5-hydroxytryptophan and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Nut...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 16, 2021

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "Be very mindful it's all about the dosage & type. Always start with the lowest dosage, this is a very strong drug not to be messed with. 25-50mg is all that is needed to start with and use slow release to avoid bad side effects. I started this for PTSD, ADHD, depression, insomnia, mood swings. I use 50mg slow release as soon as I open my eyes and if need be during stressful times, another 50mg after lunch. At 1st, I did take the recommended dosages which in my experience are dangerous. Horrendous side effects. Trial, error, and masses of research were the key in the end. I have now been taking 5-HPT for 13 years on and off due to PTSD and undiagnosed ADHD, which was causing me all sorts of issues from Depression, Anxiety, Insomnia, Terrible Mood Swings, Migraines, the list goes on. This stuff has helped tremendously with all the above. I cannot rate it enough, actually saved my life :)"

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 28, 2020

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "I came off my antidepressants about 6 months ago with medical supervision, and decided to try 5-HTP about a month after. I got the impression it made me a lot more anxious and a bit paranoid, so I stopped using it after a couple of weeks and wondered if it was too close to coming off my medication. Six months later, I thought I would give it another go. It has been 4 days since I started, and today I feel much more anxious and paranoid again. I think 5-HTP works well for some people, but for others, it makes anxiety worse."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 28, 2020

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "I came off my antidepressants about 6 months ago with medical supervision, and decided to try 5-HTP about a month after. I got the impression it made me a lot more anxious and a bit paranoid, so I stopped using it after a couple of weeks and wondered if it was too close to coming off my medication. Six months later, I thought I would give it another go. It has been 4 days since I started, and today I feel much more anxious and paranoid again. I think 5-HTP works well for some people, but for others, it makes anxiety worse."

• Nut...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 9, 2020

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "5-HTP, in my experience of taking it (10 years+), has absolutely been down to dosage. I have had terrible side effects with the lowest recommended dosages: sweats, shakes, anxiety through the roof, nightmares, and insomnia. Until I started at the lowest dose I could buy, 50 mg slow/timed release type in the morning, I had no unwanted side effects. I have increased my dosage to 100 mg daily if having a bad episode, and usually after say 6 weeks to 3 months, I have gradually reduced back down to 50 mg over 2-3 weeks. For example, I take 100 mg on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, and 50 mg on the other days. Then I take 50 mg for 2 days and 100 mg on the 3rd day, and so on. Obviously, I am not a medical professional, I am just sharing my experience here. I suffer from PTSD, depression, and anxiety, and 2 out of my 3 pregnancies ended in serious episodes of PND (suicidal psychosis). I self-medicated for many years and have been prescribed many anti-depressants and anti-psychotics, all of which have given me the worst side effects listed."

• blu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 25, 2020

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "Took a 50 mg pill for the 2nd time. (1st time I took it, I felt weird but wasn't sure.) This medicine actually increases my anxiety a lot, and I feel very anxious and nervous. It also feels like my heart is racing. I do feel like I have a ton of energy, but I didn't need energy, I needed to be less anxious. I will never take this again."

• zed...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 28, 2015

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "Just want to add this has been great. I was on citalopram but it became too much of a problem for me, having to go to the doctors every month and work. Getting this delivered to my door was so much easier. Been taking 100mg every night before bed, it has reduced my anxiety quite a bit. I'm still on a benzo for the time being, but what people need to understand is that this drug works with chemicals in your brain. This is the reason you might experience increased anxiety. When I started citalopram, my anxiety skyrocketed before starting to improve my condition after about 8 weeks. Let it ride through and take it at night at first. It might increase your anxiety initially and may increase your depression in some people at first, but afterwards it works wonders."

• Rob...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 3, 2021

5-hydroxytryptophan for Insomnia "Solgar 5-HTP 100 mg. 1x daily. First three days it helps with my insomnia, nice 7-8 hours of sleep, but no change with anxiety or mood. Then I started waking up at 3 a.m., sweaty with elevated heart rate and having very vivid bad dreams, and it continued during the day with tension headache and severe anxiety and depression. I didn't know 5-HTP was causing it, so I continued taking it. Things got worse to the level that I was stuck in a dark mood and suicidal feelings. I stopped taking them. Three days later, my system cleared and was back to normal. Some of us are sensitive to these 'brain chemical adjusters.'"

