Read online that 5-HTP may benefit for fibro patients and depression and anxiety and sleep problems so I wanted to try it until I read more that it could be dangerous and cause eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS), a serious condition involving extreme muscle tenderness (myalgia) and blood abnormalities (eosinophilia)... Not sure what to think...??
Well, you probably already do have the myalgia...the blood abnormalities scare me though. I'd have a good talk with my doctor, if I were you, and ask how dangerous they think this substance might be. Would they recommend it? Would they take it themselves?
I honestly can't answer you because it seems that a lot of the meds that we take also have some nasty side effects. Most of the worst ones rarely occur, supposedly. Did the info you read give any kind of a statistic as to how likely you might be to get the blood abnormalities? Or if it's a rare side effect? You should do more digging on the matter. you can look it up online by typing things like: 5-HTP blood abnormality risk.
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientreview-794-5-HT...
This shows that to get good effects, seems as though you need to be on this for a year or more, I would imagine it could cause a lot of harm, if it is harmful, in that period of time. I agree with Petunia, I would talk to a good Doctor, and not use it until I had their OK. Make sure the Dr knows of every drug and supplement you already take even if not on a regular basis.
Well I read to take it for 12 weeks... I don't have a doctor... You're right, Petunia Girl I do already have myalgia lol.. Blood abnormalities I don't know about that I'm hoping it's very rare and I am going to do a bit more research into that.. SK, I don't have a doc because I don't have insurance... I'm going to look into it more but I think I might try it for 12 weeks.. Thanks for the replies ladies..
Beautiful Nightmare,
The thought of you trying this substance without even being under a doctor's care brings chills to my spine. If you don't have insurance and end up with blood abnormalities, how will you pay to treat them IF they can be treated. You might be getting ready to put yourself into your own casket by taking this risk. I know that's very harsh of me to say but honestly I fear it could be so.
I did bump the thread "Help for lower income Americans." I do believe there was something in it about help for people without insurance, although I'm not positive. I think it would be an EXCELLENT idea for you to go through the list and see what's available. If nothing else, couldn't you go to a clinic? If you get a prescription for something, a lot of drug companies will send you the drug for free for awhile if you can't afford it. You'd need to go to their website to check it out, plus you'd have to fill out a form. It doesn't take long at all for them to get back to you and get you the drug. I know because I had to do it for awhile. My drug co. even sent it directly to my home! Man, that was pure heaven.
At any rate, I REALLY hope you rethink your idea. If nothing else, take a few Ibuprofin. I don't mean that like it sounds. I just find that Ibuprofin works better for me than most fibro drugs.
A big, concerned HUG for you!
Petunia
Well I did do more research yesterday and did find some things I didn't like like how people with high blood pressure shouldnt take it (which I have high blood pressure).. So all and all I decided not to take it.. Thanks for your cares... I was just wondering do you take prescription meds? Do you know all about them? What exactly they do to your body? If they're good for you? Possibly dangerous? What exactly they're made of?... Just a thought...
I'm glad you looked into it further, Beautiful Nightmares. Sometimes some meds just don't go with our bodies. High blood pressure is a big issue to be mindful of, so I'm glad you decided against this substance. You're welcome. I was really worried about you regarding this substance. Without a doctor it's really hard to know what's right or wrong for us. Even then, it's not always a done deal.
Yeah, I'm taking Lyrica for pain plus Nortriptyline to help me sleep. I take other stuff too but not for the pain or sleep issues. I honestly don't know what they do to me, other than that I don't seem to be suffering adverse affects from them. But who really knows? I used to take NO meds until last spring. Now I'm on at least 5 kinds. Are they good for me? Well, yes; I'm able to function even while in pain and can sleep. I didn't take last night's dose of Lyrica and Nortriptyline because I wasn't sure if I'd already taken it and the horrific pain I was in all day today reminded me of the extreme good the meds are doing for me. Yeah, I think they could possibly be dangerous. Hopefully not, as I've not had any real adverse reactions yet. What are they made of? Ehhhhh....crushed up stuff that they stick together into pill form. Yeah, for being a big researcher, I'm surprisingly lax on this end of things. Guess I'm of the mindset that I let the doctor figure that stuff out and I just reap the benefits.
Hope this has been helpful to you. And I hope you can manage to see a doctor and get a prescription. I can't imagine your life as being manageable without it.
Gentle hugs, especially from my little dogs,
Petunia
Well there arent many prescription meds for fibro at the time. There is just Lyrica and gabapentin. Anything else is just pain meds. I could never afford lyrica and I tried gabapentin and I had bad side effects to it. And pain meds, I take some ibuprofen once in a while when I have my bad pain episodes though I don't want to live my live like my mother and others I know around me who pop pain pills all day and possibly destroying their liver in the long run.. There is no prescription worth getting for me at the time.. Though I would want to go to a doctor for my well being like regular check-ups, if I am ill with a bad cold, if I am injured of some sort... I hope they can have better meds for fibro though. And also most importantly find the cause and find a cure...
I have used it. My therapist recommended it to me when I was in a real low spot and not able to take higher doses of the Celexa or Effexor I was using. He explained how it helps to make the anti-depression/anxiety drugs work better. I can't remember what he said about it, but that was to be it's purpose. It's an over the counter supplement. Therapist called the pharmacist across the street and talked with him about it and they gave me the green light to try it. After sticking with it only long enough to finish the first months worth of them I ended up having some other med changes and stopped those in the process. I didn't notice an effect of any kind for the short time I took it. Nada. Zero. Zip. None.
I don't have high blood pressure.
Hope you're feeling better soon.
LKitty
Yeah I read that some people had no bad effects to it even after taking it for a year and longer. Yet not much on how it helped.. I am choosing to just hold off on it till there is more known about it. I'm glad you had no bad side effects though. Thanks for your input and I hope all is well with you too.
Thank you. Better to be safe than sorry. Always. I hope all is well with you too.
Thank you. And you are correct.
I took 5-HTP for about 4 months before I was diagnosed. I don't now because it's kind of pricey and I'm managing okay with the prescription meds I have now. It did help me cope with pain, but not really lessen it. Was it worth the cost? Not really. I had some crazy, lucid dreaming though.
If you're ever interested in Lyrica, you can write to their company and fill out an application of hardship. Once you're approved, that, in turn, would entitle you to free Lyrica for at least several months. It's a thought.
Okay thanks for the thought Petunia Girl
Yeah I heard about people having crazy dreams... Not good for me since I have constant nightmares..