Is 5-htp after caffeine ok or not?

[tyrub42]

Hi,

I got some 5-htp and I was planning to try it tonight, but when I googled it, I read that it shouldn't be taken with caffeine. I have two questions:

1. Is this true?
2. If it is true, how long after caffeine intake can I take it? I take a PWO (1/2 scoop Conquer and 20mg DMAA) around 7 and take any sleep aides around 11. Is that long enough?

Thanks!
Tyler

 

[Young Gotti]

never heard that before

but i take conquer or whatever pre workout around 5:30ish and take lights out with 5htp around 10:30 and never had any problems

 

[kissdadookie]

Hi,

I got some 5-htp and I was planning to try it tonight, but when I googled it, I read that it shouldn't be taken with caffeine. I have two questions:

1. Is this true?
2. If it is true, how long after caffeine intake can I take it? I take a PWO (1/2 scoop Conquer and 20mg DMAA) around 7 and take any sleep aides around 11. Is that long enough?

Thanks!
Tyler

Taking them hours apart is ok. Problem here is that depending on your stimulant tolerance level, the 5-htp might not relax you at all since you took the stims so late because you may possibly still feel wired by the stimulants.

 

[tyrub42]

Awesome, question answered. Thanks, guys!

 

[KrisL]

I've taken 400mg 5htp with 600mg caffeine preworkout a handful of times... no ill effects. Dose at 9pm, sleeping like a baby by midnight.

 

[tyrub42]

What dose is most common for sleep? 100mg? 200?

 

[kissdadookie]

What dose is most common for sleep? 100mg? 200?

Most people dose at 200 mg's. I personally suggest trying out 50 mg's, then 100 mg's and see how those work for you. IMO, the lower the dose you can go with, the better because it could mess with serotonin receptors (down regulation) as well as possibly having too much serotonin (really depends on diet as well for your serotonin levels).

Also, be mindful of any medications you may be taking that affects serotonin (like SSRI's). If you are on such medication, probably a bad idea to use 5-htp.

 

[Rostam]

I've taken 400mg 5htp with 600mg caffeine preworkout a handful of times... no ill effects. Dose at 9pm, sleeping like a baby by midnight.

what is the point of taking. 5htp preworlout?

 

[tyrub42]

Most people dose at 200 mg's. I personally suggest trying out 50 mg's, then 100 mg's and see how those work for you. IMO, the lower the dose you can go with, the better because it could mess with serotonin receptors (down regulation) as well as possibly having too much serotonin (really depends on diet as well for your serotonin levels).

Also, be mindful of any medications you may be taking that affects serotonin (like SSRI's). If you are on such medication, probably a bad idea to use 5-htp.

Thanks, man! I did try 100mg once before and didn't feel sedated at all. I think I will try 50mg now, and another 50 an hour later to see if that makes a difference.

 

[kissdadookie]

Thanks, man! I did try 100mg once before and didn't feel sedated at all. I think I will try 50mg now, and another 50 an hour later to see if that makes a difference.

Doesn't sedate you per se, but has a relaxing effect, possibly a better mood as well.

 

[tyrub42]

Doesn't sedate you per se, but has a relaxing effect, possibly a better mood as well.

Yeah that's what I was hoping for (I'm on a break from relora/ashwagandha), but I got a bit of anxiety and my mind was racing instead. Could have just been a fluke, though. Will try again tonight. Thanks again!

 

[KrisL]

what is the point of taking. 5htp preworlout?

Increased pain tolerance, improved mood, decreased anxiety, increased wakefulness, better sleep once I turn the lights off.

 

[kissdadookie]

Increased pain tolerance, improved mood, decreased anxiety, increased wakefulness, better sleep once I turn the lights off.

400 mg's of 5-htp though... doesn't sound like a good idea...

 

[KrisL]

Not that I'm saying it's good, but what makes you think it's bad?

 

[kissdadookie]

Not that I'm saying it's good, but what makes you think it's bad?

Occasionally using that much per day is ok (probably, at least it would unlikely to have any long term negative effects from that, most likely), I'm more concerned about longer term high dose usage. It could potentially down regulate serotonin receptors. Too much serotonin can also lead to serotonin syndrome (but that's relatively on the extreme side of the scale). At least that's the general consensus as far as I have gathered.

 

[KrisL]

I make a point of not doing that daily, but I think it's worth noting that in humans, 5-HTP has never been clinically associated with serotonin syndrome.

