Drug Name

5-HTP

Drug Uses

5-HTP provides the quickest, most effective, and most consistent overall results in treating insomnia. 5-HTP (5-Hydroxy-l-tryptophan) is an amino acid that converts into two chemicals called Serotonin and Melatonin. Melatonin is a sleep-inducing hormone, produced by the body, and Serotonin is a calming neurotransmitter. Both help aid in sleep, reliving worries, and allowing you to clear your mind.

Benefits:

• Enhanced Sleep;
• Relieved Anxiety;
• Relieve symptoms of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).

How to use

Take 1 to 3 mg, thirty to forty-five minutes before retiring. Start with the lower dose for at least three days, and then consider increasing the dose if results are not what you expected.

Drug Class and Mechanism

5-HTP improves the quality of sleep. More importantly, clinical studies show that 5- HTP is also useful in the treatment of sleep disorders other than insomnia.

5-HTP increases REM sleep significantly (typically by about 25 percent) while simultaneously increasing deep sleep stages 3 and 4 without increasing total sleep time. 5-HTP accomplishes this by shortening the amount of time you spend in sleep stages 1 and 2, which in certain ways are the least important stages of the cycle. The higher the dose, the more time spent in REM.

By shifting the balance of the sleep cycle, 5-HTP makes sleep more restful and rejuvenating. Instead of waking feeling tired, worn out, people taking 5-HTP feel vibrant, well rested, and ready to take on the challenges of the day. When we sleep more deeply and dream more efficiently, we wake in the morning with our physical and psychological batteries fully charged.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose of 5-HTP, take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Storage

Store 5-HTP at room temperature, between 68 and 77 degrees F (20 and 25 degrees C). Store away from heat, moisture, and light. Keep 5-HTP out of the reach of children and away from pets.

Warnings/Precautions

5-HTP should not be taken with other antidepressants, MAO inhibitors, weight loss products, St.John's wort, or by pregnant women, unless recommended by a health practitioner. Vitamin B6 should not be taken at the same time, although it is helpful if taken about 6 hours earlier than the 5-HTP.

Possible Side Effects

Aside from the risk of consuming impure 5-HTP, the supplement can cause side effects, though most are generally mild. 5-HTP side effects include:

• nausea;
• constipation;
• headaches.

More Information

5-HTP may prove to be better than melatonin. Several clinical studies have shown 5-HTP to produce good results in promoting and maintaining sleep in normal subjects as well as those experiencing insomnia (11-14). One of the key benefits with 5-HTP in the treatment of insomnia is its ability to increase sleep quality.