5-htp?

[IJesusChrist]

Is it worth buying?

I have found that caffeine is really bad for me - it doesn't keep me awake and is detrimental to alot of things.

I am taking also oxiracetam, piracetam, and another in the racetam family - they seem to boost concentration slightly, but their greatest effect is their ability to DRAMATICALLY enhance the potency of the ritalin I take a few times a month (for studying).

Without the racetams, I will take a whole pill of ritalin (10mg) and not feel much, however, if I have taken the racetams the night before, I am usually very well off with just a quarter pill (2.5 mgs) - however I become very tired and depleted afterwords. It seems that ritalin is just a catalyst for some neuro-transmiter, and simply makes me use it very quickly. (But I'm not sure which one - I assume it's serotonin).

I've always had this problem of "wow I'm really tired". I have, for the life of me, passed up so many opportunities due to "being too tired" and hope to change it. Although it has gotten better, and a large part of that is attributed to sugar and diet.

I was looking into other natural ways to boost concentration and awareness and 5-htp has come up. from my understanding though, an intake of it will not really do much, however I have heard from many stories that it works very well. I am wondering if this is placebo or if my easily earned money should be put into this?

 

[IJesusChrist]

n e 1>?

 

[NeilPatrickHarris]

since nobody's replied, i'll toss in my 2 cents.

since i go into a list of the effects it gave me, let me preface this with some background on how i typically am. i'm generally a content, happy person for the most part, although i get stressed often from work, etc. i don't have any problems with depression, edginess, or paranoia whatsoever. i used 5-htp years ago for pre/post-loading mdma. it worked so well by preventing crash and serotonin depletion that i used it daily. i found that 100mg was a good mood boost that was noticeable for me. if i took 200mg or higher (i ventured up to 600mg IIRC) it actually made me tweaky, like "cleaning the house with a madness" type of tweaky. i eventually stopped because after taking it for awhile i found that the stimulation made me edgy. in fact at the end, i had one episode where it made me very paranoid and that's the last time i took it for quite awhile. but that last time i took a lot, perhaps 400mg or so.

i recently started using 5-htp again because i was rolling a bit too much, with the aid of 5-htp i bounced right back to normal and i decided to keep taking it. for me - 100mg provided stimulation like a cup of coffee but without any jitteriness. after taking it for over a week it began to make me edgy at times again, this was with 100-200mg per day. it wasn't bad but i did notice some edginess and so i just stopped again. i think i'll keep it around for pre/postloading mdxx usage but that's it.

i've heard stories from people who have been taking 5-htp daily for months without cycling off yet and they don't report any edginess at all. they only report a mood lift and in some cases a positive stimulation.

 

[itsscience]

I've never heard of it, is it widely available?

I really just wanted to say hi to Neil Patrick Harris - love your work.

 

[IJesusChrist]

Exactly what I wanted to hear,
you can get it at GNC science. Or any health store.

 

[NeilPatrickHarris]

I've never heard of it, is it widely available?

I really just wanted to say hi to Neil Patrick Harris - love your work.

Hi & Thanks!

Yeah you can get it at any health store like IJC said but you can also get it at drug stores and some grocery stores in the supplements section with the vitamin shelf, it's usually placed somewhere close to melatonin most of the time

 

[darkwolfunseen]

Pretty much same stuff as NPH. I really would keep it to the low doses, and try to take it with a B-complex or find one that has Vitamin B in it as this helps break it down. As 5-htp only results in a minimal amount of serotonin that actually reaches the brain, higher doses are more effective, but honestly it's not worth the time/money. Keep to 100-200 as previously recommended. Also for me, it makes me feel dehydrate so make sure to take it with plenty of fluids.

 

[ophiuchus]

you're masking the problem. that's not a sustainable solution. cut down your sugar intake, and increase your water intake, and you will literally be more motivated. im not even going to get into what i think about your drug cocktail.

 

[IJesusChrist]

its cool, I know what I'm doing, and I know that the probability of this not being good for me is greater than it being good.. I'm simply experimenting, and experimentation, on the scales that I do it, are in no way going to be regretful.. gotit !?

 

[ophiuchus]

imo, no, you really don't. but im not going to argue this point back and forth with you.

your little science experiment that you're doing to yourself may not be directly harmful to you, but the precious advice that you're blatantly ignoring in lieu of pursuing symptom treaters, will be. the fact of the matter is, your dehydrated, i don't even have to know you and i know it. i know it from many facets, and i really don't need any more information from you to confirm it. ill give one example, you say you have joint pain, your fucking 20 something, people don't get arthritis in their 20's. the only thing that can help cartilage elasticity, is (aside from being active) 1. drinking more water, and 2. after drinking more water (the joints become more receptive to nutrients) eat foods, FOODS that are going to be good for joint support. your a smart kid (google), it shouldn't be hard for you to find some of those foods.

i honestly don't think that anyone should give you more advice until you correct your most fundamental errors in your health, because i guarantee you 90% of your health issues are due to just that. you ignore the fundamentals, in search of what? purported chemicals? stuff that's neither been confirmed or denied in treating anything? why? that's rhetorical for me, i don't need an answer.

 

[IJesusChrist]

Ow.

If you're worried about the levels of chemicals I ingest, you should be screaming, or typing in capital letters about the air conditions of city living.

I am not trying to cure anything with this, I am experimenting. Is there bad side effects of 5-htp? Looks like I'd have to take nearly 5 times the amount I plan to in order to reach what the first two posters on here said they had negative effects.

My ritalin? 1.25-2.5 mgs is what I take... recommened dose? "5mgs once daily to 60mgs 4 times a day" I havn't touched to stuff for a month and a half - no need, I'm glad I tried it though. I know what it does, and from taking it I can now attempt to induce myself into concentration much better (or quicker) than not taking it.

Racetams? I bought some a year and a half ago, they are nice, but once I run out, I'm not going to buy anymore, they don't do enough + piracetam is now regulated.

5-htp? I just want to see what it is.

My joints; perhaps grasshopper. I should drink more water, I wish it was just cleaner where I live. I've NEVER been able to bend my knees for long periods of time, much the same way playing guitar with my fingers bugs the FUCK out of me. it just feels gross.

You do seem to be forgetting something though - genetics. There are things in the genetic code that can debilitate. Some things that debilitate genetically can be helped by certain things.

All things in modertaion, including foods. . .

 

[ophiuchus]

i didn't say anything about the drugs you ingest, hence why im not typing in capitals... i said that you are ignoring fundamental aspects of your health, and, instead of simply fixing them, you're doing experiments with drugs. cool. but it doesn't change the fact that you're dehydrated, and so you will continue to have these problems.

do you think i care how much 5htp you take, after you've told me (us) how much you drink and take speed? go for it, knock yourself out, you won't hurt yourself with it, but it's not gonna help you live any longer or better... you have to learn to listen to nature for that.

 

[IJesusChrist]

its just learning, and yes, please yell at me for the alcohol. it really isn't fun living with 6 other alcoholics, the pressure is quite innescapable at times.

I don't even understand it anymore. Its as if you have to drink on a friday, you have to drink on a saturday. I don't think they realize the physical severity alcohol has on the body - they act as if "Ahh lets just cut loose for the weekend" without knowing it does have an impact.

Ahh alcohol, why have you branded me so! I'm watching my water intake. I hate when you're right. :wink:

 

[ophiuchus]

i only want the best for everybody. really.