-HEALTH MATTERS
--Ask Dr.Ward Dean /Life Enhancement

-5-HTP, Weight Control, and Sleep
Q= Dear Dr. Dean,
I am 58 years young and going through menopause (hot flashes, night sweats). I have been put on Citalopram tablets,10 mg. a day, by my physician, for low serotonin. Since starting these tablets I have gained 15 lbs, and have developed major issues with sleeping. I do not think that I am benefiting from this drug. I've read one article in your publication about 5-HTP five times, and I believe 5-HTP can help me-but have no idea which product to take. Can you please assist me with my choice? Will I need to stop taking the medication before starting a 5-HTP product?
--(Dee,NJ)
- nurseblinky
Answer: Dear Dee,
I'm not sure which one of our many articles on 5-HTP you were reading--but among our products with 5-HTP, I recommend either 5-HTP itself, or 5-HTP SeroTonic.

As you have experienced, Citaloptram (and other drugs in this class) often results in weight gain. Paradoxically, Italian reasearchers reported that obese patients who took 5-HTP (900 mg/day) lost a significant amount of weight, consumed fewer carbohydrates, and consistently became satisfied earlier than a simlilar group taking a placebo. They concluded that since 5-HTP was well-tolerated, it could be safely used to treat obesity.

Sleep disturbances are also a common side effect of the SSRI drugs (which include Citalopram). In this regard, French researchers have found that 100 mg of 5-HTP promoted restful sleep, and resulted in significant improvement in people described as "mildly insomniac."

Consequently, it appears that 5-HTP should be appropriate for you, for its anti-depressant, weight loss, and sleep-inducing effects. I recommend 200 mg at bedtime on an empty stomach. For daytime use, 50-100 mg once or twice daily may be helpful.

I agree that 5HTP should not be taken with Citalopram--and recommend that Citalopram dosage be reduced or discontinued completely as you incorporate 5-HTP into your supplement program.

For hot flashes, I recommend a combination of DHEA (25mg every morning), and topical Progesterone cream (20-40 mg per day). In addition, I also often prescribe low-dose bio-identical estrogen, if the DHEA/progesterone combination alone is ineffective in elimating the hot flashes.

--Ward Dean, M.D.