Depression and ASD

[Mattymatt]

I'm wondering about the efficacy of the supplement, 5-HTP. I began taking it on Sunday and so far I feel better. I seem to be super sensitive to prescription antidepressants. Anyone else in the same boat?

 

[Berianireth]

5-HTP is the precursor to serotonin (5-HT), which is one of many neurotransmitters that antidepressant treatments are designed to increase the concentration of at the synaptic cleft. The issue is that serotonin in autism is pretty poorly understood, unlike Schizophrenia where we find it is too high or in people that have SERT transporter mutations where it is assumed to be low (although I think contradictory evidence HAS emerged about that as well). I recall hearing that serotonin may fluctuate dramatically in Autistic individuals. If your issue is low serotonin, and you have enough working enzyme converting 5-HTP to serotonin, then conceivably this treatment should help you. But it really only makes sense to me that a 5-HTP supplement would work better for you than antidepressants if you were deficient in 5-HTP, but nothing "downstream" in the serotonin metabolism pathway. Maybe!
I doubt everyone is the same... the spectrum is developmental, so I'm just going to imagine that there is more than one way to have autism and depression.

 

[Mattymatt]

5-HTP seems to be helping quite a bit so far but it's early on. I'll feel more encouraged if I continue to feel okay after 90 days. Thanks for the response!

 

[Berianireth]

Just out of curiosity, did you discuss the treatment with your doctor? I would be concerned if I were sensitive to antidepressants and taking a pre-cursor to serotonin, unless you have never tried SSRIs before. If your serotonin levels are already high let's say, you could be sensitive to 5-HTP also. I think serotonin syndrome is rare regardless of what you are taking, but sometimes supplements aren't FDA regulated and proper dosages haven't been established.

 

[Mattymatt]

Yes, I have discussed this with a doctor. I'm not into self-medicating and self-diagnosis. I had good success with Prozac for a while but it suddenly stopped working. The other SSRIs were awful.

 

[Berianireth]

That was my experience also. I think Prozac's effects can be ephemeral sometimes because as the body adjusts to the regimen the concentrations of the SERT transporter change. Then who knows from there... the serotonergic system is pretty confusing.

 

[DarkLady]

I can't take SSRIs either. I had bad reactions to Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, and Wellbutrin. Not going down that road again.

 

[Ann2011]

Prozac is useless. It's like using oxen instead of a tractor.