If someone held a gun to my head and made me guess, I'd say that something like 600mg+ daily for two weeks might lead to downregulation - but of course, insofar as I can tell, this isn't the sort of thing that's static through a person's life, let alone between different people, as serotionin production apparently varies wildly from one to the next. On the other hand, if you're already on antidepressants, 5-htp can do some gnarly damage.

 

[Rostam]

Increased pain tolerance, improved mood, decreased anxiety, increased wakefulness, better sleep once I turn the lights off.

Right. But before working out?

 

[KrisL]

Right. But before working out?

Yeah?

 

[kissdadookie]

I make a point of not doing that daily, but I think it's worth noting that in humans, 5-HTP has never been clinically associated with serotonin syndrome.

If someone held a gun to my head and made me guess, I'd say that something like 600mg+ daily for two weeks might lead to downregulation - but of course, insofar as I can tell, this isn't the sort of thing that's static through a person's life, let alone between different people, as serotionin production apparently varies wildly from one to the next. On the other hand, if you're already on antidepressants, 5-htp can do some gnarly damage.

I don't think that 5-htp supplementation has been studied all that well to begin with TBH. Like I said, serotonin syndrome would basically be a hypothetical extreme end of things. Of course, serotonin levels are hugely dependent on the individual like you've noted, as well as very dependent on diet as well.

IMO (just my personal opinion of course), playing around with serotonin levels I would consider erring on the side of caution is probably best. So the lowest effective dose for the person is probably the best dose.

 

[Rostam]

Yeah?

Okay! But I still don't see the point of taking 5htp before working out. Nevermind, that was just out of curiosity.

 

[KrisL]

playing around with serotonin levels I would consider erring on the side of caution is probably best. So the lowest effective dose for the person is probably the best dose.

Definitely agree. I think it's impolrtant to monitor both how you feel while on, as well as off. If you're getting the blues 48 hours after your last dose, it could be related. Same goes for fever, GI issues, shakes, etc.

 

[KrisL]

Okay! But I still don't see the point of taking 5htp before working out. Nevermind, that was just out of curiosity.

Refer to post 12. :thumbsup:

 

[Rostam]

Refer to post 12. :thumbsup:

I don't want to argue but 'improved mood, decreased anxiety, better sleep once I turn the lights off' do you need these for working out? Also don't think increased wakefulness could be attributed to 5htp.

Personally if I have to take 5htp around workout I'll take it after.

 

[kissdadookie]

I don't want to argue but 'improved mood, decreased anxiety, better sleep once I turn the lights off' do you need these for working out? Also don't think increased wakefulness could be attributed to 5htp.

Personally if I have to take 5htp around workout I'll take it after.

I would say take it after as well tbh.

Actually, I would take the 5-htp away from workout. Hours away I would say. I seem to recall that raised serotonin levels induces increased cortisol production.

 

[KrisL]

I don't want to argue but 'improved mood, decreased anxiety, better sleep once I turn the lights off' do you need these for working out?

Do I need them? Nope. Do they make a better workout and recovery? Hell yeah.

Also don't think increased wakefulness could be attributed to 5htp.

"Light onset administration initially increased wakefulness, with increases in NREM sleep apparent only during the subsequent dark period. "
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18220075

Personally if I have to take 5htp around workout I'll take it after.

I doubt it matters much... I think it's got a retarded long effect. I'd say tonight's dose is still effecting you during tomorrow's workout.

 

[kissdadookie]

Do I need them? Nope. Do they make a better workout and recovery? Hell yeah.


"Light onset administration initially increased wakefulness, with increases in NREM sleep apparent only during the subsequent dark period. "
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18220075


I doubt it matters much... I think it's got a retarded long effect. I'd say tonight's dose is still effecting you during tomorrow's workout.

With your 400 mg doses... yeah, probably still in your system the next day

 

[tyrub42]

well I tried 200mg tonight and it definitely put me out, but not sure if I really liked it. I felt really tired, but it almost a strung out way. I guess the way to sum it up is that it made me feel like I had been up for 2 straight days, so I did get to sleep quickly, but I felt pretty rough about it. It also didn't keep me asleep through the night, which is what I was really hoping for. Bottom line: it might be nice to try mixed with ashwagandha/relora when I start those again, but it is not a good replacement for them. It actually seems to serve a similar purpose as melatonin in that it gets me down quickly and then wears off really fast. This is just based off of 1 night at 100mg and 1 at 200mg, so obviously I could be wrong, but that's how I feel about it so far.