hi jillybean. good luck with the diet i hope it goes well for you...

hi jillybean. good luck with the diet i hope it goes well for you. i have tried the 5-htp as i heard it could be beneficial for depression/anxiety. I only took it for a few days as i have IBS and it gave me 4 days worth of stomach cramps and diarreah, i also found that if i took it at night it gave me really vivid dreams. bad effects aside i did feel calmer taking it but it was just no good for me as i have a sensitive tummy. i only add this as i know a lot of us run out and buy anything in the hope that it will help (i know i have spent a fortune on herbal supplements in the last year!) i'm not saying don't try it but on some web sites it does not recommend it if you have a history of bowel or GI problems,i only found this out after i starting getting stomach cramps! for those of you taking low dose anti-depressants it could be worth trying if you want to get off the prescription meds.there have been some really good reports about 5-htp working just as well as some AD's. (no not take this whilst taking anti-depressants,it may be worth checking with your health care provider to make sure you are ok to take it and that it will not interact with any other meds you may be on.) keep fighting the good fight ladies and remember what doesn't kill us makes us stronger!