One of three things will happen when taking 5HTP with
a beginning dose of 50 mg at night:
1. The person falls asleep within 30 minutes and sleeps
through the night. If this is the case, stay on this dose. After
a few days, if you start to have problems with sleep again,
increase your dose of 5HTP as described below.
2. Nothing happens. This is the typical response to such a low
dose. Continue to add 50 mg each night (up to a maximum
of 300 mg) until you fall asleep within 30 minutes and sleep
through the night. You should stay at the minimum dose
needed for deep sleep (up to a maximum of at 300 mg per
night).
Example: You take 50 mg of 5HTP 30 minutes before bed on
an empty stomach with 4 ounces of grape juice [note: obviously water will be fine to drink with it as well]
but don’t fall asleep within 30 minutes and/or don’t sleep through the
night. If this happens, add an additional 50 mg for a total of
100 mg of 5HTP. Take as directed above. If you don’t fall
asleep within 30 minutes and/or don’t sleep through the
night (7–8 hours of sleep), add an additional 50 mg for a
total of 150 mg. Keep increasing as needed up to 300 mg or
until you fall asleep within 30 minutes and sleep through
the night.
3. Instead of making you sleepy, the dose makes you more
alert. This occurs more often in CFS
patients and is due to a sluggish liver. If this happens, you should discontinue taking
5HTP at bedtime. Instead, take 50 mg with food for 1–2
days. Taking 5HTP with food will slow it down and allow the
liver to process it like any other food stuff. Taking 5HTP with
food will not (usually) make you sleepy. If after 1–2 days you
have no further problems with 5HTP, you should increase to
100 mg of 5HTP with each meal (300 mg a day).
Taking 5HTP with food will help raise your serotonin and normalize
your sleep/wake cycles. It may take a little longer to see positive
results when taking 5HTP with food (1-2 weeks), but don’t
worry. You’ll eventually build up your serotonin stores and start to
see an improvement in your sleep, pain, moods, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), and energy.
Melatonin Supplementation
When administered in pharmacological doses (1–6 mg before bed),
melatonin acts as a powerful sleep-regulating agent that controls
the circadian rhythm. A low dose of melatonin has also been
shown to be effective in treating insomnia and jet lag.
Delayed Sleep Phase Insomnia
Patients with altered circadian rhythms (sleep wake cycles) often
find it hard to fall asleep before the early morning hours. They
then end up sleeping through the day. This causes a further disruption
to normal circadian rhythms. It can be hard to get these
patients’ rhythms normalized. Studies have shown that 5 mg of
melatonin given at 11 p.m. helps advance and reset circadian
rhythms.
If you aren’t falling asleep within 30 minutes and sleeping through
the night on 300 mg of 5HTP, then it’s time to add melatonin.
If you’re taking 5HTP with food, make sure you’re taking 300–400
mg a day.
Magnesium
You should already be on CFS/Fibro Formula or some other highdose,
broad-spectrum multivitamin and mineral formula with a
minimum of 700 mg of magnesium.
5HTP plus B6 (piridoxin), B3 (niacin) and magnesium
A deficiency of any of the synergistic nutrients (magnesium, calcium, and
vitamins B6, B12, B1, and B3), will prevent the production of
serotonin.
