What is 5-htp? I've never heard of it.

I've taken the 5-htp and found it very helpful! And no nasty side effects!
There is a book called "the mood cure" which describes that an other natural substances. Amino Acids mainly. I tried others from that book, which also helped. As a matter of fact the only reason i quit, was so that i could go on "death" meds, to satisfy Social Security that i was really ill.

Cuz if you don't maintain yourself with deadly pharmacuticals, they think you must not really have a problem.

I'm just so unsure of myself right now. I am so afraid of gaining ANY weight. Just was in the hospital over that and that's when they changed me to Abilify and added Lexapro. The Abilify seems okay so far, good actually, but the Lexapro seemed to be making me too hungry. Or was it just beating the OCD?

you might want to do some net searches where people are not actually selling it

http://www.wellnessletter.com/html/ds/ds5HTP.php

the book "the mood cure" is not selling anything. its a very imformative book.

Thanks curious. I'm just really confused right now without anyone other than the pdoc to talk to. I'm going to go back on Lexapro tomorrow. I guess that I am just so scared of regaining any weight.

Please if anyone can or cares to, go to "I wish I could hide" post and reply if you have anything.

The book is selling itself?

I would not touch a psychoactive like that, but it's everyone's choice.

I think it can make you manic. I have taken it before, was great and I do think I was probably manic.

dont take it with an anti depressant, it can cause serotonin syndrome.
and it is very expensive...to get a therapeutic dose...i tried it but havent really done enough research on it. so have stopped.
and yes it is used as an appetite supressant..im just wary as there isnt really alot of info about amino acids.
i take taurine and tyrosine in the mornings if a need a pick me up.

Tirian beat me to the punch, yes be careful or Seratonin Syndrome which is potentially fatal and even more so if you are using an MAOI.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin_syndrome

i didn't know what serotonin syndrome was so i thought i would post this for others who don't know either.

I can't recommend this book enough:

http://www.amazon.com/Consumers-Guide-Psychiatric-Drugs-Straight/dp/1416579125/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272284453&sr=8-14

It's a really well done reference guide, due diligence never hurts.

It's possibly worth pointing out that everything (well almost everything) you put in your mouth goes either to;

1. be incorporated in the body, e.g those expensive aminino acids will be used to build skin, hair, nails etc or other tissue

2. messes up the body's processes because it looks a bit like something else the body uses, e.g carbon monoxide..or just causes it to glitch e.g alcohol

3. the body decides to convert (requires the liver to do something)

4. the body decides to get rid of (requires the kidneys to do something).

So something that is good in small doses, e.g viatmins, trace elements etc if given at larger doese are simply excreted..at higher does they stress/damage the body. The same, more or less for everything, food, water and certainly any herbal or medical suppliments.

With the body you definately can get too much of a good thing and the point that good things become either useless or detrimental is easy in western society to get to.

friend recommended this to me... I take it when mood is down, but not in the toilet and head not racing. I have it in my purse for those "just in case" moments. I take NO anti-depressants and I take my AP when head is racing and tears won't shut off, not the 5-HTP. It works when I only need a small boost. I don't mix it with alcohol or anything else which may cause bad interaction. I have to be careful with my brain it's a sensitive thing :)