Just some tryptophan links... followed by my trial of l-tryptophan, with my thoughts that I'll update as I go.

Effect of tryptophan and of glucose on exercise capacity of horses. Therefore, we tested the effect of infusing tryptophan and/or glucose on ... The failure of glucose infusion to alleviate the effects of tryptophan and the ...
www.jcircadianrhythms.com/pubmed/9729551

Kynurenine metabolic pathway in pregnancy Kynurenine metabolic pathway of tryptophan catabolism in healthy and ... Tryptophan to kynurenine transformation is one of alternative tryptophan pathways. ...
www.priory.com/med/kynurenine.htm

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=14284

http://whatreallyworks.co.uk/start/articles.asp?article_ID=182
instead of boosting levels of melatonin with melatonin, increase levels of this sleep-controlling hormone by stepping up your intake of serotonin; a neurotransmitter involved in the manufacture of melatonin. You can also easily boost levels of tryptophan, an amino acid that is critical for the manufacture of serotonin.

Take magnesium with tryptophan at night?
DanceSafe E-Board: Teeth grinding ..." one theory on the clench is that your bodies magnesium stores are exhausted becuase magnesium is required to make new serotonin. it is a crucial part of tryptophan decarboxylase. but this is just a theory" ... Re: Teeth grinding [Re: sueq420] #44583 - Mon Mar 11 2002 07:14 PM,
I noticed that I grind my teeth a lot.
http://dancesafe.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=45000&Main=43278

PDF] FIBROMYALGIA: A CURRENT PERSPECTIVE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML... Serum levels of serotonin and its dietary precursor tryptophan are low in FMS (Russell 1996). ... Klonopin may help patients who grind their teeth. ...
216.242.80.63/cheapceus/FIBROMYALGIA.pdf

11) A person low in Serotonin will be inclined to consume greater amounts of sugar in an attempt to increase Serotonin production and this may lead to sugar addiction. http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/serotonin_connection.html

maybe why I've been craving so much sugar all the time??

---------------------------TRYPTOPHAN DIARY---------------------

night Tuesday 7th Feb.
I took my first 500mg tryptophan (1 capsule) tonight at 9.30PM.. dinner around 6PM. (1 hamburger), followed by a couple of lollies.. so although stomach not empty.. need a break before I take my thyroid meds (as they maybe a litle like tyrosine?.. unsure here?) OK I had a cup of tea with the tryptophan.. hope this is OK?

Also took 200mg of Magnesium Orotate tablet sometime after dinner and probably about 8.30Pm? a sublingual multiB with P5P and B12 etc in it.. to have adequate B6, magnesium as cofactors to promote the enzyme needed to convert tryptophan to serotonin.

I'm not sure how tryptophan goes to melatonin.. like if serotonin pathway is different or if serotonin is the first step and melatonin is a second step in the same pathway?

I was reading on Ray Sahelian's site where on taking tryptophan at night, it can convert to melatonin..which I think I really need even more than serotonin.. so fingers crossed:-)
Tryptophan taken orally can convert into serotonin and melatonin

Written morning Wed 8Th Feb

After taking the tryptophan I was awake another couple of hours, but then crashed. Slept at least as good as usual. Woke up with dog barking, then woke about 6am and got up befre 8AM finally. Felt OK, not wiped or anything.

I was still grinding my teeth though..and still tense when woke up.. like I have my hands clenched and my legs tightly wound around each other:-)

I got the expected (similar to SSRI's but not as extreme) gut reaction.. tummy pains, burping, passing wind other end, put off food..but nothing more like the first few weeks on SSRI's (no diarrohea or vomiting)..which is a pity..could have done with the weight loss!

Think on this. I think I remember teejay telling me in England after I'd eaten some yoghurt over there and got wind problems ..that yoghurt in UK causes this.
the Yoghurt over there maybe has more tryptophan in it?.. wouldnt suprise me..I bet the milk/yoghurt is less processed and I know the yougurt has more choices on what is added like the bacteria etc.
Maybe it was the tryptophan in the yoghurt..if z remember this right? I was eating yougurt to replace the gut bacteria from being on dooxycycline for about 5 weeks.

