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

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9
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

Senior Member
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819
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

Senior Member
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Alberta
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.
 

Alvin2

The good news is patients don't die the bad news..
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3,086
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

Senior Member
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6,088
Location
Alberta
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

The good news is patients don't die the bad news..
Messages
3,086
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.
 
Messages
9
@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"
 
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