7 replies to this topic

[stolpioni]

I'm taking 1000mg of L-Tryptophan every night. Personally, I love it.

 

However, I haven't seen anyone else using Tryptophan in their stacks on this forum and it seems that

lots of you prefer Bacopa for your serotonin production.

 

Why?

 

What's the difference between Bacopa and Tryptophan, and which one is better?

Would it be OK to take both or should you just take one of them?

[Ritchie]

Bacopa also increases GABA(Neurotransmitter which cause sedation and anti-anxiety effects) and Glutamate. They should be able to be taken together but everybody is different. If you do plan to take them together, start by taking one at a time to see what your reaction is. When combining them start at VERY low doses, you have no ideas how you will react. On a side note, if your taking a serotonin precursor, try also taking a dopamine precursor(like tyrosine) to help balance your brain as serotonin depletes dopamine and vice versa.

[stolpioni]

Bacopa also increases GABA(Neurotransmitter which cause sedation and anti-anxiety effects) and Glutamate. They should be able to be taken together but everybody is different. If you do plan to take them together, start by taking one at a time to see what your reaction is. When combining them start at VERY low doses, you have no ideas how you will react. On a side note, if your taking a serotonin precursor, try also taking a dopamine precursor(like tyrosine) to help balance your brain as serotonin depletes dopamine and vice versa.

 

Ok, maybe Bacopa isn't as strong of a serotonin precursor as Tryptophan?

 

Yeah, I do take 500 - 1000mg of Tyrosine daily as well.

[Ritchie]

Bacopa also increases GABA(Neurotransmitter which cause sedation and anti-anxiety effects) and Glutamate. They should be able to be taken together but everybody is different. If you do plan to take them together, start by taking one at a time to see what your reaction is. When combining them start at VERY low doses, you have no ideas how you will react. On a side note, if your taking a serotonin precursor, try also taking a dopamine precursor(like tyrosine) to help balance your brain as serotonin depletes dopamine and vice versa.

 
Ok, maybe Bacopa isn't as strong of a serotonin precursor as Tryptophan?
 
Yeah, I do take 500 - 1000mg of Tyrosine daily as well.

Bacopa is not a serotonin precursor, it is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor. However both a precursor and reuptake inhibitor should have similar effects. Depends on how strongly the reuptake is inhibited.

[stolpioni]

 

 

Bacopa also increases GABA(Neurotransmitter which cause sedation and anti-anxiety effects) and Glutamate. They should be able to be taken together but everybody is different. If you do plan to take them together, start by taking one at a time to see what your reaction is. When combining them start at VERY low doses, you have no ideas how you will react. On a side note, if your taking a serotonin precursor, try also taking a dopamine precursor(like tyrosine) to help balance your brain as serotonin depletes dopamine and vice versa.

 
Ok, maybe Bacopa isn't as strong of a serotonin precursor as Tryptophan?
 
Yeah, I do take 500 - 1000mg of Tyrosine daily as well.

Bacopa is not a serotonin precursor, it is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor. However both a precursor and reuptake inhibitor should have similar effects. Depends on how strongly the reuptake is inhibited.

 

 

So it's an SSRI? 

 

Isn't there a risk of serotonin syndrome mixing SSRI's with Tryptophan?

[Ritchie]

 

 

Bacopa also increases GABA(Neurotransmitter which cause sedation and anti-anxiety effects) and Glutamate. They should be able to be taken together but everybody is different. If you do plan to take them together, start by taking one at a time to see what your reaction is. When combining them start at VERY low doses, you have no ideas how you will react. On a side note, if your taking a serotonin precursor, try also taking a dopamine precursor(like tyrosine) to help balance your brain as serotonin depletes dopamine and vice versa.

 
Ok, maybe Bacopa isn't as strong of a serotonin precursor as Tryptophan?
 
Yeah, I do take 500 - 1000mg of Tyrosine daily as well.

Bacopa is not a serotonin precursor, it is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor. However both a precursor and reuptake inhibitor should have similar effects. Depends on how strongly the reuptake is inhibited.
 

 
So it's an SSRI? 
 
Isn't there a risk of serotonin syndrome mixing SSRI's with Tryptophan?

Bacopa is a very weak serotonin reuptake inhibitor so it shouldn't be an issue. But again try it in small doses at first and see if you can tolerate. Bacopa is more of a serotonin modulator(balances serotonin system in the long term) anyways. Also Bacopa is an SRI, not an SSRI as that would imply it only affects serotonin whereas bacopa affects GABA and glutamate as well.

[Ritchie]

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Edited by Ritchie, 22 April 2014 - 12:54 PM.

[stolpioni]

Cool, thanks!