Is 5-HTP Good, Effective And Safe To Take For Severe

Posted on Tue, 23 Apr 2019

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 23 Apr 2019 Answered on

Last reviewed on

Question : Is 5-HTP good, effective and safe to take for severe anxiety? Some dizziness at times

Answered by Dr. Dr. Antoneta Zotaj (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
5-HTP is not part of standard treatments for anxiety, safer and more effective treatments are available

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome at "Ask a Doctor" service,

I carefully went through your query and here is my advice:
Use of 5-HTP for treatment of anxiety is quite controversial mostly because it has not shown to be very effective in treatment of anxiety, especially if taken alone. In some cases it is found to even make anxiety worse.

I would recommend you to discuss with your doctor and try alternatives for anxiety treatment that are safer and more effective. A SSRI drug like citalopram or sertraline would be a good alternative, quite safe in most patients and have better effect on anxiety.

I hope this answers your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj,
General & Family Physician

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad