Update: Inusitol in a separate form (without Choline), Betaine and Calcium Pyruvate are new additions to my regimen. I still don’t know if and How I will add them permanently.
Yesterday I had a bad night. Possibly because I overslept by 2 hours on the previous night (it always makes it difficult on the next night when I oversleep) or possibly because of Calcium Pyruvite. Betaine HCL
You’re right L-Dopa can induce tolerance. According to a study, It takes 5 years, at 350mg per day to develop tolerance and dosage needs to be increased. Good news, if a patient takes an L-Dopa holiday of 7 days after 5 years, he can then decrease the dose by 30-50% for the next 3 years before needing another holiday. So to avoid tolerance, we can either take a one week holiday every year or two, or maybe cycling the drug will do it (but I do’t know if stopping only one day per week enables the receptors to clear out. it’s just theory)
For 5-HTP, it’s dangerous if combined with:
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor(SSRI) (One guy on this forum got sick by combining both.)
- Serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor(SNRI)
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitor(MAOI)
- Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
- Amphetamines
- Pethidine(meperidine)
- Tramadol
- Dextromethorphan
- Buspirone
- L-tryptophan
- St. John’s wort
- Triptans
- Ecstasy
- Metoclopramide
- Ondansetron
- Or cocaine
So be careful. Some people here are on SSRI, SNRI or TCAs. Also beware of 5-HTP and St-John’s Worth combination. (should I mention taking ecstasy or cocaine is not a good idea if you’ve got PFS ?)
Recommended dosage of 5-HTP goes from 100mg to 900mg a day, and according to another study administration of 5-HTP alone depletes catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine, the later two being produced from dopamine). So it should be taken along with L-Dopa. Morning coffee also increase catecholamines production.
Here’s the chemistry:
- 5-HTP may deplete dopamine.
- l-tryptophan may deplete dopamine.
- l-dopa may deplete serotonin,
- l-dopa may deplete l-tryptophan.
- l-dopa may deplete l-tyrosine.
- l-dopa may deplete sulfur amino acids.
- l-tyrosine may deplete serotonin.
- l-tyrosine may deplete 5-HTP.
- l-tyrosine may deplete sulfur amino acids.
- Sulfur amino acids may deplete dopamine.
- Sulfur amino acids may deplete serotonin.
Study group were given:
- 5-HTP daily dosing values > 0 to 2,400 mg per day.
- l-tyrosine daily dosing values > 0 to 14,000 mg per day.
- l-dopa daily dosing values > 0 to 2,100 mg per day.
It seems to avoid depletion, not much is needed:
- 5-HTP dosing value of 2,400 mg per day with an l-dopa dosing value of 30 mg per day is required for proper balance, or 25 mg per day of 5-HTP with 2,100 mg of l-dopa will be in proper balance.
I’ve seen nothing on serotonin tolerance, even at higher dose, unless it’s taken without L-Tyrosine or L-Dopa, or if taken in combination with what’s listed above as dangerous interaction.
To answer questions left open by all this data, Depletion of L-Tyrosine is unlikely if you eat meat (I get 9000 mg a day in my 2 steaks) and tolerance is obviously out of the question as it’s a common amino acid found in food. Sulfur amino acids are common is food, especially meat, and you get them all in a protein shake. I also think depletion or tolerance is not an issue unless you’re on a restrictive diet (like you’re a virtuous vegan with deficiencies all over the place)
So to conclude on this, 5-HTP 100mg (or occasionnaly 200mg), taken along L-Dopa 350mg and L-Tyrosine 500 mg, all 3 taken daily, should not induce tolerance except for L-Dopa which may induce tolerance after 3-5 years. A one week L-Dopa holiday per year (or reducing L-Dopa to 25mg per day for 1 week) should avoid tolerance.
