Can I try 5-HTP despite the possible Metabolic Trap without irreversibly worsening it?!

[Joel98]

Hello,
I'm wondering if I can test 5-HTP capsules without worsening the possible Metabolic Trap.
If I understand it correctly, it is still unclear whether you have too much or too little serotonin as a result. My symptoms tend to feel like too little and a urine test (which I know has little significance) was also very low.
So I ask myself if I have the Metabolic Trap and I take serotonin, the ,,only" danger is the serotonin syndrome for the case if I have too much serotonin intracellularly through the Metabolic Trap, but the Metabolic Trap itself cannot worsen in contrast to tryptophan intake. So I could therefore test it and stop immediately if symptoms of serotonin syndrome occur. And there is a possibility that 5-HTP will help me if I'm really really low.
Does anyone know more about this or can answer my main question if I am right that 5-HTP cannot irreversibly worsen the Metabolic Trap, but "only" further increases serotonin that may be already too high?!

Thanks in advance, best regards
Joel

 

[GlassCannonLife]

5-htp helped my sleep a fair bit for a few weeks (maybe 2 months..?). Slowly went up to 300 mg then it randomly stopped working and any time I tried it since it'd just make my sleep a little worse and weird feeling.

Didn't seem to affect my ME at all

 

[Wishful]

I'm not a fan of the metabolic trap hypothesis, but I think it's unlikely that adding a bit more 5-HTP can do anything irreversible. Your body produces varying amounts all the time, so a little bit more shouldn't make much difference. I haven't encountered any reports about irreversible responses to 5-HTP or tryptophan.

I've tried tryptophan, 5-HTP and melatonin, and none had irreversible effects. TRP made my ME symptoms worse for a short time, and the others just helped me sleep easier.

 

[Joel98]

@GlassCannonLife do you have a clue/theory why it stopped working? That your serotonin level is high enough since then is very unlikely, I guess.

 

[Alvin2]

In theory you could lower your tryptophan levels by avoiding any protein for a couple days.
Not easily done but a high carbohydrate and low fat diet (or just skipping some meals) should in theory make a difference.

I had posted a study about tryptophan depletion diet a while back but there wasn't much interest, though i never was able to read the study myself.

If it makes any difference 5HTP makes me throw up without fail but has no effect positive or negative on the ME.

 

[Wishful]

In theory you could lower your tryptophan levels by avoiding any protein for a couple days.

I was sensitive to TRP, but even a year of very low dietary TRP didn't have a significant effect. Extra TRP would increase my ME symptoms, but avoiding TRP didn't help. I think our bodies have plenty of TRP storage or switch into an efficient TRP recycling state or some such thing.

 

[Alvin2]

I was sensitive to TRP, but even a year of very low dietary TRP didn't have a significant effect. Extra TRP would increase my ME symptoms, but avoiding TRP didn't help. I think our bodies have plenty of TRP storage or switch into an efficient TRP recycling state or some such thing.

Weird, tryptophan has no effect on me.

 

[GlassCannonLife]

@GlassCannonLife do you have a clue/theory why it stopped working? That your serotonin level is high enough since then is very unlikely, I guess.

I assume it was a significant receptor downregulation that is now unlikely to recover or may take years if it does..

 

[Joel98]

@GlassCannonLife yes, could be.

I also just read the following:
,,Another side effect of 5-hydroxytryptophan is the reduced formation of dopamine and other catecholamines, since their biosynthesis requires the same chemical precursors as that of serotonin. Especially when taking 5-HTP for a long time, the increased formation of serotonin can occur at the expense of dopamine. If there is a connection between catecholamines and the disease in the present depression, the long-term intake of 5-HTP in particular could have a negative effect on the course of the disease"