Tryptophan neuroinflammation article

[SwanRonson]

http://www.cortjohnson.org/blog/201...-kynurenine-pathway-in-fibromalgia-and-mecfs/

After reading the above post by Cort, I'm wondering if supplemental tryptophan is a bad idea. I've been supplementing it in small amounts lately (500mg once daily) just seeing if it helps with gut motility. If it's being converted to neurotoxins then it seems best to supplement melatonin and seratonin(via 5htp) directly. Any thoughts?

 

[PeterPositive]

Wouldn't one notice an increase in negative symptoms if the tryptophan was taking the wrong pathway?
I have been using 500-1000mg/day of L-tryptophan for the past 6 months without noticeable side effects, so I'd presume it's not causing any harm.

I don't have experience with melatonin supplements, and 5HTP doesn't do good things for me, so I can't help much on that.

cheers

 

[liverock]

I have also found taking 1,000mg of tryptophan just before going to bed to improve sleep and mood the following day. Its probably only a small subset of PWME who are having problems
with tryptophan.

 

[john66]

Ray Peat writes about tryptophan and it's effects on the body. He also claims fish oils and put a ' s are bad. Lots of youtube info as well.

 

[SwanRonson]

I've honestly never known what to do with Ray Peat. He seems to know his stuff. But it's so contrarian at certain points combined with being so voluminous that it's almost impossible (for me) to critique.

 

[Fandol]

I think the tryptophan-neuroinflammation/fibromyalgia connection has an awfully strong familiarity with the tryptophan disaster of 1989 resulting in eosinophilia myalgia syndrome, and interestingly, even pure tryptophan supplements have been tied to this disorder and other problems - I'm new here so I can't post a link but google to read a scholarly article on that "L Tryptophan: The Truth About The FDA Tryptophan Recall Of 1989"

 

[SwanRonson]

In following up on what Ray peat said yesterday he mentioned the same thing about the recall. What he had said makes a lot of sense that isolating amino acids can have a radical effect on the brain. Thanks for the link.

 

[MeSci]

http://www.cortjohnson.org/blog/201...-kynurenine-pathway-in-fibromalgia-and-mecfs/

After reading the above post by Cort, I'm wondering if supplemental tryptophan is a bad idea. I've been supplementing it in small amounts lately (500mg once daily) just seeing if it helps with gut motility. If it's being converted to neurotoxins then it seems best to supplement melatonin and seratonin(via 5htp) directly. Any thoughts?

Just to say that since finding out about the kynurenine issue, and having low mood, I started supplementing 5-HTP and it improved my mood (in a few weeks) with no apparent ill effects. I'm also fine with melatonin.

 

[SwanRonson]

Are you supplementing 5-htp as a way to get serotonin directly without using tryptophan?

 

[SwanRonson]

i created a thread here. for this discussion so it doesn't clog up the news forum.

 

[john66]

I tthink Rey is quite a few pay grades headof me. scieohnce and medicine to separate fieldsscience

 

[natasa778]

I don't have experience with melatonin supplements, and 5HTP doesn't do good things for me, so I can't help much on that.

cheers

I've found 5htp to be Very dose-sensitive, with massive difference in effects between different dosages, as in bottle dosage instructions led to bad mood swings, halving the dose = lovely calming effect with no negatives.

 

[liverock]

Wouldn't one notice an increase in negative symptoms if the tryptophan was taking the wrong pathway?
I have been using 500-1000mg/day of L-tryptophan for the past 6 months without noticeable side effects, so I'd presume it's not causing any harm.

I don't have experience with melatonin supplements, and 5HTP doesn't do good things for me, so I can't help much on that.

cheers

It might take time for side effects to emerge. Its best not to take it for more than a month or so with vitamin B6 which can help getting rid of metabolites. I only take it for short periods when having sleep problems.

Tryptophan can cause some serious side effects if taken for a long time..

http://www.supplements-and-health.com/tryptophan-side-effects.html

 

[MeSci]

It might take time for side effects to emerge. Its best not to take it for more than a month or so with vitamin B6 which can help getting rid of metabolites. I only take it for short periods when having sleep problems.

Tryptophan can cause some serious side effects if taken for a long time..

http://www.supplements-and-health.com/tryptophan-side-effects.html

Take care with B6 - some of us can't tolerate it.