Customer Reviews

I love this 5HTP. I've tried all the others, including enteric coated, but I always come back to this one. I've probably been taking it for about 4 years now every night. I find that taking one 100mg tablet when I go to bed works best for me. About half an hour later I feel very sleepy and drop off. I've tried higher doses, i've tried taking it through the day, but this dose is my optimal dose. If I dont take it I start to feel sad during the day (I initially took it for sleep). I think i'll be taking it forever now.

Was this review helpful to you?

Report abuse

I have had a lifelong struggle with depression, but refused to take artificial antidepressants because of side-effects. 5-HTP is a natural chemical found in foods like turkey. It is a precursor to seratonin, so it gives my body what it needs to make more seratonin, rather than stopping the brain cells from taking it out of the bloodstream. I have not been depressed since I started taking 5-HTP about 3 years ago. I recommend it to everyone who deals with depression. (Though, it isn't appropriate for people who are biopolar. And you shouldn't take it if you are on certain types of medicine.) There is a lot of great literature available. I recommend educating yourself and trying it if you suffer from depression or anxiety, want to lose weight, or quit smoking. It helps with all kinds of serotonin-related problems.

Was this review helpful to you?

Report abuse

First off, this is a review for 5 HTP in general and not necessarily the NOW version of it. NOW is a good brand and I recommend it. 5 HTP works great for some and for others it's not so good. I was on Lexapro for 6 months because I'm so prone to anxiety attacks. It helped a little but the side effects were too much. So I stopped Lexapro and started 5 HTP. During the day I could immediately feel the difference. I felt lighter and less troubled. But the nights were awful. It did not help me to sleep (I also suffer from insomnia) and the entire night I suffered with horrid dreams. Normally I have lovely dreams. But from the 5 HTP I would awake feeling like I hadn't slept because my mind was super active during the night. Last night I finally slept peacefully again because I went without it. Perhaps 50mg would be better than 100mg but they are capsules and I can't exactly break them. If I had purchased it locally at a health food store I could return the rest of the bottle. But from iherb you cannot return it once it's been opened. Be sure not to order a large quantity if you are uncertain whether or not how it will affect you.

Was this review helpful to you?

Report abuse

I have used this product for more than 5 years, it took away all my depression, and craving for carbs. I am happy and my weight is 40 lbs less. There are no side effects, I take 500 mg daily.

Was this review helpful to you?

Report abuse

This helps with deep sleep (I don't seem to thrash at all now), dreaming, and it also seems to help elevate mood.

Was this review helpful to you?

Report abuse