Posted by holymama on June 2, 2006, at 18:15:45
Has anyone else here had the experience of trouble sleeping with 5-HTP? I know it is supposed to HELP with sleep, but after googling the terms, I found I am not alone in getting the opposite effect.
I would like to still take it, though -- I found it is the first natural substance that really helps my mood, and very quickly. I'm not sure if that is particular to bipolar or to my particular chemistry, but I have also found that SSRIs work extremely fast for me -- within one or two days I can feel a shift. One of my pdocs told me that for most people, it takes weeks to feel an SSRI, but a quick response like mine is a fairly reliable sign of a bipolar diagnosis.
I feel like I am getting the decrease in my depression/decrease in negative and slightly suicidal thoughts with the 5-HTP, but I am shooting up out of bed at 3 or 4 am, and after quite a few nights of that, I felt racy, like I was on a quick trip to mania if I continued. I stopped the 5-HTP, but the depression is back.
I am taking only 25-50 mg before lunch. I wonder if a smaller amount would still work, but stop the insomnia? Or perhaps every other day? If anyone has any expereince, please let me know. :)
poster:holymama
thread:652089
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20060601/msgs/652089.html