re willing to address some of the questions I pose
Hi Trudy, I’m a big fan of your work. I was scrolling through my emails today and when I read this article about impostor syndrome I couldn’t believe it. This is totally me, in every aspect of my life. My job, being a mother etc. it’s crazy how relatable this was to me. I’ve tried the Lidtke tryptophan and didn’t notice any big changes, how long and what time of day do you think is best to take it?
Kylie
Glad to hear you relate to this. I’d love to hear how you tried the Lidtke tryptophan in the past and what changes you did notice (even small ones)? What other low serotonin symptoms do you have? Do any of the low serotonin root causes apply? And then I’d be happy to provide some general feedback based on what I see with clients.
Trudy,
After watching the Anxiety Summits, and many of the different videos and Master classes I’ve been turned on to via the SIBO SOS Facebook group, I started with 500mg (1 cap) of the Lidtke L-Tryptophan and 1 cap of Optizinc (30mg Zn, also has B6). My Cu-free multivitamin from my ND has a lot of B6, too. Recently I upped the L-TRY to 1000mg. My negative self-talk, poor self-esteem, etc. has diminished noticeably. I’ve been able to get off caffeine, gluten, sugar, dairy and do intermittent fasting almost daily (eating window of 10-11am – 5-6pm). I have SIBO (IBS-C) and the bloating has been much better. I do take amitriptyline 10mg before bed Rx-ed by my (conventional) GI doc – he believes that will help my inability to handle stress (and I continue to humor him by taking it – not sure if it still helps or not).
Next step is to repeat the breath test (already did the IBSSmart blood test and the Microbiome Labs BiomeFx fecal test) and find a GOOD functional doc online to help me get a PLAN started to get rid of this SIBO! I don’t think my conventional GI doc even believes in SIBO…
All in all, feeling better thanks in large part to YOU! Thank you, thank you!!
Anne
Anne
So pleased to hear your negative self-talk and poor self-esteem has diminished noticeably! You say etc – what else has diminished? And would you have said imposter syndrome was a fit before all these changes? (well done by the way for making all these changes!)
Conventional GI doctors should be (and usually are) up to date on the SIBO research so find one who is or educate him/her by sharing all the research from http://www.siboinfo.com I’m sure you’ll find a good practitioner via SIBO SOS.
Two comments about the amitriptyline – I would never take a medication to humor a doctor and make sure he knows about the work you’re doing with your ND (there is the theoretical risk of serotonin syndrome)
Thanks for sharing your success and you’re most welcome!
Hi Trudy,
Thank you for responding so quickly. I’m a pharmacist and have been for 40 years, so would consider myself a professional woman. I have long down-played my education, intelligence, even worthiness to be alive, but that does seem to be better now. I’ve always been very hard on myself (“how could you NOT have known that, Anne???). I’m more accepting of myself now – but who’s to know if that’s from a few months of dietary and supplement changes or just wisdom with age?
I do know about serotonin syndrome. I do separate the tryptophan and amitriptyline by a couple of hours, but never by at least 6, as I want to take them both sometime in the evening; I refuse to risk ANY grogginess at work.
I started on the amitriptyline long before the tryptophan. My conventional GI doc prescribed it because of a reaction I had to the anesthetic he used (propafol) during an endoscopy/colonoscopy I had – he said, during the induction phase of the propafol, that I flopped around and talked. That indicated to him that I had so much adrenalin on board that even the (higher) induction dose couldn’t overcome it (just stating what he said, not necessarily agreeing). I agreed to try the amitriptyline and it did make me feel better. Not sure I need it now – that’s the “humoring” part. I do have an appt with him in April and will look into tapering.
He does know the ND I’ve seen before (here in Honolulu). I’m not sure she is quite up to speed on all the SIBO stuff – I will let them both know about the SIBO website.
Anne
Thanks for sharing further … “down-played my education, intelligence, even worthiness to be alive… I’ve always been very hard on myself (“how could you NOT have known that, Anne)” …all very common with low serotonin and imposter syndrome.
Glad to hear that does seem to be better now. And yes we do grow wiser as we age but I also hear my clients say just that – I’m more accepting of myself – when making dietary and supplement changes so don’t discount the power of all this! The big clue is when they stop or backslide and the feelings comes back and then go away again when they get back on track.
Good to hear you know about serotonin syndrome. Good luck with amitriptyline and SIBO discussions.
Hi Trudy, I discovered your work through a podcast & so happy I did, I’ve just turned 50 & have suffered on & off with anxiety/panic since i was 27, I’ve got a good handle on it now through diet & supplements, I’m also on Bhrt which has helped. I can suffer with social anxiety on occasions. & my symptoms are physical, difficulty breathing & feel my heart racing plus I can overthink things which bugs me & i doubt myself a lot, should I try GABA & tryptophan? I can say that I’m sensitive to supplements so how much should I start with? I bought your book for myself & my niece whose 19 Who is also suffering with panic attacks in the last month. So thank you for sharing your knowledge & your time
Kate
I always start with tryptophan and GABA with my clients with any type of anxiety because it’s so easy to confirm if this is the root cause or not (within a day or so). With social anxiety we must always consider pyroluria. There is an entire chapter in my book on this and here the questionnaire https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/pyroluria-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/ – keep in mind zinc and B6 is needed to make serotonin.
For sensitive folks I always start super low and go up from there – opening the capsule and using a pinch
Your niece is fortunate to have you looking out for her.
HI Trudy,
I tried Tryptophan and felt very strange, tingly and as if I wanted to crawl out of my skin. 5htp gave me the same uncomfortable feeling. All adaptogenic herbs including ashwaganda, holy basil… Maca… make me incredibly irritable. I don’t understand why I seem to react opposite to everyone else to most of those supplements. L-theanine seems to make me irritable the next day and Gaba makes me feel good right away but then I almost feel some kind of withdrawal from it the following days and feel like I need to take it again. Have you seen this before and do you know why I get those opposite effects?
Marylene
This can happen if too much is used (for pixie dust clients we use a tiny tiny pinch) or if someone doesn’t need serotonin support. I also look at product quality and other ingredients in the products if a client has problems. When it’s everything folks react to we consider mold, metals, meds side-effects, liver, immune system etc
Huh, now I’m wondering….I’ve always felt this way after teaching full day workshop or even a 2 hour workshop. It happens almost Everytime. Curious if it could be an acute serotonin drop caused by the stress response of the preparation and having been in front of people “performing.” Perhaps could prep myself by pumping a few more B vitamins and taking a walk before or after. Thanks for sharing.
Tianna
I see this happen with my clients who have pyroluria because stress leads to higher amounts of zinc and B6 being excreted – both are needed for making serotonin and GABA. If you’re new to pyroluria here the questionnaire https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/pyroluria-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/ and additional information https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/pyroluria-prevalence-associated-conditions/
A big clue that pyroluria may be an issue is this: you feel fine speaking in front of a huge audience but dread (and often feel about about) mingling with them after the presentation.
You ask about the stress response in prepping/speaking and this could also be a factor that impacts cortisol levels that impact serotonin.
I am personally refreshed to learn this information and the more posts I read on this blog the more I see that for me- starting with tryptophan is the way to go and then also GABA…
I posted this on my FB page and want to share here too: I would add that imposter syndrome may start to show up in personal life, not always in work life:
Questioning their marriage, difficulties with adult children, not being able to balance “self care” and personal time, feeling like there isnt enough time, feeling like there is WAY too much to juggle.
Also in reading the potential root causes- it always amazes me how it comes back to stress: from our childhood; beliefs, and behaviors. I feel a huge adjunct to healthy and mindful eating, exercising and supplementation is stress management. It sounds relatively simple and straight forward and as I have found in working with 100’s of women it is actually not. We need more professionals getting in depth with the practical, comprehensive and individual stress management tools and processing. I hope to continue to bring this into focus as it is a mission and passion of mine. Thank you Trudy for opening my eyes personally as well as professionally as I work with clients.
Dr. Sara
I love that you find this information refreshing and useful for you personally and professionally. Thanks for sharing my blog on FB (it’s clearly resonating with your community too) and taking the time to comment here too. It’s wonderful to hear your passion about stress management. And I agree, these kinds of feeling of inadequacy, questioning marriages, being a good enough mom etc do start to show up in personal life as you describe (it’s just not been termed imposter syndrome unless it’s a workplace feeling).
Thank you so much. The community I have “formed” definitely benefits and will continue to I have no doubt. I do hope our paths continue to cross and I will keep focusing on specific stress management tools. It takes a strategic village 🙂
I have a history of anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia, which now (mostly) well managed with amino acids and other nutritional supplements, diet, exercise etc. However I still feel like many of these imposter syndrome symptoms about my work. I am a clinical nutritionist (go figure) and I graduated mid last year with Distinction. I have been practicing in a clinic and online since graduation, but I still get anxious about prescribing supplements to my clients (even though I had 1.5 years of training in student clinic prescribing to clients), and whether my treatments and recommendations are adequate/indicated/helpful/appropriate etc. Often I am confident at the time of writing the script, then a few days or weeks later anxiety will hit me out of the blue, and I will worry myself sick that they may have an adverse reaction, or that the doses I recommended weren’t correct, or how long should I have them taking something etc. I also worry a lot about posting nutrition info on social media, as I am anxious someone will challenge/question the facts, or I will somehow be found out to be providing incorrect information. I have no idea what I think the consequences of that would even be, so I don’t know why I am so afraid of it, but I am and so I often don’t post anything at all, purely out of fear of being inadequate in some way.
I know my knowledge is strong and I achieved fantastic marks at uni – but I struggle with this a lot.
B
Thank you for sharing. What you describe is very common with women with imposter syndrome – feeling like this despite having a solid education background and fantastic marks. Congrats on graduating with distinction. When I work with clients in this situation we revisit low serotonin especially when someone has a history of anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia, and good results using amino acids. Typically additional gains are made.
On a practical note, finding a mentor and collaborating with colleagues can help too. And confidence grows as you gain more experience.
Thanks Trudy xx
I have low serotonin levels and have tried the Lidtke tryptophan 500mg and 5-HTP. I didn’t see any improvement. What would the next option(s) be? thank you
Eddie
I have clients do a trial with a capsule opened and rate symptoms before and after. What were your results when you did this? I then have my clients increase over the course of a few weeks based on symptoms? How did this aspect of the trial go? I do this first with tryptophan and then with 5-HTP if we don’t see results? Did you do this?
What low serotonin symptoms do you have?
I also check for thyroid health, gut health, gluten sensitivity, med side-effects or meds like birth control that may deplete zinc/B6 (needed to make serotonin), pyroluria etc.
I have some anxiety, fibromyalgia, some depression, poor memory, irritability, low esteem, poor appetite, & poor sleep. I recently tried sublingual tryptophan, and have been on sublingual GABA for two months. Haven’t seen much of an improvement taking these two supplements. I started SAM-e one week ago, 200mg twice daily one hour before meals. I have all the symptoms of a person who has low SAM-e. No noticeable changes yet. Going to up the dosage to 400mg twice daily on the SAM-e. Have most of the low thyroid symptoms. Lab work for the thyroid markers are all in normal ranges, but a friend who takes medication for a low thyroid, says based on one of my thyroid lab markets I have problem converting T4 to T3. I am still hoping for the best. I am 63 years old and I started getting very cold extremities when I am in a colder environment in the 1980’s. I also get very warm in a warmer environment. It’s like my body’s thermostat isn’t working. Thank you.
Eddie
I have clients do a trial with a capsule of 500mg tryptophan opened and rate symptoms before and after. What were your results when you did this? (scores on a scale of 1 to 10?)
I then have my clients increase over the course of a few weeks based on symptoms? How did this aspect of the trial go? Did you do this? and how high did you go?
Hi Trudy,
I have heard of imposter syndrome, have had it most of my life and this has led to great anxiety and sabotaged some relationships and work opportunities for me. I am now in my “final” career change, Bhsc Nutritional Medicine and am wondering if i will get past this state, given that I will be “qualified”. As my graduation approaches, I realise that this isn’t going to happen and that I will require to address this in order to gain the courage and confidence to practice. After many years on SSRI, I experienced some relief from the chest crushing, paralysing and critical self talk type anxiety. I am now off these, but unfortunately have uncontrolled anxiety, especially in the current world situation. I have tried Tryptophan…its certainly calms me and I am using it before bed and it helps me fall asleep, although that isn’t much of an issues, sleep maintenance is though. I do have your book and will get stuck into it over the semester break. I have not discovered the root causes of my Serotonin deficiency is as yet.
Lina
Congrats on your new career change! I see many folks with imposter syndrome get a qualification and then still feel they need to get more and more certifications and courses behind them. Recognizing it is the first step and then using serotonin support to address the low serotonin is next. Seeing calming results with tryptophan is a great first step. Keep in mind I increase the dose with my clients until symptoms are resolved.
And finally finding the root cause of low serotonin is next. I hope you find answers in my book and here on the blog.
I am curious how you came across this blog and what you know about imposter syndrome?
With regards to uncontrolled anxiety due to the current world situation these blogs may be helpful too
– GABA and theanine for easing anxiety, improving sleep and supporting immunity https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/gaba-and-theanine-for-easing-anxiety-improving-sleep-and-supporting-immunity/
– The psychological trauma of coronavirus – nutritional support for doctors, nurses and their loved ones https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-psychological-trauma-of-coronavirus-nutritional-support-for-doctors-nurses-and-their-loved-ones/
Hi Trudy,
I don’t know if I have Imposter Syndrome, but I suffered from generalized Myasthenia Gravis from 1990 until 2002 until I had my Thymus Gland removed. During this period I consulted a nutritionist who recommended Zinc, B6, and Tryptophan. It was amazing until they discontinued tryptophan. I am now 58 and dealing with SIBO, nutritional deficiencies, homonal imbalnce, serious sleep disturbances, hair loss and Candida. I am dealing with a Functional doctor who is addressing the SIBO, Candida, and using BHRT, but there is still something missing in the puzzle and I believe a trial of tryptophan may be in order. Please, can you share your opinion with me? I am a Northern CA residient and desperately wish you still took clients. 🙂
Sincerely, Antoinette
Antoinette
I have clients look at the low serotonin symptoms and do a trial of tryptophan. If something has worked well in the past we always want to consider it again.
As I mentioned in a prior post that supplementing with tryptophan and GABA has done nothing for me. Neither did SAM-e. I recently watched a video on YouTube that said when a person has inflammation taking these supplements won’t work. Also heard Dr. Kalish mention the same thing. Anyways the individual on YouTube stated that one can bio-hack this issue by taking collagen with the supplements. Have you ever heard of this? Going back to Dr. Kalish, he said that with inflammation one would have to take 10 times the normal dosage to get the same results, but that addressing the inflammation was the best route to take. What is your take on this? Thanks again.
Hi Trudy
I wanted to start trialling amino acids on myself to help with food addiction, severe MDD and personality disorder. I first tried taking 100mg of 5 HTP at night and it seemed to have a very noticeable effect the next day and I was able to resist all unhealthy food which was huge for me however I was extremely let down when it didn’t continue to work. I have since tried taking it many more times, up to three times a day with/without food and no noticeable improvement. Would you be able to provide any advice on what I might be doing wrong or why it only worked the one time? I have tried everything I can think of up until now to break my addiction to carbs and sugar and nothing has worked. To have the 5 HTP work once and have relief only for a day is disheartening.
I absolutely identify with imposter syndrome.
I had felt for a long while that people must only love me because I have them fooled. I worked hard to please people and my own detriment. I felt guilt when people loved me and often wondered if my children would eventually reject me.
I have a strong Christian faith and often wondered why God would bless me since I wasn’t special or deserving. It took the trauma of having a stillborn son to break me out of that cycle and allow people to love me and accept that love as a matter of survival. I still struggle with imposter syndrome on a lesser level often questioning my abilities and intellect and ruminating on negative messages of self criticism. I have Lyme and adrenal cortisol issues . I have a high stress level also. I am in menopause and have been consistently in a state of hormonal imbalance for the last 20 years. I’ve suffered 5 losses and have five living children.
Annetta
I’m sorry to hear about your loss and trauma. When someone resonates with imposter syndrome, questioning their abilities and intellect and ruminating on negative messages of self criticism we look at low serotonin as a factor and address this nutritionally.
Thank you .
I must have had the imposter syndrome. I always had good results at work, but always felt I was deceiving my superior and they just hadn’t caught on. All audits during my 20 years were spotless, so I must have been doing something right.
Eddie
This is so common. The wonderful thing is that by addressing low serotonin it all goes away!
Thank you Trudy. Have a great day!
This is such wonderful information! I have a teenage daughter who’s suffering closely resembles what you describe in this article. She recently started taking 50 mg of Zoloft. As an natural health practitioner, this goes against everything I believe in. She has agreed to try 5-HTP and am excited to trial it. I realize you recommend trialing tryptophan first, but for whatever reason she latched onto 5-HTP as the best option, and I am just thrilled that she is actually open to something besides big pharma. Do you have any advice to share on tapering off of an SSRI while starting on 5-HTP? Thank you for all of the work you so generously share!
Stephanie
Best is to read this blog and work with and discuss with your prescribing doctor as there is the risk of serotonin syndrome with SSRIs and tryptophan/5-HTP https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/taper-from-antidepressant-tryptophan-amino-acids/
I do hope the 5-HTP helps your daughter with imposter syndrome. I’m also thrilled she is open to this
Apologies for the delay in your comment approval and my response. We had a computer glitch where a large number of comments were hidden from view in a spam folder. It mostly affected new folks who were commenting for the first time but it’s hopefully resolved now.
Hi Trudy,
This article definitely speaks to me in so many ways. I tried tryptophan years ago but had terrible waking nightmares that sort of traumatized me and I’m scared to try taking it again. It was so long ago but I remember taking the amount prescribed on the bottle (not sure if it was 500mg or not). I’ve tried to search your website for nightmares as a side effect but haven’t found anything. Do you think this means I’m allergic to tryptophan or would you recommend trying again? Maybe I need the “pinch” dosage to start? Any advice is greatly appreciated – thank you <3
Kelly
This is not something I see. I have clients trial much less tryptophan if they are willing or trial 5-HTP. Quality of the tryptophan may be a factor too and I recommend Lidtke.
Apologies for the delay in your comment approval and my response. We had a computer glitch where a large number of comments were hidden from view in a spam folder. It mostly affected new folks who were commenting for the first time but it’s hopefully resolved now.
I have severe anxiety along with heart palpitations. Where can i get my zinc level checked. I’m taking 20mg of prozac once a day. Can I take tryptophan 500mg? I will include the B complex, zinc and B6 too.
Shawnda
I use the zinc challenge and alk phos <70 as a possible clue to low zinc, plus symptoms like anxiety, social anxiety, low serotonin, white flecks on the nails and so on.
Please read this blog on SSRI and tryptophan use https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/taper-from-antidepressant-tryptophan-amino-acids/
Thanks for your work on neurotransmitters, TRUDY. 🙂 I am a fan. I had suffered BADLY from imposter syndrome at the end of my nutrition degree and I felt socially awkward in so many outings and situations. My anxiety and stress were through the roof! VERY bad sleep, stressed and my digestion was very poor.
Fast forward to a year later after addressing my sleep (no. 1 priority), stress levels, diet; loads of minerals; vitamin supplementation my health started to shift for the better, but I still had the imposter syndrome hanging over my head.
What really tipped the balance was the supplementation of tyrosine, tryptophan & GABA. The imposter syndrome seemed to have vanished within two weeks. And it was in your blogs that had pointed out clues to the amino acids I was needed to supplement.
I feel like the person I’m supposed to become and I can’t thank you enough for the amazing work you’ve been doing. I will definitely be following your journey, learning more about these neurotransmitters, and sharing this information so that others can benefit from it. Thank you, thank you!
Yo
Thanks for your kind words and thanks for sharing this wonderful outcome – I love that you say “I feel like the person I’m supposed to become”!
Good job on doing the foundational work first. As you discovered, even with all that in place, we often have to address neurotransmitter imbalances with targeted amino acids too. A 2-week turnaround is fabulous and means you found the right combo and doses right away. Did you do one amino acid at a time or all 3 at once? And what doses were ideal for you? Are you continuing with a maintenance dose?
Now that you are such a fan and want to share it with others you will likely find my practitioner training to be very helpful. More information here https://www.anxietynutritioninstitute.com/balancingneurotransmitters/
Apologies for the delay on your comment approval and my response. We had a computer glitch where a large number of comments were hidden from view in a spam folder. It mostly affected new folks who were commenting for the first time but it’s hopefully resolved now.
This resonates so strongly with me. I have suffered with impostor syndrome since I first started working as a nurse and especially now that I’m a nurse practitioner. Despite both praise from my colleagues and patients I feel like a fraud every day. Any suggestions on how to treat while pregnant or breastfeeding?
Jessica
What you describe is typical with imposter syndrome but fortunately addressing low serotonin is the solution. Unfortunately tryptophan and 5-HTP have not been studied in pregnancy or when breastfeeding. A free-form amino acid blend that does contain tryptophan could be discussed with your doctor.
Apologies for the delay in your comment approval and my response. We had a computer glitch where a large number of comments were hidden from view in a spam folder. It mostly affected new folks who were commenting for the first time but it’s hopefully resolved now.
Blessings to you, dear Trudy. You are a source of knowledge and comfort to me!
I have very low serotonin, and I experience almost nearly all the effects of that.
I also take collegen, but stopped for a few months when i read of the link to low seratonin and the lack of tryptophan. Unfortunately it did nothing for my low seratonin levels.
I also take 10mg/day of Lexapro.
I’ve been told that it’s not okay to take Tryptophan or 5-HTP when taking anti-depressents.
Help!
Great article. I am slowly tapering off zoloft after being on for 8 years. I’ve been tapering for 2.5 but my imposter syndrome is getting worse! I can barely function at work, I lack confidence and have panic/ anxiety all day. I’m extremely sensitive to supplements, and have developed terrible histamine issues. What does one do! Im scared to try 5-htp since my brain feels so fragile from the SSRI dependency. Oddly enough I get some relief from antihistamines but don’t want to get dependent on those either! Thank you!
Anna
Thanks and sorry to hear. I have clients take tryptophan or 5-HTP 6 hours away from the SSRI (all with the prescribing doctor’s approval and monitoring). It’s advised to use these aminos when someone is on only 1 prescription psych medication.
Best is to read this blog and work with and discuss with your prescribing doctor as there is the risk of serotonin syndrome with SSRIs and tryptophan https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/taper-from-antidepressant-tryptophan-amino-acids/
I have my clients get nutritionally stable BEFORE starting any medication taper (with their doctor’s approval of course) and this prevents many of the adverse effects. This means eating real food, no gluten, no caffeine, no sugar, quality animal protein, eating for blood sugar control and addressing gut health, the adrenals etc (everything I cover in my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” – more here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/). If they have already started tapering we work on all of the above as soon as possible and then we use the amino acids during the taper (all with the doctor’s approval and monitoring).
Hi Trudy,
What about the slightly different aspect of not feeling good enough, that people dont really like you, so not reaching out to people and becoming socially isolated is that more to do with pyroluria and the thoughts of “who am I to be doing…x ” and talking yourself out of it?
Julie
With “not feeling good enough, that people don’t really like you” I consider low serotonin
With “not reaching out to people and becoming socially isolated: I consider pyroluria and it’s common to have both
Hi Trudy,
This is new information for me and I am so grateful to possibly make some sense of what I have experienced for most of my life. I didn’t know there was such a thing as imposter syndrome not to mention it’s connection to low serotonin. I worked as an ICU nurse and although I loved it, I always felt inadequate. That was many years ago. Fast forward to three years ago when I had to go on an SSRI for extreme anxiety and panic attacks. Thankfully I was able to wean off just this yr but have felt much more inadequacy building up and not knowing why. I do take tryptophan and 5 HTP at night for sleep. I also take ashwagandha and reishi and turkey tail mushrooms that helps keep my anxiety under control. It makes so much sense that low serotonin could be responsible. I have not been tested but have researched a lot and concluded that my gut issues due to yeast/fungal and possibly mold are at the root of my low serotonin.
Thank you so much for this information!
Sincerely
Debbi
Debbi
So pleased to hear this is helping you make sense of what you’ve experienced for most of your life. Interestingly most of the more recent research on imposter syndrome has been done in the medical professions. This paper, Unmasking impostor phenomenon: a study of nurses in specialist roles, is one of many and states “Four main themes emerged: self-doubt, role expectations, fear of exposure as an impostor, and factors leading to burnout.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38335096/
Unfortunately there is no mention of serotonin or other biochemical imbalances that may be contributing factors. I would love to get some case studies published.
I have clients who feel inadequate use tryptophan and/or 5-HTP in the day too, especially when they are also anxious and have feelings of panic (and other low serotonin symptoms). If serotonin support for sleep is helping it’s a good clue it will help in the day too. We use the symptoms questionnaire and trials of the amino acid/s (tryptophan/5-HTP, GABA and DPA as needed), and do not use urinary neurotransmitter testing (which is not accurate). If you have my book, “The Antianxiety Food Solution”, the amino acids chapter reviews all this (if not here is a link with info about my book https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/)
And good to hear ashwagandha, reishi and turkey tail are helping too.
Of course addressing underlying causes of low serotonin and other neurotransmitters must be addressed too.
Hello Trudy,
I didn’t read through every one of the comments/questions here, so please forgive me if you have already answered this one. I have tried L-tryptophan and 5-HTP both many times for almost lifelong depression, but both trigger a genital herpes outbreak and I’ve never heard a good explanation for this, nor have I had a viable substitute suggested. I ended up on antidepressants for a couple decades, which I quit over 4 yrs ago after a very slow titration of meds over a long period of time to 37.5 mg. (Effexor) Predictably, the depression became more obvious and more severe, and a pattern of waking anywhere between 2 and 4 a.m. nightly for the past 4 years and usually being unable to find sleep again developed.
I know there are many more factors involved, including severe childhood trauma, that cannot be resolved via an email. My main question here is about the reaction to tryptophan and 5 HTP and whether there is a good alternative for serotonin improvement. Thank you for your time and attention.
Markela
Markela
I’ve not seen tryptophan or 5-HTP trigger genital herpes but this recent research discusses the fact that “HSV-1 promotes serotonin synthesis” https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.859866/full I’d discuss this with your medical team. It may be that lowering serotonin levels is something to consider – serotonin that is too high can cause similar symptoms to low serotonin.
I have clients with low mood and sleep issues also consider low GABA, low doapmine, low endorphins and low blood sugar, and all the dietary factors I cover in my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” (more on this here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/)
Hi Trudy,
Imposter syndrome really resonates with me and I was wondering where I can buy lidkte tryptophan or 5-HTP in Australia. I have contacted Fullscript and they don’t ship to Australia. I have read your book and taking NOW brand glutamine
Thank you
Hi Bree
Glad to hear this resonates with you. Feel free to share how imposter syndrome shows up for you.
I typically recommend Healthwise tryptophan powder for my clients (and have been using it with success personally) but there are new rules by the TGA and they have pulled their product while they are relabeling.
Many of my Australian clients order Lidtke directly from their site but it can be pricey.
Another option is iherb for other brands. I’ve seen good results with Life Extension and have just ordered Now Tryptophan 500mg, Now Tryptophan powder and Metabolic Maintenance Tryptophan 500mg to test. As you may have heard me mention not all tryptophan brands are the same quality. (This link saves 5% https://www.iherb.com/?rcode=BAN2021)
Hope this helps and please keep us posted on your progress. And don’t forget the dietary factors too and factors that can lead to low serotonin.
Hi Trudy – thank you I purchased on iherb and have been taking. I have a question – have you heard of L-Tryptophan increasing pressure in eyes with glaucoma? Or if glutamine raises Occular pressure?
Mine has increased significantly and the Soecialist is worried. (I forgot to mention I had started taking these supplements)
Thank you Trudy I look forward to your reply.
Bree
Bree
I have not had any clients report increasing eye pressure with glaucoma when using tryptophan. And it’s not listed as a concern on any of the tryptophan products.
But as this paper states, “the role of tryptophan metabolism in retinal neurodegeneration in glaucoma remains unexplored” and that there is “disturbed tryptophan metabolism in glaucoma.” The study also states “supplementation of tryptophan metabolite ITE could inhibit retinal inflammation and alleviate retinal injury in IR mice.” I’m not familiar with the tryptophan metabolite ITE https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9908897/
I would share this paper with the specialist and discuss monitoring eye pressure as you stop and then add back tryptophan (assuming they approve).
Can you share which tryptophan product, how much tryptophan you have been using and for how long? And if there is a direct correlation as to when your eye pressure started to increase? And if tryptophan was the only change/addition?
I’d love to hear if it’s been helping with imposter syndrome and other low serotonin symptoms?