The nice thing about 5-HTP is that it's easy to monitor. People respond to it within 30 minutes. A single dose lasts 4-6 hours. This not only means they start feel- ing better sooner; it means one can make dosage adjustments quickly. Another advantage of 5-HTP is that it
only needs to be taken as necessary—and can even be taken alone (without an SSRI). Some people may only need it in winter- time; others may just require it to get them through a rough period. The brain needs magnesium and ac-
tivated vitamin B6, Pyridoxyl-5-phosphate, P-5-P to make serotonin from 5-HTP. So take these or take a good multiple vitamin
that contains them. Tryptophan also works. It is converted
in the brain into 5-HTP. It is in turkey and other foods or can be bought as a supple- ment. Doses are 5-10 times higher than 5-HTP since only 10-20% of it is con- verted to 5-HTP. Cofactors for this conver- sion are oxygen, iron and the cofactor, tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4). No one has ever developed Eosino-
philic Myalgia Syndrome when taking real tryptophan. Those that had a severe reac- tion in 1987 to a batch of imported tryp- tophan from Japan were actually consum- ing a genetically modified tryptophan. It wasn’t “contaminated”. It was a geneti-
cally engineered tryptophan. Consult with your physician or psy-
chiatrist before using 5-HTP or tryptophan. A Helpful Herb
Another commonly prescribed treat- ment for SAD and depression is St. John's Wort, which is often known as the antide- pressant of the herb world. St. John's Wort raises the number of many neurotransmit- ters in the brain, not just serotonin. While the herb works well in the treatment of depression, it does take a little longer to produce results than 5-HTP. So, if you're using it to treat SAD, you may want to start taking it in late summer every year before your depression symptoms kick in. If your mood is easy to track by seasons, this can be a great preventive treatment for you. If you choose to take St. John's Wort, just be cautioned that it can interact nega- tively with some prescription medications, like HIV drugs. And unlike 5-HTP, St. John's Wort shouldn't be taken with SSRIs. To be on the safe side, consult with your physician before taking this, or any, herb.
Nothing Happens without Fish Oil You can take all the above drugs, vi- tamins and supplements and still be “blue” if you have sick, starved cells. If one does not have enough fish oil (DHA in the brain and EPA in the body), the cells are mal- nourished, toxic, energy poor, and iso- lated. All cells, including nerve cells, have receptors on their cell membranes. These receptors are the communication sensors for the cell. Serotonin may be knocking at the door
of the down stream nerve across the syn- apse, trying to tell it “Don’t worry, be happy”, but it will fall on deaf ears if the nerve doesn’t have healthy receptors. Low levels of DHA and high levels of saturated and trans fats make the nerve cell mem- brane stiff. When serotonin floats into a receptor on the down stream nerve, the receptor changes shape to signal to the cell that serotonin has arrived. It can’t move in a stiff membrane so the message never arrives. The receptors need to be able to wiggle. They can only wiggle in a flexible membrane. Secondly, depression is an inflamma-
tory disease. DHA and EPA are fundamen- tally anti-inflammatory molecules. If you are depressed take at least 2400mg of EPA+DHA. You may need even higher doses.
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