Negative side effect 5-htp

Hi buddies!

 

In my attempts to not use a benzo for sleep I tried 5-htp. At first it seemed to help me. But eventually it seemed to make me feel worse! Has anybody had the same experience? I read Reddit entries that described the same symptoms I had. Severe anxiety mainly.

 

I think maybe if you lack adequate cofactors, taking 5-htp will force the brain to convert to serotonin but it can not get rid of the serotonin leading to serotonin syndrome? Is this possible? Or was I just experiencing benzo withdrawal. Would love to hear from other people with a similar experience.

Hi Oxabuddy,

 

I literally tried every Rx, Natural and OTC sleep remedy I could afford during benzo WD induced insomnia.  Nothing worked for me for more than a night or 2 tops and that was usually the Rx stuff. 

 

I believe you are experiencing Benzo WD induced insomnia.  My insomnia was severe for about 12 months and then it slowly got better.  There were several times I was convinced I had fatal insomnia.  I didn't and others that believe they do, don't. 

 

Many others on this forum has a lot worse insomnia than I did.  It evens out over time, but is very nonlinear and UP and down.  Sleep returns in fits and starts but insomnia always seems to find it's way back to you until sleep evens out for good.

 

Hang in there.  You've only been off for a few months and even the Ashton manual says that insomnia normally resolves in 6-12 months.  Some take less time, some take more time.  And the severity isn't the same the entire time.  It's not like you go from zero or no perceived sleep to sleeping well overnight.  It's very gradual with what seems like 1 step forward and 2 steps back.  But it does even out and end.

 

Good luck.

Tnx for your reply. I guess my insomnia and anxiety where just rebound insomnia from kindling. I tried very hard to avoid dependancy, but I guess that didn't work. And you are right, after the actue withdrawal symptoms still come and go even if you don't think about it daily anymore. So thanks for your support!

 

I started using Mirtazapine 15 mg and that helps, but I am aware this is maybe replacing one addiction with another. But I believe this addiction is less destructive. When I am ready I will  taper and return to normal, hopefully. Or maybe I will keep using this in a low dose for a while. Though overall it seems to work, I had three nights (probable when acute withdrawal hit me) where I almost didn't sleep. What actually helped me is accepting I couldn't sleep and lying still. No lights, no puzzles (activates the brain), no writing etc. And also, sounds crazy, but wearing sunglasses in the evening. I believe I have DSPS and the benzo's I took to help me sleep created more and more dependency and problems.

 

Thanks again for your reply and keep up the good work!

 

 

Yes, accepting your lack of sleep will go a long way towards how it affects you.  I kept a sleep log and I had about 70 nights of zero or no perceived sleep over a 10 month period.  About 10 times or so I went 3 and even 4 nights in a row with no perceived sleep.  During that time I conditioned my thinking to believe I should feel like crap and that I couldn't function and needed to stay home.

 

I then took the advice of some others that had severe insomnia and tried to not worry about sleeping or not.  It was very difficult to do, and it didn't make my insomnia go away, but when I started to relax and just accept that I was probably not going to sleep much, but that I needed to "rest my body" while lying in bed, I would sometimes nod off for 5 or 10 minutes.  Gradually that became 15 and 20 minutes and even 30 minutes.  Sometimes my wife would tell me she got up to use the bathroom and heard me snoring or breathing heavier and knew I was sleeping.  And that was after I was convinced I had a zero night. 

 

Showing gratitude helped me get through the day.  I was thankful for any and all sleep.  If I got 30 minutes to an hour I was ecstatic!  Even though I had terrible insomnia for about 10 months, I only missed 20 days of work.  I remember thinking if I sat at home, it only reminded me of why I was there and it made things worse.  So i went into work and found i could function pretty well on very little sleep.  I averaged 5-10 hours per week for months.  It slowly evened out over time.  It went from 1 hour to 2 hours and eventually to 3 and 4 hours per night.  When I was getting 4 hours per night 3 or 4 nights a week I literally thought I was healed...LOL

 

Today, I get 6-7 hours every night and at least once per week I get 8 and even 9 hours a night.

 

Accept your situation as being "temporary," it won't last for ever.  Be grateful for any and all sleep.  Learn to meditate when you can't sleep.  I bought an app (Calm) for my phone.  It is  very easy to learn how to meditate and they have various meditation gurus to guide you through the process.  I still meditate almost every day for 15 minutes or so.

 

I took Mirtazapine too.  It never really worked for me at any dose.  I started at 5mg and eventually worked my way up to 30mg and just quit CT after about 45 days as it was not helping at all.  If it works for you, great.  Others said a lower dose is more sedating and a higher dose provides more of an AD effect?

 

Good luck

I've had periods of bad sleep, but not like you. Must have been hard! You are right that even though you think you don't sleep, you still sleep. My partner also says this to me! And also, if he sleeps 6 hours he is cranky. If I can't sleep, and I finally fall asleep around 4 and wake up around 7 I don't even notice I had a bad night. It's all a matter of perspective.

 

Thanks for your reply and keep up the good work!

Only tried 5http for my AD taper but it made me really nauseous and hot. Never noticed any effects on my terribad sleep.

Only tried 5http for my AD taper but it made me really nauseous and hot. Never noticed any effects on my terribad sleep.

 

Sorry Knightnightly I never noticed your reply. Thanks for sharing. How are you doing now?

 

I have noticed on Reddit more adverse reactions, but the truth is it was probably already some sort of withdrawal reaction because I already took some benzo's at that point. I am not sure. Maybe in the future I would try some tryptophan with some vitamins to aid the conversion to feel better. I think tryptophan is more natural to your body.

Only tried 5http for my AD taper but it made me really nauseous and hot. Never noticed any effects on my terribad sleep.

 

Sorry Knightnightly I never noticed your reply. Thanks for sharing. How are you doing now?

 

I have noticed on Reddit more adverse reactions, but the truth is it was probably already some sort of withdrawal reaction because I already took some benzo's at that point. I am not sure. Maybe in the future I would try some tryptophan with some vitamins to aid the conversion to feel better. I think tryptophan is more natural to your body.

Doing okay, thanks. Just another day of the grind.