Looks like this is something I've definitely been missing? I wonder if its the KEY to why I cant take straight T3, as it pure T3 synthetic not mixed with other stuff as in pig's Thyroid extract.

I bet the thyroid extract, being a protein, contains some tryptophan as well? I still get an increase in appetite and sugar cravings with Thyroid extract (more than is desired).
With T3 I get an extreme hunger and sugar craving I get with even a small amount..say 2 mcg T3...even mixed with T4!
It's one explanation..
Maybe I need to take a little tryptophan with the thyroid meds.. like maybe onlu 50mg - 100mg for balance? .. smethiing to try in future?

Tonight I will try just 250mg tryptophan, although I guess my tummy receptors will adapt (probably by cutting down their nos as well as their sensitivity). I guess eventually all serotonin receptors adapt..and maybe that was the logic behind SSRI's.. nah, can't be as the extra serotonin still would downregulate receptors in the same way anyway?

Bob ( or anyone if you read this?) do receptors have differing amounts of sensitivity? I think I vaguely remember reading that somewhere?
How do you think it happens?

to put into posts
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20030903/msgs/263032.html
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20031104/msgs/280769.html
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20031104/msgs/281442.html
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20040418/msgs/348327.html
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20040418/msgs/348271.html
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20040418/msgs/352142.html

17th Feb
http://www.blog.co.uk/index.php/tealady-health/2006/02/17/fluoride_may_cause_appetite_increase_red~568905

18th Feb
So far tyrptophan is the missing thing for me.. that elusive "closer to normalily feeling" .. that more enrgy..lessend anxiety.. and the stopping f that Help I'm starving somewone sew up my lips please feling.. also many other things more normalised. Hope it keeps working!!

I was wondering if taking thyroid hrmones..especially noticeable with synthetic T3 .. or Synthetic T3/T4 combo (I was well I wondering if somehow that also upped the dopamine/noradrenaline pathway..si,ilaylusing (40mcgT4, 4mcgT3) caps.. ((Thyroid(armour) wasn't as bad))

Well i was wondering if they acted similar to tyrosine.. by upping dopamine and noradrenaline pathways?
Maybe they just allow more of your own tyrosine not to be formed into thyroid hormones??.. but it feels more than that??
When 3 breaks down (for some reason T3 is the worst culprit regarding appetite increase)..to T0 I presume eventually? would it then turn into tyrosine?.. maybe??

Can't be relevant on thinking out the figures..as I only take say MAX of 150mcg T4+T3 a day.. so that would make a max of 150mcg of tyrosine. If protein is considered "balancedz' the ratio of tryptophan to tyrosine is

if 1:1 that would man i'd be needing LESS than 1mg=1000mcg tyrptphan to balance this tyrosine form the meds.. or 'saved" by nt being used to convert to thryoid hormones :-)

and my body should be able to adjust, even on a long term basis to less than 150mcg of tryptophan daily upped for balance?

Anyway tryptophan balances this ..at least for a week for me.. the effect is not as strong as when I started now.. so I'm hoping it keeps working!

26th Feb.
Yesterday evening and last night going to sleep, I had a very mild ear ringing (tinnitus).I haven't had any of that since back on SSRI's before 2000 I think. It was stopped completely by thryoid meds.
So it looks like this may not be caused by SSRI's only being selctive inhibitors? (although I had severe with one of them).. it may be just too high a serotonin level in my brain.
One thing that serotonin causes and thryoid hormones seem to do the opposite and alleviate.
Other signs my levels are too high are
.. a lack of energy on exercise.. tryptophan makes it more difficult to exercise and I can feel it now
.. still some flatulence (not extreme though)
.. cramping in uterus had ceased
..the heightened sexual effects that many have reported on thyroid hormones has ben balanced by l-tryptophan, but this is not unexpected as many on SSRI's report " diminished/ dampened/ almost no feelings or desire sexual side-effects from the SSRI's..so serotonin must dampen sexual effects and thyroid hormones must increase them?

I am stopping all tryptophan tonight..didnt take all day today
looks liek it builds up.
i read somewghere where it shold only be taken for a short period of time, guess this is why.

