A mood disorder characterized by sadness, depression affects a patient's emotional state and behavior. Depression can cause poor concentration, which can affect memory and thinking. There are a variety of treatment options available for depression. 5-hydroxytryptophan, or 5-HTP, is an alternative treatment that does not require a prescription. Before starting any alternative treatment for depression, patients should talk to their doctors and get the proper dosage information.
5-HTP Source
5-HTP is taken as a dietary supplement, as it does not exist in foods in this form. The body can convert tryptophan, an essential amino acid found in foods like turkey, into 5-HTP. However, this method does not increase 5-HTP levels as much as supplements do. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that the dietary supplement is derived from the Griffonia simplicifolia plant. Drugs.com warns that dietary supplements like 5-HTP do not have regulated manufacturing standards, so people using 5-HTP for depression or any other condition should buy the supplement from a reputable store to reduce supplement contamination.
Mechanism
The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that the body converts 5-HTP to serotonin, a neurotransmitter related to mood. Antidepressants, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants, affect serotonin levels to improve depression symptoms. Taking 5-HTP supplements increases the levels of serotonin, which improves the symptoms of depression.
Effectiveness
Kelly A. Shaw, Jane Turner and Chris Del Mar, authors of the article “Tryptophan and 5-Hydroxytryptophan for Depression,” studied the effects of 5-HTP and tryptophan on unipolar depression and dysthymia, a chronic form of depression. The authors had 64 patients who met the requirements for the study. The results showed that 5-HTP was more effective than a placebo for depression treatment. Nevertheless, the study was not conclusive.
Drug Interactions
Drugs.com points out that 5-HTP can interact with other medications used for depression. For example, patients who use tricyclic antidepressants, such as doxepin, imipramine, nortriptyline, amitriptyline and clomipramine, should not take 5-HTP. The supplement may also interfere with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, an older type of antidepressant that prevents the breakdown of mood transmitters. These include the medications tranylcypromine, isocarboxazid, phenelzine, selegiline and rasagiline. Patients taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like citalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine and sertraline, or tetracyclic antidepressants like trazodone, should not take 5-HTP either. 5-HTP can also interfere with other alternative medications for depression, such as St. John's wort. Before starting 5-HTP, patients need to consult with their doctors about possible drug interactions.
Side Effects
People who take 5-HTP for depression may experience side effects. For example, patients may feel ill from 5-HTP, with symptoms such as stomach pain, loss of appetite, gas, nausea and vomiting. Some users may have a skin rash. Drugs.com notes that 5-HTP users may experience changes in sensation including pain, tingling, weakness and numbness.
Member Comments