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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by mist on November 15, 2001, at 18:38:08
Does anyone know if more stringent measures are taken now to ensure that 5-HTP is free of the contaminant Peak X?
In 1998 the FDA alerted the public that a Mayo Clinic study had found low levels of Peak X in some 5-HTP products on the market. The study said that Peak X may be the same contaminant which caused the outbreak of eosinophila myalgia syndrome in people who took tryptophan before it was banned.
I took 5-HTP and it started to work for me after a few days, but upon considering it further I stopped taking it because of the FDA warning. I would like to take it again but not if it's still potentially unsafe.
Posted by jay on November 16, 2001, at 3:30:18
In reply to 5-HTP and the contaminant Peak X, posted by mist on November 15, 2001, at 18:38:08
> Does anyone know if more stringent measures are taken now to ensure that 5-HTP is free of the contaminant Peak X?
>
> In 1998 the FDA alerted the public that a Mayo Clinic study had found low levels of Peak X in some 5-HTP products on the market. The study said that Peak X may be the same contaminant which caused the outbreak of eosinophila myalgia syndrome in people who took tryptophan before it was banned.
>
> I took 5-HTP and it started to work for me after a few days, but upon considering it further I stopped taking it because of the FDA warning. I would like to take it again but not if it's still potentially unsafe.
Well, there is still tons of debate around this. Much like the whole tryptophan debate, it is about politics and economics more than science. There are risks with most things..including patented meds. As far as I know, there has been no wide-spread approval or complete condemnation of 5-HTP.As with most herbs and supliments, all's I can say is stick with well-known name brands from established companies. If no medication has helped, and this has, you may have to factor that in. But, if a medication has helped, and you are using 5-HTP because it is supposedly "natural", well, so is arsenic. The *most* important thing is for you to take what seems to help the most.
I would suggest getting a few opinions from both a certified "Naturopath", and from a few doctors as well. This may cost a bit of money, but self-treatment with herbs can be risky as much as with medication. Your state, or wherever you live, should have widely used credentials for a Naturopathic Doctor. Even some M.D.'s practise with both "alternative" and popular medicine.
Get as much of the facts you can...and I think you will get the best treatment possible.
P.S. Dr. Andrew Weil (sp?) at www.webmd.com has a Q&A board you can both try to post questions to, and a large amount of archieved material. He is an M.D. as well as a Naturopath.
Good Luck!
jay
Posted by mist on November 17, 2001, at 12:52:18
In reply to Re: 5-HTP and the contaminant Peak X » mist, posted by jay on November 16, 2001, at 3:30:18
Jay, thank you for your thoughtful reply. I will consider your suggestions of consulting various practitioners, etc. It sounds like a good approach if I can gather the energy to do it. -mist
Posted by adamie on November 20, 2001, at 21:57:58
In reply to Re: 5-HTP and the contaminant Peak X » mist, posted by jay on November 16, 2001, at 3:30:18
hi. from everything I read it seems the 5-htp on the market now is extremely safe so there should be no worries. If 5-htp is still unsafe in some brands then surely there would be some reports. But there have been none at all. There really isn't much of a risk involved anymore. If 5-htp helped before then give it a try. I used to use the NutraVite brand.
This is the end of the thread.
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