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Medcial and Health blog

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Hydroxytryptophan (products called 5-Htp)

Hydroxytriptophan (products called 5-Htp)

Dr. Joshua... your thoughts on the product (if any)?* And thoughts on whether or not it would be harmful to a breast-feeding 6 month old...

Answers:


Thanks for posting your question.

Personally, I do not recommend using any alternative medicine products or supplements when breastfeeding, as the products may not undergo strict quality control and there is no way of knowing for sure what the products actually contain, and in what kind of quantities. If you are suffering from depression, there are medical treatment options available even when breastfeeding or pregnant, but a risk-benefit analysis should be done together with your doctor before initiating any treatment. While many drugs are considered safe, you should always ask your doctor before taking any medication when breastfeeding.

The safety of 5-HTP treatment during breastfeeding has not been established. Therefore I do not recommend the use of 5-HTP while breastfeeding. If you want to try 5-HTP after breastfeeding, please do so under your own doctor's supervision.

5-HTP has been used as a nutritional supplement to treat depression. A systematic review of the effectiveness and safety of 5-HTP based on 108 studies concludes that there is some evidence to suggest that 5-HTP is better than placebo in treating depression, but the evidence is of insufficient quality to be conclusive. The usefulness of 5-HTP is limited because there exist antidepressants that have been proven to be safe and effective.

Reference:
Shaw K, Turner J, Del Mar C. Tryptophan and 5-Hydroxytryptophan for depression. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2002, Issue 1