6 replies to this topic

[stephen_b]

I tried L-tryptophan for the first time last night at a dosage of 1000 mg, and now it's approaching noon and I'm still a bit sleepy from it. I've had very mild anxiety which seems to be lower now (or maybe I'm just sleepier).

I know that it gets converted to serotonin, which then can get converted to melatonin. Presumably there are feedback systems that control the conversion.

I was thinking of taking tryptophan in the morning as a serotonin source, but perhaps it would be better taken in the evening as a melatonin source, and I can let my body sort out how much of it to turn into serotonin or melatonin. In any case, 1000 mg might be too much for me.

Stephen

[galtsgulch]

I tried L-tryptophan for the first time last night at a dosage of 1000 mg, and now it's approaching noon and I'm still a bit sleepy from it. I've had very mild anxiety which seems to be lower now (or maybe I'm just sleepier).

I know that it gets converted to serotonin, which then can get converted to melatonin. Presumably there are feedback systems that control the conversion.

I was thinking of taking tryptophan in the morning as a serotonin source, but perhaps it would be better taken in the evening as a melatonin source, and I can let my body sort out how much of it to turn into serotonin or melatonin. In any case, 1000 mg might be too much for me.

Stephen

Stephen;

Check out the following article; Be More Agreeable, and Possibly Happier, With Tryptophan. I get a similar effect if I take it too late at night, so you might want to think about splitting it up into smaller doses throughout the day (preferably several hours before or after meals to avoid the tryptophan being blocked by other proteins).

Good luck,
James

[stephen_b]

Stephen;

Check out the following article; Be More Agreeable, and Possibly Happier, With Tryptophan. I get a similar effect if I take it too late at night, so you might want to think about splitting it up into smaller doses throughout the day (preferably several hours before or after meals to avoid the tryptophan being blocked by other proteins).

Good luck,
James

Thanks for the link James. I also found this article on tryptophan by James South to be very interesting.

It came as a revelation to me that tryptophan has to compete with other amino acids to get into the brain in the first place, among them tyrosine, which is a precursor for dopamine and norepinephrine. From the article:

Nutrients must be ferried through the blood brain barrier by transport molecules, like passengers on a bus. Unfortunately for the serotonin using nerves, tryptophan must share its "transport bus" with 5 other amino acids, tyrosine, phenylalanine, valine, leucine and isoleucine.

Thus, tryptophan is typically out-numbered about 8:1 in its competition to secure its transport through the blood brain barrier into the brain.
[...]
Van Praag’s research has shown that for many people suffering depression, combining the amino-acid tyrosine with tryptophan works much better than taking tryptophan alone. These would be Young’s "apathetic inhibited" types, where both the serotonin tranquility/ well-being circuits and the "get up and go" vigorous action dopamine/ noradrenaline circuits are underactive.

Tyrosine is the precursor for both dopamine and noradrenaline. The enzyme that converts tyrosine to its next step on the dopamine- noradrenaline pathway (tyrosine hydroxylase) is normally at least 25% unsaturated (i.e. 25% "idle"), so that providing supplemental tyrosine (100 to 500mg with meals) unregulated brain dopamine/ noradrenaline production and nerve activity.

The increased dopamine/ noradrenaline neural activity then requires greater complementary serotonin neural activity, which is provided by the tryptophan supplementation.

Tyrosine has been panned as an ADHD treatment because the effects seem to wear off after a few weeks. I wonder if it wears off because it blocks tryptophan absorption, resulting in serotonin depletion.

Stephen

Edited by stephen_b, 21 February 2008 - 04:18 AM.

[She Devil]

Tryptophan is metabolised into melatonin when not provided with the proper "fuels." To maximize serotonin, try taking vitamin B-6 and C.

[stephen_b]

Tryptophan is metabolised into melatonin when not provided with the proper "fuels." To maximize serotonin, try taking vitamin B-6 and C.

Thanks for the reply.

I wonder whether taking melatonin is a roundabout way of increasing serotonin levels. My reasoning is that the brain's control system will convert less serotonin to melatonin if melatonin is supplemented, leaving more serotonin behind.

Stephen

[hamishm00]

Thanks for the reply.

I wonder whether taking melatonin is a roundabout way of increasing serotonin levels. My reasoning is that the brain's control system will convert less serotonin to melatonin if melatonin is supplemented, leaving more serotonin behind.

Stephen

As far as I know has been no evidence (yet) proving this, and this proposition is theoretical only (although a logical one at that). Anyone got the results of any studies on this? I can't find any.

[stephen_b]

I took about 3 g of vitamin C last night with 500 mg l-tryptophan and had no sleepiness at all.

Anyone else see that tryptophan is the cover story of the latest LEF magazine?

Stephen