Rankings / Mood, Anxiety & Stress
5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan)
Mood, Anxiety & Stress · Serotonin precursor
Tier D+
Bottom line
Read Off Label grades 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) as D+ (3.9/10) based on weak evidence, low-med benefit magnitude, and a med-risk safety profile.
Popular but evidence is surprisingly thin for depression compared to its fame.
Studied, labeled, or reported-use context: 50-300 mg/day PO, divided — OTC; not individualized guidance.
If you were testing this on yourself
Two properties decide whether an n-of-1 experiment is readable and recoverable. These describe the experiment — they are not a judgment about whether to run it, and nothing here is a recommendation.
Can you undo it?
Reverses on stopping
Reversible pharmacologically, but the serotonergic interaction risk is not something to titrate against feel — combined with an SSRI, MAOI, or triptan it carries a genuine serotonin-syndrome risk.
Can you tell if it worked?
Readable — 2–4 weeks
Subjective mood and sleep.
What would fool you Mood regresses to the mean more strongly than almost any other endpoint, and placebo response in mood trials routinely reaches 30–40%. An unblinded n-of-1 on mood is close to uninterpretable. If you take any serotonergic medication, this is a prescriber conversation rather than an experiment.
What the evidence says
Popular but evidence is surprisingly thin for depression compared to its fame. Sleep onset may be the more defensible indication. Vitamin B6 is an AADC cofactor; clinical benefit from co-supplementation is not established. Combination with serotonergic medicines increases serotonin-syndrome risk. Pairs poorly with MDMA recovery protocols despite popularity there.
Mechanism
Direct serotonin precursor (tryptophan → 5-HTP → serotonin); bypasses rate-limiting TPH step; extracted from Griffonia simplicifolia seeds
Studied, labeled, or reported dose & route
50-300 mg/day PO, divided
This records doses and routes described in studies, approved labeling, clinical practice, or documented use. It is not individualized guidance and does not establish safety; context changes with indication, formulation, health history, monitoring, and other medicines.
Citations
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Common questions
- What does the evidence show about 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan)'s effects?
- Read Off Label rates the evidence for 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) as Weak and the benefit magnitude as low-med, producing an overall grade of D+ (3.9/10). Popular but evidence is surprisingly thin for depression compared to its fame.
- What safety findings are reported for 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan)?
- 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) has a med risk profile in the database. Med (serotonin-syndrome risk increases with SSRIs/SNRIs/MAOIs; historical eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome from contaminated tryptophan products has fueled ongoing caution) Legal status: OTC.
- What doses or routes are reported for 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan)?
- 50-300 mg/day PO, divided This is context from studies, approved labeling, clinical practice, or documented use; it is not individualized guidance and does not establish safety.
- How does 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) work?
- Direct serotonin precursor (tryptophan → 5-HTP → serotonin); bypasses rate-limiting TPH step; extracted from Griffonia simplicifolia seeds
This is an independent synthesis of published research by a non-clinician. Scores are opinions supported by citations, not prescriptions. See the full disclaimer and methodology for how this score was produced and what it does and doesn't mean.