• dol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 18, 2020

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "I'm suffering from PTSD after a car accident. Started on 5-HTP, and after the 1st week taken at night -- minimum dosage had terrifying anxiety attacks magnified way beyond the level I began with, also felt aggressive. Have used St. John's Wort for depression in the past with no issues."

• Big...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 28, 2020

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "I have been suffering from PTSD and severe anxiety issues. The doctor put me on mirtazapine at 15 mg to help, which it did. Saying that I was so determined to get off this nasty antidepressant because of weight gain, even though I run 30 miles a week. So silly me, started taking 200 mg of 5-HTP for 2 days. I have ended up with really bad palpitations and anxiety because of the two 200 mg of 5-HTP and antidepressants giving me serotonin syndrome. Can someone tell me when it is safe for me to go back on my mirtazapine again and how long will it take for 5-HTP to leave my system? Day 2 after taking 5-HTP and very anxious still, shallow breathing, etc. My doctors are useless and don't even know about 5-HTP. Maybe friends from across the pond can guide me better."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 12, 2019

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "I've been taking this stuff for over a month. I'm on my second bottle. I am less irritable and less anxious. Every time I take it, about 10 minutes later I feel energetic again. I am hoping it will help me completely in another month or so. Bear in mind, it takes a while to notice improvement. Could take weeks to a month. Be patient."

• Int...
• February 19, 2017

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "It's caused mixed reactions, often awake and cannot return to sleep. Foggy feelings during the day, with an occasional odd sense of impending doom. Anxiety that keeps me indoors... But, when I decide to go out despite odd feelings, I find myself to be strangely aggressive. It seems that I'm less tolerant of other people. For example, there is a cashier who is always rude, a real eye roller, with frequent head shaking and sighs. Well, after she rolled her eyes at me for asking for a pen, she reluctantly smacked it down on the counter. I tossed it at her after using it. Hmmm, this is odd behavior for me, I usually don't react to other people like that. So, I've decided to quit this 5-HTP for now. I could end up doing something that gets me on the news."

• Med...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 11, 2018

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "Only started taking this for a few days. After experiencing mild anxiety and insomnia, I started with 200 mg and noticed immediate improvement with sleep and anxiety. I found a boost in concentration and therefore better memory, which helped with work and socially. 200 mg was a high dose to start off with, in which I had nausea. Some tips for people: start at 50 mg if first dose, and consume with a light carb-heavy meal, avoid caffeine if possible. I feel like that if you cycle use (i.e., 1 month on, 1 month off), it will reduce the likelihood of tolerance and dependence. I decided to not take it for a day and noticed withdrawal anxiety, it may be worth tapering off the dose instead of going cold turkey. To conclude, this is excellent for anxiety and sleep, although not for everyone."

• Lul...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 18, 2020

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "I have been taking 200 mg of a 5-HTP blend that also has B6 for two months. I take it with dinner every night, and I also take a probiotic every afternoon with lunch. It has definitely made my mood swings, depression, and sleep problems go away! Although I do still have anxiety in public places, I have always had this, and it isn't as bad. I feel like everyone has anxiety in public, it's encoded in our DNA as a safety mechanism. I will say, though, that after going off 5-HTP because I ran out for about a week, my mood swings and depression came back quickly and seemed worse than they were before. The change felt drastic, and that kind of scared me a bit. Otherwise, I'd give it a 10."

• Sad...
• April 12, 2019

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "Took 5-HTP 100 mg at night with magnesium, to calm my mild anxiety and sadness, help with sleep. I was post-concussion and being treated for autoimmune disease. At around 6 months, I increasingly noticed I was waking at night, I started getting more anxious, suicidal thoughts. During this time, I also did a small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) treatment of antibiotics, which probably helped my gut work better, and then started low-dose naltrexone for my autoimmune disease. I started to have heart palpitations, sweating at night, depressed thoughts, panic attacks which I never had before, where you get arrhythmia, continuous bad thoughts, tingling in your fingers, and feel dizzy. When withdrawing from 5-HTP, I had a horrible time. I had to withdraw slowly, as I had a lot of the symptoms of SSRI withdrawal. My brain and thoughts were so disturbing. I would be very cautious using this drug long-term and continuously. Study needs to be done on low-dose naltrexone and 5-HTP. Or post-concussion and 5-HTP."

