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5htp Success?


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Hi All,

I weaned my daughter off of Zoloft at Christmas after she had been on it for one year. I am now searching for an over the counter remedy for anxiety. I tried a month of inositol, but it caused a tremendous gas problem for my dd, with no signs of slowing down. Needless to say, this was not good for my dd's anxiety level. Wondering if anyone has had luck with 5htp? If so, what doses? I looked in Whole Foods for it yesterday, and only found tablets. My dd can't swallow them yet, so I am wondering if anyone is using another form: chewables, powder, etc. Thanks in advance for any info you may have. -Best wishes, Peggy

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Hi there,

Yes, she's still on the Azith, and doing well. She just has this baseline social anxiety that I think is post PANDAS. I'd love to find something to take the edge off, but I wasn't happy with the Zoloft/SSRI. I had high hopes for the inositol, but it really did a number on her GI system (even though we started at a low dose, and increased very slowly). I was hoping someone may have a 5htp success story to share... Or some other non SSRI supplement.

Best wishes,

Peggy

 

Hi Peggy!

how is your dd doing? Are you still on Azith?

 

I wonder if the pills taste bad...if you could crush them and mix with a little pudding or yougurt.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Hi All,

I weaned my daughter off of Zoloft at Christmas after she had been on it for one year. I am now searching for an over the counter remedy for anxiety. I tried a month of inositol, but it caused a tremendous gas problem for my dd, with no signs of slowing down. Needless to say, this was not good for my dd's anxiety level. Wondering if anyone has had luck with 5htp? If so, what doses? I looked in Whole Foods for it yesterday, and only found tablets. My dd can't swallow them yet, so I am wondering if anyone is using another form: chewables, powder, etc. Thanks in advance for any info you may have. -Best wishes, Peggy

 

Hi Peggy

I got your email via latitudes, but it had no return email address so am replying here

 

My son does not have a PANDAS dx but has TS with OCD

 

we did try Luvox and other meds to help but things only got worse.

 

he uses high dose inositol/P-5-P/methylB12 and methionine now and does not have any gas problems with it.

 

some years back, after he was weaned off the meds, adding 50mg 5HTP each evening was the only thing that helped control the OCD that was consuming his life.

 

some people do get edgy on it tho so start low

 

The Natrol brand comes in a tiny capsule so may be easier for your child to swallow.

Some people prefer tryptophan to 5HTP and I think that comes in a powder

 

hope that helps

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Hi All,

I weaned my daughter off of Zoloft at Christmas after she had been on it for one year. I am now searching for an over the counter remedy for anxiety. I tried a month of inositol, but it caused a tremendous gas problem for my dd, with no signs of slowing down. Needless to say, this was not good for my dd's anxiety level. Wondering if anyone has had luck with 5htp? If so, what doses? I looked in Whole Foods for it yesterday, and only found tablets. My dd can't swallow them yet, so I am wondering if anyone is using another form: chewables, powder, etc. Thanks in advance for any info you may have. -Best wishes, Peggy

 

Hi Peggy

I got your email via latitudes, but it had no return email address so am replying here

 

My son does not have a PANDAS dx but has TS with OCD

 

we did try Luvox and other meds to help but things only got worse.

 

he uses high dose inositol/P-5-P/methylB12 and methionine now and does not have any gas problems with it.

 

some years back, after he was weaned off the meds, adding 50mg 5HTP each evening was the only thing that helped control the OCD that was consuming his life.

 

some people do get edgy on it tho so start low

 

The Natrol brand comes in a tiny capsule so may be easier for your child to swallow.

Some people prefer tryptophan to 5HTP and I think that comes in a powder

 

hope that helps

 

 

Cheri,

Did the methionine supplements bring his methionine level up? (that is, have you checked a level?) We had Gaby's level drawn at UM recently and it was pretty low so we have started giving her methionine a few days ago. Also, with the supps you mentioned, does that keep his OCD completely under control? thanks, Pat

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Hi Pat

*completely* under control is relative in our case.....I know he still deals with some OCD stuff but honest, compared with what his OCD used to be like....it is like nothing now to us. It used to be very very severe and really disabled him far more than his tics or his Crohn's.

 

on his current program, which in addition to those OCD supps I mentioned above, also includes his daily Jarrow multifood shake and Natural Calm for extra magnesium to control his tics (+ taurine when waxing), flaxseed oil, plus the anti-inflammatory/GIT healing supps he takes for the autoimmune stuff from the Crohn's (boswellin, curcumin (extract from turmeric), DGL-liquorice root, slippery elm and white willow bark)

I also cook with a lot of garlic, ginger, flaxseeds, turmeric.

 

I forgot to mention before the daily extra vitamin D that he takes...he really feels that contributes to the overall improvement of his OCD.

 

 

 

He hasnt had methionine levels checked but the improvement in his wellbeing when on it is very noticeable.

samE is supposed to be the optimum form of methionine but it really is so pricey and he has always seemed to do well on methionine. Altho he takes the inositol,P-5-P and methylB12 daily, he finds he prefers to take the methionine "as needed" when he senses it's time. Now that he is 19yo he really has taken charge of his supps and seems to be very "in tune" with what his system needs and when

 

Interestingly the boswellia is known to not only be a superb anti-inflammatory but also shown good results re OCD so that gives a double bonus

 

I think all of his supps working together with a very healthy diet totally free of processed or additive chemicals has had such a good effect on his entire system that this in turn minimizes the symptoms of his various disorders. that and the fact that we attempt to maintain as stress free an environment as possible :wub:

 

 

 

 

Cheri,

Did the methionine supplements bring his methionine level up? (that is, have you checked a level?) We had Gaby's level drawn at UM recently and it was pretty low so we have started giving her methionine a few days ago. Also, with the supps you mentioned, does that keep his OCD completely under control? thanks, Pat

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Hi, Chemar,

 

Could you tell me how much boswellia you use for your son? My dd reacts well to this but the results only seem to last a couple of hours (with two supplements) and I am wondering how much I could give to her.

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Hi Pat

*completely* under control is relative in our case.....I know he still deals with some OCD stuff but honest, compared with what his OCD used to be like....it is like nothing now to us. It used to be very very severe and really disabled him far more than his tics or his Crohn's.

 

on his current program, which in addition to those OCD supps I mentioned above, also includes his daily Jarrow multifood shake and Natural Calm for extra magnesium to control his tics (+ taurine when waxing), flaxseed oil, plus the anti-inflammatory/GIT healing supps he takes for the autoimmune stuff from the Crohn's (boswellin, curcumin (extract from turmeric), DGL-liquorice root, slippery elm and white willow bark)

I also cook with a lot of garlic, ginger, flaxseeds, turmeric.

 

I forgot to mention before the daily extra vitamin D that he takes...he really feels that contributes to the overall improvement of his OCD.

 

 

 

He hasnt had methionine levels checked but the improvement in his wellbeing when on it is very noticeable.

samE is supposed to be the optimum form of methionine but it really is so pricey and he has always seemed to do well on methionine. Altho he takes the inositol,P-5-P and methylB12 daily, he finds he prefers to take the methionine "as needed" when he senses it's time. Now that he is 19yo he really has taken charge of his supps and seems to be very "in tune" with what his system needs and when

 

Interestingly the boswellia is known to not only be a superb anti-inflammatory but also shown good results re OCD so that gives a double bonus

 

I think all of his supps working together with a very healthy diet totally free of processed or additive chemicals has had such a good effect on his entire system that this in turn minimizes the symptoms of his various disorders. that and the fact that we attempt to maintain as stress free an environment as possible ^_^

 

 

 

 

Cheri,

Did the methionine supplements bring his methionine level up? (that is, have you checked a level?) We had Gaby's level drawn at UM recently and it was pretty low so we have started giving her methionine a few days ago. Also, with the supps you mentioned, does that keep his OCD completely under control? thanks, Pat

 

Cheri,

thanks for all the good advice. I didn't realize that your son was that old already. That's a little disheartening to think that he has taken these supps for quite a while and he's never gotten to the point where he can go off them and feel OK. I guess I keep thinking that eventually all of these kids will outgrow this stuff they're going through. I especially thought that the methionine would soon improve the immune system so that these issues would fade away. Pat

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If you're okay with presciption meds, here is one idea. I was put on atenolol (a beta blocker, considered very mild and very safe, at least for an adult) for cardiac arrhythmia but I found that it did a wonderful job in also reducing my anxiety levels. Did some research and found that it is known to have that effect.

 

It is something you might want to look into, as I was told that it was a very safe med. (I think atenolol is the brand name for propanolol).

 

-- Liane

 

 

Hi All,

I weaned my daughter off of Zoloft at Christmas after she had been on it for one year. I am now searching for an over the counter remedy for anxiety. I tried a month of inositol, but it caused a tremendous gas problem for my dd, with no signs of slowing down. Needless to say, this was not good for my dd's anxiety level. Wondering if anyone has had luck with 5htp? If so, what doses? I looked in Whole Foods for it yesterday, and only found tablets. My dd can't swallow them yet, so I am wondering if anyone is using another form: chewables, powder, etc. Thanks in advance for any info you may have. -Best wishes, Peggy

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