Brain Pharma Happy Pills

[Noir]

**broken link removed**
has anyone tried it?
it claims to have 5-HTP which is a precursor for serotonin
I'm looking for some mood boosters but dont wanna jump on prescribed meds such as Prozac
would anyone recommend 5-HTP or is it just a waste of money?

 

[Ehren]

My friend takes it for mood and sleep and reports good things, as do many others. I haven't tried it as my mood/sleep are ok.

 

[Ashop]

**broken link removed**
has anyone tried it?
it claims to have 5-HTP which is a precursor for serotonin
I'm looking for some mood boosters but dont wanna jump on prescribed meds such as Prozac
would anyone recommend 5-HTP or is it just a waste of money?

Bump for more info on this. I'm going to look into this
myself as well. I will post anything if I find it worth mentioning.

 

[mooch2321]

i went through a bottle last year...didnt really notice much other than the stim.

 

[aphextwin]

If you feel tired and need natural energy...I highly recommend about 2-3 grams of L-tyrosine on an empty stomach.

Sorry, I do not know anything about the happy pills.

 

[Actin]

Id say go to the doctor and try out a mild antidepressant. These other meds that have herbs or whatever usually dont have a long enough half life.

 

[ItalianStalion9]

i tried 5-htp and didnt feel a whole lot if anything at all.

the "happy pills" have 200mg caffeine per serving tho so people might think its working..

 

[FilthyMick]

Dont try an antidepressant.
Instead purchase some L-tryptophan, 5-HTP, L-Tyrosine, L-Theanine, and some plain GABA. (Not Phenyl-GABA, it is strong stuff and has some bad withdrawal symptoms, very similiar to xanax.)
All 5 of those are the natural approach to depression and neurotransmitters in your brain.
with the 5-HTP you need Niacin and Vit B6 to help convert it to serotonin same as the tryptophan.

 

[Curiousity]

I've been self-medicating myself with 5-HTP. I'd/I've been suffering from a depression where everything just seemed like too much work. (Combination of having too many things on my plate, general stress, etc.)

I have noticed a difference while taking 5-HTP. In my self-diagnosis, I figured I was short of serotonin. As I said, I definitely feel better. One sidenote, is that I wake up tired if I don't get enough sleep. I know that sounds stupid, but normally if I wake up after 4-5 hours of sleep my mind is going and I'm up. While taking 5-HTP, I've noticed that if I don't get a good 8-9 hours of sleep, I will be groggy in the morning.

Here is the very interesting talk that I drew my self-diagnosis from:
Stanford's Sapolsky On Depression in U.S. (Full Lecture)

Wikipedia (edited):
Robert Sapolsky is an American scientist and author. He is currently professor of Biological Sciences, and Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, and by courtesy, Neurosurgery, at Stanford University.

 

[iprimate]

**broken link removed**
has anyone tried it?
it claims to have 5-HTP which is a precursor for serotonin
I'm looking for some mood boosters but dont wanna jump on prescribed meds such as Prozac
would anyone recommend 5-HTP or is it just a waste of money?

Mmm. Any boost you get from Brain Pharma's Happy Pills is most likely due to the hit of caffeine (see attachment). The caffeine hit is roughly equivalent to **broken link removed**.

The 50mg of 5-HTP is unlikely to have any mood-improving effect because (a) it is an insufficient dose; and (b) the enzyme aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (in your gut) will convert the 5-HTP consumed into serotonin in the gut where it will bind to serotonin receptors in the intestinal lining. You want the increase in serotonin in your brain not in your gut where it will just cause a gastrointestinal upset. In those (reputable) studies where 5-HTP was found to improve mood better than placebo it was administered together with carbidopa (a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor).

Of 5-HTP, Young states that

It is usually sold either as a crude extract of the plant [Griffonia simplicifolia]or in pills with a stated content of 25 mg, 50 mg or 100 mg. 5-HTP, like dopa, is decarboxylated in the periphery. In studies where 5-HTP was found to be better than placebo, it was given at doses of 200 mg per day or more with a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor. The dose needed to have an antidepressant effect when given without a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor, as in preparations sold over the counter, is not known. However, it would probably be very expensive (because a higher dose would be required) and would cause serious gastrointestinal side effects, as a result of the serotonin formed by the action of decarboxylase in the gastrointestinal tract.

If you want a "natural" mood-lifter you might want to try SAM-e (see the paper I cited) but it is quite expensive and has a very short shelf-life.