5-HTP works for my post-SSRI syndrome but there is something wrong with my heart

[Astolfo]

About 1 and half months ago I was drinking licorice tea every day in hope to upregulate my progesterone receptors (Glycyrrhizin depletes potassium, and licorice is also a 5HT2C antagonist). A few weeks passed and my heart was feeling random sharp pains, which increased throuough the time. I stopped drinking licorice and it slowly gone.

Then a week later I decided to try 5-HTP, 100 mg every morning. It acutely made my PSSD/CFS worse but I slowly improved. Every after day I was better and better in cognitional, emotional and metabolical aspects. But, about a week later, my heart problem came back and it's even worse now. I want to continue on 5HTP, but it looks like I will die in a heart attack If I continue it anylonger.

What can I do to counteract this issue? The only reason I take 5HTP is to increase serotonin levels in brain (thus downregulating 5ht2c) but it's damaging my heart either peripherally (ht2b) or through 5ht2c (vasopression induction and hypervolemia)(seems more likely because this is what licorice do). Any safe way to downregulate these receptors other than taking 5htp?

I cannot buy lorcaserin

 

[Astolfo]

Oh also I think this is basically what PSSD is (in my case). Fluoxetine, is a 5HT2C antagonist and it causes pre-mrna changes on that receptor. 5HT2C controls ACTH, cortisol, vasopressin and oxytocin. Imbalanced ADH/Aldosterone signalling leads to edema or volume depletion and, in response, progesterone goes up to block aldosterone receptors (to stop water retention). It all shows in the blood tests (My progesterone is 10x of the normal)

DISCUSSION: People with ME/CFS can have hypervolemia and not low blood volume

Hi everyone, After my original post, research and ideas Is ME/CFS caused by biological stress and perpetuated by high catecholamines and low blood volume? I have a major update and turn around on this topic, apologies for not writing sooner it took many months to figure out what has been going...

forums.phoenixrising.me

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Claudia-Schmauss-2/publication/7939471_Regulation_of_Serotonin_2C_Receptor_Pre-mRNA_Editing_by_Serotonin/links/59de8f60aca27247d7943e67/Regulation-of-Serotonin-2C-Receptor-Pre-mRNA-Editing-by-Serotonin.pdf

Google Scholar

scholar.google.com

 

[Lokzo]

How do you respond to Cyproheptadine?

 

[Astolfo]

How do you respond to Cyproheptadine?

I took cypro in 2 mg dose every day for about a year. It makes me sedated of course, and helped to ease my bowel problems at the time. I felt better in withdrawal but it was not really significant.

It's been more than 100 hours since I stopped 5-HTP and the effects still persist. It improved my baseline permanently.

 

[Lokzo]

I took cypro in 2 mg dose every day for about a year. It makes me sedated of course, and helped to ease my bowel problems at the time. I felt better in withdrawal but it was not really significant.

It's been more than 100 hours since I stopped 5-HTP and the effects still persist. It improved my baseline permanently.

So you’re saying 5-HTP has reversed your PSSD/Numbing effect even after withdrawal?

How did you acquire PSSD?

What else works well for you?

I will personal message you.

 

[Astolfo]

So you’re saying 5-HTP has reversed your PSSD/Numbing effect even after withdrawal?

I didn't get numbness from SSRI. I don't even prefer calling my disease as PSSD to be honest.

How did you acquire PSSD?

Half dose fluoxetine for 20 days and 20 mg for 10 days, in November 2018. I stopped immediately when I noticed slight fatigue but it never stopped. Since that day I progressively deteriorated in all aspects (cognition, motor functions, emotions, libido, energy metabolism).

What else works well for you?

500 mg thiamine every day improved motor impairments but I stopped it for unrelated reasons. Licorice also looked like it was helping but I had to stop it because it gave me heart pains as I told above.

 

[Lokzo]

I didn't get numbness from SSRI. I don't even prefer calling my disease as PSSD to be honest.


Half dose fluoxetine for 20 days and 20 mg for 10 days, in November 2018. I stopped immediately when I noticed slight fatigue but it never stopped. Since that day I progressively deteriorated in all aspects (cognition, motor functions, emotions, libido, energy metabolism).


500 mg thiamine every day improved motor impairments but I stopped it for unrelated reasons. Licorice also looked like it was helping but I had to stop it because it gave me heart pains as I told above.

Ah okay interesting!!

Where did you source your 5-HTP?

I also sent you a PM

 

[Astolfo]

It's just a local brand.

 

[aliml]

About 1 and half months ago I was drinking licorice tea every day in hope to upregulate my progesterone receptors (Glycyrrhizin depletes potassium, and licorice is also a 5HT2C antagonist). A few weeks passed and my heart was feeling random sharp pains, which increased throuough the time. I stopped drinking licorice and it slowly gone.

According to oriental medicine, to reduce the side effects of licorice, it should be consumed with jujube fruit [or tragacanth gum] and not alone!

The Gan Mai Da Zao (GMDZ) decoction is one of the most well-known herbal prescriptions for depression, and its use was first documented in the Jin Gui Yao Lue (Synopsis of Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber), a classical Chinese medical book by Dr Zongjing Zhang (AD 152-219). The composition of GMDZ decoction includes the three herbs Glycyrrhiza, Triticum and Zizyphi Fructus. Many pharmaceutical companies around the world manufacture GMDZ to manage depression and emotional disturbances. They are regulated as pharmaceutical drugs in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan and as dietary supplements in North America. Several forms of GMDZ are available, such as extracts, tablets, capsules, pills, powders or injections. The composition of commercial GMDZ/100 g is generally 16.1 g Glycyrrhiza (licorice), 64.5 g Triticum and 19.4 g Zizyphi Fructus (jujube fruit) and the dosage is 2.00–3.25 g/day for adults. Physicians have used this formula for depression and for emotional problems. Several studies have demonstrated the antidepressant effects of the GMDZ decoction.

Herbal medicine (Gan Mai Da Zao decoction) for depression: a systematic review protocol - PubMed

PROSPERO 2013:CRD42013005100.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

This prescription consists of three medicinal ingredients, licorice, wheat, and jujube, and has a sweet and plain taste. According to Lingshu - Five Tastes, wheat was used as a royal medicine; it was “advisable for patients with cardiac disease”. It cures the heart and the spleen and controls self-consciousness and sub-consciousness, and in combination with licorice and jujube, which protect the heart and the liver, it decreases excessive female energy, stabilizes the heart, decreases anxiety, protects the heart and the spleen, and relaxes irritability.

Effects of Herbal Medicine (Gan Mai Da Zao Decoction) on Several Types of Neuropsychiatric Disorders in an Animal Model: A Systematic Review: Herbal medicine for animal studies of neuropsychiatric diseases - PubMed

Regardless of the dose and concentration used, GMDZ decoction significantly improved neuropsychiatric disease-related outcomes in animal models. However, additional systematic and extensive studies should be conducted to establish a strong conclusion.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Lokzo]

According to oriental medicine, to reduce the side effects of licorice, it should be consumed with jujube fruit [or tragacanth gum] and not alone!

Excellent point! Good find!

 

[Astolfo]

bump

 

[Frankdee20]

Using 5HTP back in 2001 for about a week ended up being a huge mistake for me. It caused severe hypersensitivity of my nervous system. It took me years to recover and then I ended up getting the same symptoms shortly after taking an SSRI 7 years later. To this day, my nervous system is fried and for the last year or so, I can’t take any supplements because of flashbacks.