27th Feb
Only took a tiny amount with my thyroid meds about 1 1/2 hrs after lunch today.. to ensure my appetite didn't increase. It usually gets worse after lunch and I don't want to overeat. I just add to my thryoid hormone med capsule. A little tyrptophan powder..would have to be at a guess around 25mg? haven't measured

At dinner I was still a bit hungry ..so maybe try 50mg tryptophan in my noon capsule tomorrow.

Only taking bout 50mg tonight(tyrptophan) as well. Hopefully for serotonin to melatonin conversion.
I have been noticing since I started tryptophan that I need the room more darkened at night, even to the point of covering up lights on phone, modem, computer etc Maybe my body is wanting to make some melatonin now..?
tetth grinding and jaw clenching is still bad.. hasnt got better that I've noticed and I've started taking ,magnesium nd increasing the amount over the past week.
started with 100mg mag orotate..then 200mg..then 200mg Mg oratate_ I tablet Mg with P5pB6,..
yesterday I tried adding in a cal and mag chelate(can't find out the chelates)+ above Mg orotate and P5PB6 with magnesium...think teeth grinding and jaw clenching a little lesened??
no idea if calcium or mag..or both here now???
27th Feb
I've noticed I'm no longer worrying excessively about trivial things.. like posts on babble (alter and politics and even admin).. I'm not "caring" what others think as much..they can take it or leabve it. this doesnt't mean I'm uncaring..just I've now have "saner" view on things(perhaps mewrely more apathetic:).. been wanting this for a while:)
I did look at politics on 26th Feb...and still wrote out a long post expressing a tiny fraction of what I think. but didn't post it.
So I an still able to get overworked too much for my own good, but it has adjusted for the better re anxiety anyway. (3 hrs of getting worked up, although still upset the next morning.. but more at myself fo having got worked up abou politics.. like it does any good? ..still hopefully better than 3 days last time.. it is a feeling like lashing out feeling in a way.. but not too intense)

28 th Feb
morning.. took 150mcg trptophan last nught..slept 9 hrs with only on wake for toilet break.. still grinding teeth and clenching jaw

15th March

I think I got my temp up with l-tryptophan. I only take about 150mg -200 mg most nights ( I leave out occasionally) and maybe 50-75mg with my noon thyroid meds. I take up to a couple of days off occasionally.
My body temp has definitely come up lately but I'm not sure if its that or duphaston (a progestin) or progesterone.pr just menopausal related.
Oestradiol and oestriol also influences the body temp.. so its not clear to me exactly what is going on.

Serotonin (via tryptophan) also influences oestrogen.

But now I feel the heat, sweat and my skin even goes pinkish with exercise.. whereas before the best I'd do was a cold clammy sweat on a hot day with exercise occasionally.. reached this last year.

23rd March
ear hissing , had to reduce tryptophan again
when stopped altogether didn't sleep thru night and felt like crying at night for no apparent reason
http://tealady-health.blog.co.uk/2006/03/19/serotonin_ear_ringing~656627?comment_ID=873169#comments

still jaw clenching and teeth grinding, sigh
wish I knew what would help

17th April

been mostly off tryptophan past couple of weeks. felt i needed some lastight, took 1/2 capsule (just empty the powder into mouth) and drink some water.. I've found it takes about 90mins before I get real sleepy. I'm a tad hypo at present so in normal people I'd expect 5HTP or tryptophan to "hit" somewhere between 30 mins and 90 mins max after taking. (5HTP sooner than trypt I'd expect)
NB. MUST be taken by itself on a reasonably empty stomach.. and a tiny bit sugary food or starhy food about 20 mins to 30 mins after (if none left in stomach from dessert!).. one small lolly or choccy or biscuit is enough!

I slept right thru last night, felt OK in morning:)

I've been trialling Yasmin (BCP) for the past 10 days or so, and that rasies oestrogen a little, and the oprogestin seems to be OK with me.. I've noticed it seems to incr. my serotnin in itself.. again this estrogen/progesterone/serotonin link is in there somehow:)
However Yasmin Doesn't stop the night sweats. I not Angelique has less progestin and estradiol (huge amount..way too much actually!! as well). So maybe I need a little sertontin as well as the Yasmin and a little estradiol..(like less than 1/10 in Angelique).