Interplexus changed its proprietary formula for Seriphos, a phosphorylated serine product, sometime March/April 2016. It was changed to a form which no longer worked for many people with the anxiety and insomnia that is associated with high levels of cortisol at night.
Thanks to feedback from folks in my community I investigated and blogged about this here: Seriphos has been reformulated – what do I use to lower high cortisol?, sharing information about labeling confusion and many possible alternatives. I also looked into Relora, a standardized/patented Magnolia bark extract and Phellodendron bark extract, as a very viable alternative.
But I was hoping, as were many of you, that they’d hear all the requests and complaints from their loyal users and practitioners like myself and bring back the original formula.
This week a number of people in my community notified me that the original Seriphos is back so I reached out to Interplexus again. I had been watching their site and had not seen any announcement just a banner stating it’ll be ready Dec 2016 (which is still on the site as of this writing). So I emailed Interplexus earlier this week:
Just checking to see if you have a status update on this please? When will it be ready and when can we expect to see it in online stores? Can it be purchased from Interplexus directly? Can you also please share how we’ll know it’s the new formulation and are you able to guarantee it’s the exact same formula as before?
And the response from Interplexus:
Seriphos has been in stock for about 3 weeks now and is widely available online, we are suggesting retail customers search the product online and purchase from the most convenient retailer because at this time we [Interplexus] are wholesale only. However we will be venturing into retail in the future.
The label now has a red triangle on the left side that states “Original Formula.” To avoid confusion we are asking that customers purchase from online stores that have the updated label. We can assure you that it is the exact same formula as before.
The Original Formula of Seriphos is now back! And we’re thrilled! Thank you Interplexus!
This is what the old bottle looked like before it was reformulated. The label reads: Proprietary Blend 1000mg Phosphorylated Serine/Ethanolamine.
This is the label from the “Original Formula” – the new Seriphos just reintroduced
As you can see the new “Original Formula” has the red triangle on the front and the back also reads: Proprietary Blend 1000mg Phosphorylated Serine/Ethanolamine.
I’m sharing all this and the images for a few reasons:
- There was some confusion with the labels when it was reformulated earlier in 2016 (you can see what I mean here)
- If you need it I want to make sure you get the correct one and
- In the last week I’ve had three reports from people who have the “Original Formula” and feel it’s not working as before.
I’m going to stay optimistic and hope they’ll see results after another week of use (maybe 2 weeks tops), although in the past I have had many clients say they notice a difference in a few days.
If you have new “Original Formula” and have started using it again and have observed it’s not working as before here are a few things to consider:
- Give it a week or two to see if it’s going to work for you
- Keep a food mood sleep log to make sure nothing else is affecting your anxiety and sleep (like accidental gluten exposure, caffeine, high FODMAPs food if you have SIBO
- Your cortisol high may have shifted in the time you weren’t taking the old Seriphos pre-April 2016 and you may need to retest your salivary cortisol levels and adjust the timing accordingly
- Think back to try and figure out if anything else may have change between then and now (a new medication started, a medication stopped, new supplements, dietary changes etc)
If this is the first time you’re reading about Seriphos here is some additional information: If you have high nighttime cortisol (as measured by an adrenal saliva test) it can cause insomnia and anxiety. Using 1-3 x Seriphos about 1-3 hours before the high cortisol is the best way I know for lowering the high cortisol and providing relief.
Here is some feedback from someone who commented on the blog:
I have been tested for cortisol and I have extremely high levels day and night. The old Seriphos [pre-April 2016] was working for me to reduce the internal jitters which would wake me several times a night with heart pounding and adrenalin rushing. I do not have a problem turning my brain off going to sleep – just problems waking several hours later (sometimes several times a night) – sometimes not being able to get back to sleep because I am wide awake.
And feedback from Julie Matthews, Certified Nutrition Consultant, Author of Nourishing Hope for Autism and founder of Bioindividual Nutrition Institute:
Seriphos is the best thing I found to combat high cortisol levels in the evening. I don’t need to take it every day, but if there is an event that gets my cortisol up such as: travel, speaking at a conference, or doing taiko too late at night, I could be awake for hours from high cortisol. When I take Seriphos, I can literally feel my system dramatically ratcheting down moment by moment and within an hour or less I am easily able to go to bed and sleep. I have tried other supplements and none of them work nearly as well as Seriphos for me. I’m so glad the “Original Formula” is back.
If you do have the new “Original Formula” and used the old Seriphos pre-April 2016, have you started using it again? We’d love to hear how you’re doing and how it compares to the Seriphos pre-April 2016?
If you’re a practitioner and have used the old Seriphos pre-April 2016 with success for helping clients/patients lower high cortisol we’d love to hear your feedback on the new “Original Formula.”
Thanks for the initial alert about the reformulation, thanks if you shared pictures with me, thanks if have been asking questions and sharing feedback here on the blog, and thanks if you contacted Interplexus! I love the community we are creating here!
UPDATE 3/7/2020: The new “Original Formula” of Seriphos is the same as the old Seriphos pre-April 2016 and is working as it always did, helping to lower high cortisol levels in order to ease anxiety that is due to high cortisol and improve sleep issues that are caused by high night-time or early morning cortisol. (I’ve been replying to comments to this effect but forgot to come back and update the blog.)