A 5-htp supplement caused IBS for me!
Hey everyone, I took a dose of 100mg of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-htp, serotonin precursor) over a month ago and felt a pressure in my guts after half an hour or so. Also moderate pain in my belly for a few hours.
The next day I went to the bathroom like 5-7 times and had a feeling of incomplete bowel movements. This happens now every day. My stools also get increasingly wet and loose over the day. In the evenings I am bloated af with lots of gut noises and especially the colon (especially left lower abdomen) has a pressure like and sore feeling throughout the day which builds up during the day.
These are my symptoms up until today since I took that supplement. My digestion was flawless before!
Tried fodmap already but it gives only a slight relief.
I know that I am sensitive to serotonergic drugs and I should have never tried the supplement but I am shocked about how long this confuses my guts.
I know about the mechanism of serotonin (motility wise) in the intestines and how 5-htp addresses the enterochromaffin cells.
But I am still wondering if anyone experienced something similar? It seems one pill has completely disrupted that fine tuned system.
Hey
, I'm so sorry to hear that you've been suffering for the past month. I don't have any experience with this, but I hope someone here can chime in with some insight. That's really frustrating that it happened so suddenly. I'm going to link an article about tryptophan that you may find helpful: https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/living/tryptophan. I also would suggest speaking with your doctor to make sure it's safe for you to continue taking the supplement. Was it a doctor who prescribed it or did you get it over the counter? - Kat (Team Member)
Patrick Holford, described as "nutritionist, author, and leading commentator on natural health", wrote an article in "Natural Products News" magazine in the July/August 2023 edition, where he says (quoted from his article):
"....Vitamin D (then) boosts serotonin in the brain and simultaneously suppresses it in the gut, where too much made by gut bacteria can become inflammatory. That's possibly why some people taking 5-HTP get gastrointestinal upset...."
I was searching for a very long time for any answer to serotonin which sticks around in the gut, and yet seems to be lacking in the brain! Nothing I "googled" or researched seemed to lead me to an answer, and there seemed to be nothing on how to actually transport it out of the gut.
I felt that might be my own problem, based on a few clues.
I did also notice that during very long hot dry spells in summer, my symptoms always subsided. Especially as I spend long periods outdoors and get a lot of sunshine.
I am not sure if taking a D3 supplement alongside making sure you get plenty of vitamin D (2) in foods will help, but it might be worth a try.
Last winter I took a D3 supplement but didn't take a big dose, as I didn't want to overdose. I stuck to between about 500 iu and 2000 iu. daily through winter, and I took a high quality liquid drops version.
How much you might want to take (or not) is up to you.
Did it help me? I'm unsure to be honest, but no two people ever have identical IBS, so maybe it's worth trying?
Bear in mind vitamin D is best backed up with magnesium, calcium, and vitamin K2, as it creates a higher need for those nutrients. That can be done by diet or by taking supplements. If you decide on a magnesium supplement I would recommend Magnesium GLYCINATE as that causes no GI upsets unlike some of the other forms.
It might be wise for you to do your own research around the inclusion of Calcium, Magnesium and K2. The subject is a bit complicated.
I'm so sorry you are going through this. Have you had a chance to see a doctor about all of this? Perhaps get some imaging and blood work done? Or maybe there is a Naturopathic Medical Doctor in your area? Those are great places to start.
Sorry your symptoms onset so quickly. Nothing worse than having that incomplete evacuation feeling. I can relate. In the meantime have you tried doing abdominal massages? Here is an article that explains how: https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/living/self-massage-for-constipation
I hope you fell better soon and can discover the root cause.
Best,
Elizabeth (team member)
