Posted by JLx on January 12, 2006, at 10:40:12
In reply to Since Stopping 5-HTP, Feeling Heart Palpatations, posted by laurie_lu on January 11, 2006, at 23:16:20
> I was taking 100mg 5-HTP twice a day for about a year. The last few months, it wasn't working anymore. I slowly decreased my dosage until I was completely off of it. Since then, I've been having constant heart palpatations. I get them every day and very frequently. This has been going on for the last 3 months since I stopped taking 5-HTP. I don't have a history of heart problems and I'm a healthy 37 year old.
I'm guessing you haven't had shortness of breath, chest pain or dizziness accompanying these heart palpitations or you would have gone to the doctor.
I'm not sure what the connection might be to 5-HTP, but in general, magnesium and fish oil are both recommended for heart palpitations, which are often caused by stress/anxiety.
I would say try magnesium first as it will probably be faster, specifically magnesium taurate or magnesium orotate. Magnesium is a great de-stressor to the body, relaxing both muscles and blood vessels, for instance.
If you currently eat a very healthy diet with a variety of nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables, fish and fruits, you may NOT need magnesium. Or since, magnesium is depleted by stress and you may be feeling more stress as a result of the 5-HTP change, perhaps your diet is not supplying enough now and supplementation in the 100-250 mg range might help.
Absent the healthy diet, I'd recommend 250-350 mg of magnesium, or more depending on your size and/or how much magnesium depleting factors might apply. Besides stress, magnesium depleters are diets high in calcium, carbohydrates and sodium - coffee, sugar, alcohol, cola sodas, tobacco – calcium supplements, diabetic and pain relieving drugs, diuretics, Vitamin D supplementation.
Omega-3 fatty acids, as found in fish oil, are good for the heart in general so unless you eat fatty fish like salmon 3 times a week, it may be a good idea to take some fish oil. How much is the question. I take at least 6 capsules a day to provide 1 gram of EPA.
I've found relief from heart palpitations with Vit E, as mixed tochopherols, too.
JL
poster:JLx
thread:598196
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20051208/msgs/598314.html