Posted by SDA on July 12, 2004, at 17:31:53
In reply to Re: 5-HTP AND CELEXA - go to the Alternative Board, posted by KaraS on July 11, 2004, at 17:15:19
NONONO!
When used in conjunction with an SSRI medication, 5HTP can cause serotonin syndrome. The conesquences can be fatal. Here's an excerpt from www.crazymeds.org:
"Don't mix l-tryptophan / 5-HTP / Tryptan with SSRIs, multiple reuptake inhibitors or Remeron (mirtazapine). Just don't. Unless your doctor tells you to, of course. That's your doctor and not anyone else. Otherwise you're seriously screwing with your serotonin levels and wildly unpredictable results may occur, including the potentially fatal serotonin syndrome. That's right, you could DIE from the advice some hippie at Ye Olde Vitamin Shoppe gives you about taking 5-HTP along with your Prozac. Amino acids are powerful things, so long as what's in the capsule is what was promised on the label. Anyway, l-tryptophan converts to 5-HTP, which converts to serotonin. So when you take these supplements you wind up getting more serotonin, which is why they are sold as antidepressants, amongst other things. You just don't know how much more you're going to get. I'll cover them in detail in an article specifically on supplements. I'm not against them, I take amino acids myself, with the advice and consent of my doctor. I'm just against taking them stupidly. Do one or the other, not both!
The same goes for valerian and cough syrups containing dextromethorphan. Don't mix these with SSRIs."
poster:SDA
thread:364809
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040712/msgs/365436.html