5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan)

General Description: 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is the immediate
precursor of serotonin and while serotonin does not cross the blood
brain barrier, 5-HTP does. Due to its ability to increase serotonin
levels within the brain, 5-HTP has been used for a variety of
therapeutic purposes that include combating depression, reducing
stress and anxiety, promoting sleep, and fighting off certain types of
migraine headaches. It has also been used to suppress appetites. In
general, the reports surrounding 5-HTP are positive but keep in mind
that 5-HTP has only been available in the US since for a short time
(since 1994) although it has been used in Europe for decades.
Concerning lucid dream development, 5-HTP plays an important
yet indirect role. As I will point out in part three, 5-HTP and Melatonin
both play a unique role. Using 5-HTP correctly will accomplish the
following:
1. Improve the overall quality of sleep on the nights that you
attempt to achieve high level lucid dreams.
2. Increase chance of success of having a lucid dream by taking
advantage of the REM rebound effect.
3. Increase the length of a lucid dream by taking advantage of
the REM rebound effect. 4. Increase ability to fall to sleep after taking more stimulating
substances such as Galantamine or Yohimbine (see part 3 for
details).
Mechanism of Action: 5-HTP is the immediate precursor to
serotonin. 5-HTP supplements results in increase levels of serotonin
in the brain by making available the required chemicals to produce
serotonin.
Concentration Curve: 5-htp is characterized by quick absorption
and a short elimination half-life. These properties make it ideal to
take just before going to sleep. It reaches its peak plasma levels just
90 minutes after you take it and has reduced to just about 12%
concentration after 6 hours of sleep (~4 sleep cycles).
Concentration Effect on Dreams: 5-HTP has a positive effect on dream length and
quality. Dream enhancement due to 5-HTP is most likely due to REM
suppression followed by REM rebound and this results in increased
dream vividness in the morning hours as the substance is wearing
off. 5-HTP quickly increases serotonin levels that bring on deep and
restful sleep. Due to the short half-life however, the 5-HTP is
practically out of your system after 5 or 6 hours (assuming you don’t
take a large dose). This results in increased REM time in the early
morning hours which produces more vivid dreams. Furthermore, I
have found that the dream vividness, especially the visual aspect, is
extremely clear. I have also found that when taking 5-HTP by itself, I
am prone to experience calm and refreshing dreams. Although the
dream vividness is high, my dream recall is a bit fuzzy. Sometimes I
find that I act more like an observer than an active participant in
dreams that are brought about by 5-HTP.
Effect on Lucid Dreams: 5-HTP plays a supporting role in lucid
dream development. The main reason I use 5-HTP is to increase my
overall quality of sleep on nights that I attempt to have lucid dreams. I
accomplish this by taking 100-150 mg of 5-HTP just before bedtime.
This increases my serotonin levels and helps to have more time
spent in the deep non-REM sleep stages during the first half of the
night. When I wake up after 4 or 5 hours I am almost always
dreaming. I then take the supplements that trigger lucid dreaming
and go back to bed. After several hours of intense lucid dreams I
climb out of bed and feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
Side Effects: The most common side effects of 5-HTP are nausea
and gastrointestinal distress. The nausea problem can be resolved
by starting at a low dose and then gradually increasing it. Even when
large doses are taken the problem tends to diminish over time.
Personally I have never experienced any negative side effects with 5-
HTP. I typically use 100 – 150 mg taken at or just before bedtime.
5-HTP should not be taken with prescription anti-depressants
(this includes St. John’s Wort) without the direct consultation of a
doctor. Many of these anti-depressants act by also increasing
serotonin levels and therefore could magnify the effects and possibly
lead to potentially dangerous condition known as Serotonin
Syndrome. Due to the short time this supplement has been available
there are not a lot of studies that have investigated the long term
effects of taking 5-HTP.
Dosage: There is no maximum recommended dose associated with
5-HTP. However, a reasonable dose range is probably between 50
and 300 mg. For treating depression doses up to 500 mg daily are
used. At the lower doses side affects are rare.
Special Notes: You should not take vitamin B6 with 5-HTP as it may
catalyze the reaction to serotonin in the gut rather than in the brain.
Remember that serotonin does not pass through the blood brain
barrier and so you want to keep the 5-HTP intact until the barrier has
been crossed. There is some speculation (although no clinical
research that I could find) that theorizes building up serotonin in the
blood rather than in the brain could cause heart damage. This theory
has not been confirmed or denied but should not be an issue unless you are taking large amounts of vitamin B6 simultaneously with 5-
HTP.
Summary: 5-HTP is the immediate precursor to serotonin. Increased
serotonin levels lead to a state of calm relaxation and have been
shown clinically to suppress REM sleep by favoring the deeper, non-
REM stages. Since 5-HTP has a short elimination half life, it can be
taken just before bedtime for the purpose of suppressing REM sleep
and increasing the time spent in non-REM sleep. As the dose wears
off, REM rebound occurs and is usually accompanied by more vivid
dream experiences. If a lucid dream trigger (such as Galantamine) is
taken at this time, there is an increase in odds of becoming lucid.
Also, since lucid dream triggers usually suppress non-REM sleep in
favor of REM sleep, 5-HTP can act to balance the amount of time
spent in each phase during the night which results in a more
balanced night’s sleep. By maintaining balanced sleep practices you
will not feel energy deprived following a lucid dream attempt and can
increase the frequency of lucid dream attempts.