I've been taking 5-htp for depression now for about 5 weeks and I've usually taken 50mg (+some vitamin b6, magnesium and valerian root 50mg) and the first time I took 50mg I took it before going to bed and then when I woke up in the morning I felt great and my depression was gone completely. Then a week later I was feeling down again and I took another 50mg and noticed that it has a little stimulant effect on me (or then it is just placebo but the valerian root is supposed to calm me down). So far it has helped me with my depression but I took 50mg yesterday morning and everything was fine till the evening when my depression hit me again and today my stomach has been upset and I've been really tired (slept for 14 hours last night) and I have been really depressed the whole day so I thought that I'd take 50mg tonight before going to sleep. I've red that many people have taken 300-350mg everyday for many weeks for depression and that some people have even taken 1 gram before taking extacy and I am a bit worried about the whole idea that the 5-htp is converted into serotonin before it reaches my brain and that this'll cause problems with my body. I weight about 76kg so what would be a normal dosage for depression and are there any problems that could come from the use of 5-htp?
I've used 5-htp before and after rolling, and i'm not sure if it enhances the roll, but i know i feel less depressed the next couple days when i take it. On the downside, when i take it on an empty stomach, i get a little nauseus (however you spell it), and when i eat a lot of food after taking it, i get real nauseus for like 15 minutes instead of the usual bloated feeling. I would usually take 50mg each day a couple days before and after and 150-200mg the day of rolling. I think the recommended dose is 50-100mg a day depending on severity/how much it helps you.
another great supplement is l-theanine, extracted from green thea. Is indicated for depression too. Contact me if you search for a cheap source.