• Diz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 26, 2016

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "Don't take this with benzos, it made me extra drowsy and anxious. One pill-I only took half of one pill (50 mg!). I got some kind of adverse reaction. My insomnia got worse, I got panic attacks, shivering, tremor, felt disoriented, and seriously more depressed. Now I have woken up in the middle of the night for many nights to the same feeling: anxious, can't fall asleep again. I regret taking this. And I said once again: DON'T MIX THIS WITH BENZOS and be careful if your nervous system is sensitive, you are sensitive to supplements, or you suffer from bad insomnia, because it can cause a paradoxical reaction. Start with tiny doses to find out whether this is the right supplement for you. For me, it definitely is NOT. This supplement also has many side effects."

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 29, 2020

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "I've been struggling with anxiety and panic disorder for 3 years now and finally built the courage to try a supplement. This is my 3rd day on Natrol's Daily Stress Relief. It has 5-HTP, magnesium, B6, and 12, and some other vitamins. 100 mg after breakfast. Every day it's been different. My first day was amazing. I felt the physical symptoms I was anxious, but I didn't fear the sensation. I hope that even makes sense. I was in tears because I haven't felt not being scared in 3 years. My 2nd day was horrible... terrible anxiety symptoms, constant palpitations, panic attack, and a meltdown. Today is my 3rd day, I felt so off today... anxious, irritable, like nothing satisfied me (I'm usually a happy, upbeat person despite the anxiety). I was thinking about not taking it anymore because it feels like I'm getting more negatives than positives, but I read a few comments about taking a lower dose. So tomorrow I'm going to try splitting the pill in half and take 50 mg. I hope it makes me feel better."

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 29, 2020

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "I've been struggling with anxiety and panic disorder for 3 years now and finally built the courage to try a supplement. This is my 3rd day on Natrol's Daily Stress Relief. It has 5-HTP, magnesium, B6, and 12, and some other vitamins. 100 mg after breakfast. Every day it's been different. My first day was amazing. I felt the physical symptoms I was anxious, but I didn't fear the sensation. I hope that even makes sense. I was in tears because I haven't felt not being scared in 3 years. My 2nd day was horrible... terrible anxiety symptoms, constant palpitations, panic attack, and a meltdown. Today is my 3rd day, I felt so off today... anxious, irritable, like nothing satisfied me (I'm usually a happy, upbeat person despite the anxiety). I was thinking about not taking it anymore because it feels like I'm getting more negatives than positives, but I read a few comments about taking a lower dose. So tomorrow I'm going to try splitting the pill in half and take 50 mg. I hope it makes me feel better."

• Dia...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 30, 2022

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "I have tried 5-HTP on a couple of occasions. The first time, it made me really tired. Almost scary tired because I couldn't get out of bed. I wasn't wild about the effects, so I stopped taking it. Then, a couple of months later, I tried it again because I was suffering from anxiety, and I had few other options. I had a really bad experience. Again, it made me really tired. I didn't like that it also made my depression worse. It altered my thinking so that I was having more negative thoughts. I had one experience where I was sleeping, and I woke up feeling like I was suffocating. It also gave me nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. I think it actually also made my anxiety worse. I had one incident where I started feeling extremely anxious for no reason. I have had panic attacks before, and the feeling was similar. Overall, I have not had a positive experience with this drug."

• bri...
• August 28, 2016

For Anxiety "Took this to try and stay natural, been dealing with anxiety recently and read a lot of good reviews and a few bad. Went to Walmart and purchased the day before yesterday and took 1 pill just before I went to sleep. When I woke up, it was like a living nightmare! Anxiety was magnified by 1000! Never have I felt so out of control! It was very scary, horrible thoughts went through my head. I went back and read some more reviews and read another person had the same experience as me, so I am not alone. It was unbelievable how a herbal pill can make you react. I was so scared I forced myself to take ZzzQuil so I could try and sleep it off, I prayed it would work, and it did. Woke up about 8 hours later feeling much better. Hope that more people read this!"

