Re: 5HTP for Hyperacusis and Depression

Posted By Dave Pearl on September 11, 1998 at 13:34:42:

In Reply to: Re: 5HTP for Hyperacusis and Depression posted by CCF Neurology MD - AY on September 10, 1998 at 19:10:17:






Hello,
I suffer from hyperacusis (a collapsed tolerance to sound) and depression.  I hear thta 5-HTP helps both.  Some questions for any physicians out there.  How long of a trail should I give it ?  What dose ?  How many times a day ?  
email me at ***@**** and let me know !
Thanks in advance !
PS-Anyone have any good remedies for noise induced tinnitus, hearing loss, or balance disorders ?!!!



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: Thanks for your question.  It is largely agreed upon by physician who treat
patients manifesting clinical depression (e.g. psychiatrists, internist, etc.)
that this disorder is caused in part by an imbalance in the serotonin system
(or 5-HT, 5-hydroxytryptamine).  It is also known that 5-HTP is one of the
precursors of 5-HT, that is the body can transform the former into the latter.
There were a number of medical publications in the 80s advocating the use of
5-HTP as treatment of depression.  Nowadays, however, the most commonly
used class of anti-depressants are the SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake
Inhibitors).
A survey of the medical literature over the last 25 years yielded the
following article that reviews the possible correlation between 5-HT
and hyperacusis.  This article was not intended and is not written in
layman's terms, but you can find it in good university libraries:
Is central hyperacusis a symptom of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) dysfunction?
J Laryngol Otol 1995 Oct;109(10):915-21   (ISSN: 0022-2151)
I hope this information is helpful.
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only.
Please consult your doctor regarding diagnostic and treatment options.