Comment · Tue, December 12, 2017
5-HTP does or doesn't cross the blood barrier effectively?
Original post in this thread
gruberexn · 16 points
I was having this argument with a friend where I would quote the MDMA Supplementation Guide that says the following statement:
5-HTP can pass your blood brain barrier, while 5-HT cannot. This means that when you supplement 5-HTP, you want to make sure it gets converted to 5-HT in your brain and not your periphery. The enzyme that converts 5-HTP to 5-HT is aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase.
But, researching further, I found this paper:
5-HTP efficacy and contraindications
Which states the following:
* In central nervous system disease states associated with synaptic serotonin dysfunction, synaptic serotonin levels in the brain must be increased to induce optimal outcomes.
Serotonin does not cross the blood–brain barrier.
* 5-HTP freely crosses the blood–brain barrier.
* 5-HTP is freely converted to serotonin without biochemical feedback inhibition.
* When infinitely high amounts of 5-HTP are administered, it is theoretically possible to achieve infinitely high levels of serotonin. One limiting factor is the availability of the enzyme…
What they were answering
Rocktopod · 1 points
I don't see a problem here. 5-HT = Serotonin. 5-HTP crosses the blood-brain barrier and is converted to 5-HT inside the brain.
I think I remember reading somewhere that MDMA inhibits the conversion of 5-htp into 5-ht however but I don't have time to find a source for that right now.
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb
MDMA lowers tryptphan hydroxylase. That creates 5-HTP from tryptophan. MDMA does NOT inhibit aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase, which is what creates serotonin from 5-HTP. This is why people suggest taking 5-HTP the week following MDMA use. MDMA slows the creation of 5-HTP from tryptophan, and supplementing 5-HTP helps smooth that out, till your TPH enzyme levels recover in about 30 days.