• Hel...
• August 19, 2020

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "I have tried 5-HTP 100 mg and 50 mg for anxiety/alcohol withdrawal, and I have had a good experience with it. I know there are a lot of different brands of 5-HTP. I usually stick to the Natrol brand. I've tried another brand, but that one made me feel really paranoid and high anxiety, feeling not good. But after I tried the Natrol brand, it didn't make me feel wired and panicky. I think some brands are generic or they add a little extra something in those off-brand ones. I start by taking little by little too, so it won't hit so hard if I take the whole dose (like a quarter of a whole) just to see how I feel in a few minutes."

• Hel...
• August 19, 2020

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "I have tried 5-HTP 100 mg and 50 mg for anxiety/alcohol withdrawal, and I have had a good experience with it. I know there are a lot of different brands of 5-HTP. I usually stick to the Natrol brand. I've tried another brand, but that one made me feel really paranoid and high anxiety, feeling not good. But after I tried the Natrol brand, it didn't make me feel wired and panicky. I think some brands are generic or they add a little extra something in those off-brand ones. I start by taking little by little too, so it won't hit so hard if I take the whole dose (like a quarter of a whole) just to see how I feel in a few minutes."

• Pin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 19, 2017

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "Took 50 mg sublingual this morning, kicked in about 30 minutes later. Had not eaten. Wanted to see how it worked. I am bipolar, GAD, and PTSD. I do suffer from anxiety and panic attacks. Made me feel happy, but it caused me too much mania, meaning high and very anxious. Increased my talking. Did give a boost, but not great for anxiety. I have just eaten, so it would bring me down some."

• Jay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 16, 2019

For Anxiety "Tried this after trying to get off SSRIs. Had anxiety building up to a pre-panic attack on my second day on this. After taking 100 mg, I started to feel the anxiety melt away and pretty much relaxed after an hour. After day 3, I have noticed my acid reflux going away too. After researching, I found out serotonin stops gastric acid production. I usually take it around nighttime with a multivitamin. It tends to make me sleepy in a couple of hours. Pretty much as effective as SSRIs without as many side effects. Just get a little disoriented once in a while, but a very small price to pay compared to having anxiety."

• Zob...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 9, 2019

5-hydroxytryptophan for Anxiety "7 days ago, I went cold turkey off Phenibut (dangerous, beware severe withdrawals), no sleep, extreme anxiety (I also have generalized and panic attack disorder), and extremely bad depression, which I’ve never had. I came across 5-HTP, which has seemed to help with the depression and anxiety, but it’s only been 3 days. Still can’t sleep, but my brain is in a bad way due to also being an ex-painkiller addict (clean from pills for almost 5 years) and recently Phenibut. I’ve got a very high tolerance to all forms of medications, etc., and started at 100 mg, but it didn’t do anything. 300 mg seems to take the edge off, but I don’t plan on going on a higher dose or for a long period of time because these adverse effects from Phenibut withdrawals only last a few weeks."

• thf...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 16, 2020

For Insomnia "I had a much different experience with 5-HTP than most others here. I have had insomnia for years. Falling asleep and staying asleep. Back in early 2009, I started taking 100 mg of 5-HTP about 2 hours before I wanted to go to sleep. I found out in February 2009 that my 52-year-old mother only had two months to live, lung cancer, and it was the most stress I had ever had to deal with. I strongly feel that 5-HTP helped get me through that entire experience and allowed my racing brain to shut off and get restful sleep. I used it for years until 2012, and it helped me tremendously. I stopped it for some reason, and my doctor put me on Trazodone. Now I can’t take 5-HTP while taking the Trazodone, and I’m sleeping horribly and not handling stress at all. I’m trying really hard to get off the Trazodone so I can try getting back on the 5-HTP. I used the Vitacost brand, by the way. Just wanted to share my experience with everyone. It’s worth a try, but it isn’t for everyone."