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5-HTP advice instead of back on Citalopram

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carl59241
carl59241

Hi All

Looking for some advice whether to take up 5-htp with L-tyrosine or go back on citalopram again.

I was on cit for 6 months after severe panic attacks & anxiety due my son in hospital, could not sleep, white flashes zaps in the brain, brain not shutting down when trying to sleep etc

Came off gradually until stopping May 1st. Apart from usual terrible side effects when first on them & then coming off them things have been fine until this wkend when I crashed & burned.

Basically my wife took the kids on a day trip on a boat for the day & I panicked worrying that something terrible would happen if I wasn't there.

Have all symptoms back again, stomach butterfly's feels like going to be sick all the time, can't sleep & shut the brain down. Booked a family holiday end of October & the thought of a long flight fills me with dread whether I can cope with the flight & the holiday so far from home when only few weeks back I was super excited!

Anyway wondering to give 5-htp & tyrosine a go, what sort of dose(low then build it up) and whether you can take them with zolpidam sleeping tablet and diazepam calming tablet - and whether it will sort me out before end October - or just go back on cit

Hope you can help

Best regards

Carl

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • angela07780
    angela07780 carl59241

    Posted

    Hi Carl

    I think the best thing for you to do, is go and see your doctor, and tell him or her, that your symptoms have returned with a vengence and you need help fast to deal with it, before you go on your family holiday in October. I hope all goes well for you and you enjoy your holiday with the family. Are you going anywhere nice?  :-))

    • carl59241
      carl59241 angela07780

      Posted

      Thank you both for your responses.

      Luckily seen the Dr yesterday and he wouldn't commit to offer any info on 5-htp neither would the pharmacist both saying the standard "it's not regulated" so have decided to take the plunge back onto 10mg cit & as you say try and go with it Kate.

      Many thanks & keep in touch.

      How are you both doing anyway and what is your present situation ?

      Have any of you started back up again on cit & was it easier to cope second time around ?

  • katecogs
    katecogs carl59241

    Posted

    Hi Carl

    Sorry to hear you had crashed/burned ... if it was the weekend, you may find that this feeling will go, as it did when you were recovering.  It wouldn't hurt giving 5-HTP and l-tyrosine a go before going back onto Citalopram, but I agree, maybe go see your doctor first.

    It should say on each bottle about doseage.  When I took it I just took the maximum dose straight away - there aren't many side effects so no need to build up.  Do Google it though for safety's sake.

    Drug interactions I think again you should check with your doctor or pharmacist just to be safe.

    If you do decide to restart Citalopram you will probably get side effects again.  Try not to make yourself better by your holiday, because if you aren't, then you'll feel quite low.  However you feel now, just try and go with it but remember you're working towards getting better again which will happen in it's own time.

    Go and see your doctor and discuss options.  He may say not to take 5-HTP - I don't know what doctors thoughts are on them ...... but they are well know for helping with depression which in turn help anxiety.  They do work quicker than Citalopram.

    K x

     

    • carl59241
      carl59241 katecogs

      Posted

      Thank you both for your responses.

      Luckily seen the Dr yesterday and he wouldn't commit to offer any info on 5-htp neither would the pharmacist both saying the standard "it's not regulated" so have decided to take the plunge back onto 10mg cit & as you say try and go with it Kate.

      Many thanks & keep in touch.

      How are you both doing anyway and what is your present situation ?

      Have any of you started back up again on cit & was it easier to cope second time around ?

    • katecogs
      katecogs carl59241

      Posted

      Hi Carl

      I thought that would be their answer re 5-HTP.  Strange they can only recommend/prescribe medicine that isn't natural.  Alternative medicines are promoted so much these days, yet our doctors aren't trained in them.

      Maybe you're doing the right thing then by going back onto Cit 10mg.  Get yourself back to being well again, and maybe in time when you come off them again go straight onto 5-HTP.  I know that I can't do without either of them as I need my serotonin boosted, and without I crash and get very depressed.

      I was on 10mg for years and came off 2 years ago and onto 5-HTP with success.  I stayed well for a year but when my son became really ill I became very stressed and restarted Cit before I went down that slippery slope too far.  At the moment I'm taking 5mg of Cit having reduced from 20mg.  I'll stay on this until next year before coming off and restarting 5-HTP as don't want to rock the boat before my daughter gets married.

      When I restarted Cit a year ago I found the side effects a little worse ..... but I think first time round I was so ill with anxiety/depression I think the side effects went unnoticed due to how I was feeling.  So, this time round a year ago I had a few days feeling quite anxious and one morning I woke early and had to get up to walk round as my anxiety went through the roof.  That was once, so other than that I think I still got off lightly compared to what others go through.  I also knew what to expect.

      Maybe as you've not long been off them you won't feel the side effects as the first time round.

      Anyway, hope it all goes well.  You know they work for you, so they'll do their magic for you once again.

      K x

       

  • Citaloman
    Citaloman carl59241

    Posted

    Hi Carl,

    It's hardwork isn't it. You have to have the strength and perserverance to get through it, every day. I tried 5-HTp many years back, but it killed my stomach so I came off them after about a week. However, I have used St Johns Wort for many years. This was really effective for both depression and anxiety and had no side effects starting, during and coming off them. Only thing with them is they can interact with other drugs, so I wouldn't know if you could still take the sleeping tablets and diazapam. Although you may not need to if the St Johns wort works well.

    • katecogs
      katecogs Citaloman

      Posted

      You have to take l-tyrosine with 5-HTP which stops the stomach problem. When I first took it I had bad indigestion until I took l-tyrosine.  Never tried St Johns Wort, but read good reports of it.  Something I'll keep in mind too :-)
    • Citaloman
      Citaloman katecogs

      Posted

      Hi Kate,

      Love your replies. Really helpful. Very non-judgmental. btw thanks for the info on the L-Tyrosine. The well known Health Food shop never mentioned this when I bought them all those years ago!

    • carl59241
      carl59241 Citaloman

      Posted

      Thanks for the response citman and I share the same thoughts entirely regarding Kate she is an Angel !

      Yeh unfortunately my problems stem from not being able to get to sleep & St John's Wort reacts badly with zolpadem apparently - BUGGER!

      anyway keep plugging away with the cit & hope it works quicker than last time

      Take care & keep in touch

      Carl

    • katecogs
      katecogs Citaloman

      Posted

      There's a good book called 5-HTP The Natural Way to Overcome Depression, Obesity by Michael T Murray ........ it's a good read and makes so much sense about depression - that's where I learnt about l-tyrosine.  Got my book from Amazon. 
    • katecogs
      katecogs carl59241

      Posted

      Awwww thanks Carl xx (feeling all emotional now) lol
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