5-HTP Question

[AngeloA]

I've been visiting a doctor who specializes in alternative medicine for my depression and anxiety symptoms  and he prescribed me 5-HTP, some type of antidepressant or mood controller based on natural ingredients.
How effective are natural antidepressants compared to  the chemical synthetic based ones?

[whodunnit]

As someone who has been on the D trail for decades I understand the temptaion of supposed alternative treatments.

Could I ask you why they are called "alternative"? Have you thought about that?

The answer is quite simple if you look at it logically. If the substance you refer to or any other natural substabce was succesful or better than andt d's do you really think anyone would take prescribed meds?

Answer? NO.

Summary. No, of course it doesn't work anywhere near as effectively as prescription drugs. It's people flogging substabces because they are not qualified to sell the real meds, anti d's. Can you not see that?

You are asking us for assurance or otherwise and I note the absence of response so far. You are wasting your time, hope and money in my opinion. Go see a real doctor. I note you say you are seeing a doctor who specialises(???) in alternatives.

Sorry but that is not a real doctor at all. He knows better but chooses to flog this stuff to people. Why? Because it's cheap.

I may appear a touch cynical about these treatments. Just a touch.

[becky808]

I guess I'm curious why you're adverse to taking an FDA approved medication. What makes Alternative Medications seem OK or safer to you?  

Does 5HTP work? In some people, absolutely.
What makes 5HTP different than Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, Lexapro or one of the millions of other anti depressants on the market? FDA Approval.  
5HTP was originally marketed as L-Tryptophan. It worked for many people. It was a perscription drug. In 1990 the FDA banned all Tryptophan containing products from the market after an outbreak of a blood disease EMS. Tryptophan contained impurities that made it unsafe for consumption.
It has been remarketed and sold as 5-HTP as a supplement in order to get around the FDA ban. It still will work for the same people that L-Tryptophan worked for. It is sold as an herbal supplement or "natural alternative" only because it cannot gain FDA approval. It is no more natural than any other antidepressant. It still contains the impurities. It still could make some people sick.  

It might work for you. You could always try it.
I wouldn't fool myself into thinking it's "safer" or "more natural" though.
It's a perscription medication that worked for many people and was rejected for making people sick. If it doesn't work, don't feel bad about seeing a Dr that can prescribe something FDA approved. There are some wonderful medications out there.

[AngeloA]

Thanks, guys.

You're right. 5-HTP does not have any approval of the FDA. However it is not a cheap medicine, at least in my country.
I've been prescribred Amitriptyline for my symptoms by my regular doctor, and it seems to be working well. However, the side effects of Amitriptyline are too scary. One of them is that it can make the symptoms worse.
That's the reason I was looking for alternatives.
I can understand your skepticism about the doctor who specializes in alternative medicine, but if you have health care that ***** like the one in my country, he is the one that most likely can diagnose your illness, instead of constantly prescribring Paracetamol for all your symptoms. Though my regular doctor is better than that, yet he goes not far in further researching the cause.
*Sigh* I remember the times, when the doctor rushed you to the laboratory for even a fever. Thanks to my government, health care ***** big time.

[whodunnit]

Mate,

You say this stuff works for "some people". So who are these "some people"? Do you have evidence of this or is it like a lot of other stuff about depression, rumour and hope.

I have never seen it stated anywhere that even "some people" have got better results than normal, approved A/D's with this drug.

You say what you are taking has scary side effects. Did Becky not list a rather scary side effect of this drug you are talking about yourself?

Can you really be serious about risking your body with that stuff?

Your choice clearly but why would you want to do that? I don't get it.

[AngeloA]

I never stated in this topic that this stuff works for some people. And yes, I don't have any evidence of that.

I can remember however talking to someone who has quite some knowledge about supplements and she told me she had her doubts about one of the ingredients of 5-HTP

Anyhow, I'd like to learn more about antidepressants, which are the best ones. I'm seriously considering switching, because Amitriptyline has too many side effects. Amitriptyline is made in The Netherlands, by Centrafarm.