trytophan/melatonin and libido

Does anyone who takes these supplements at night for sleep notice a positive or negative effect on libido.

Personally, I relax and sleep better when I have tried L-tytophan and have woken up with boners and good morning wood which is usually lacking these (stressful) days.

However, technically it is meant to increase serotonin which is meant to reduce sex drive like SSRI drugs.

Tryptofan is missing a few more processes/steps to wind up as seratonion of course the synthesis chart on the right of serotonin’s entry in wiki will show you. I assume you are looking for more of a relaxing type of substance instead of a sleepy maker? Niacin is some nice B Vitamin kind of stuff that tryptofan splits into also. However, it can cause problems for some.

B vitamins - Wikipedia

Tryptophan - Wikipedia

Niacin - Wikipedia

Melatonin - Wikipedia

Use as a dietary supplement

The primary motivation for the use of melatonin as a supplement may be as a natural aid to better sleep, with other incidental benefits to health and well-being due to its role as an antioxidant and its stimulation of the immune system and several components of the endocrine system.

Studies from Massachusetts Institute of Technology say that melatonin pills sold as supplements contain three to ten times the amount needed to produce the desirable physiologic nocturnal blood melatonin level for enhancement of sleep. Dosages are designed to raise melatonin levels for several hours to enhance quality of sleep, but some studies suggest that smaller doses are just as effective at improving sleep quality.[63] Large doses of melatonin can even be counterproductive: Lewy & al[64] provide support to the "idea that too much melatonin may spill over onto the wrong zone of the melatonin phase-response curve" (PRC). In their study, 0.5 mg of melatonin was effective while 20 mg was not.

Safety of supplementation
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Discussion of this nomination can be found on the talk page.

Melatonin is available without prescription in most cases in the United States and Canada, while it is available only by prescription or not at all in some other countries. The hormone is available as oral supplements (capsules, tablets or liquid) and transdermal, the "melatonin sleep patch".

Sold as a dietary supplement in the USA, not as a drug, often in health food and other grocery stores and some drug stores, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations that apply to medications currently are not applicable to melatonin.[2] Safety and efficacy of melatonin products may not be assessed.

Because of concerns of transmission of viruses through melatonin derived from animal sources melatonin derived from cow or sheep pineal glands should not be administered.[2][65]

Melatonin is practically nontoxic and exhibits almost no short-term side effects. No studies have as yet been conducted to determine whether there are any long-term side effects. There are, however, case reports about patients who have taken the supplement for years.

Ingesting melatonin supplements may cause some unwanted side effects, especially at high doses (~more than 3 mg/day): hormone fluctuations, irritability, increased sleep disturbances including vivid nightmares[2] and reduced blood flow (see below).

Exogenous melatonin normally does not affect the endogenous melatonin profile, merely advancing the phase of endogenous melatonin production in time if taken at an appropriate time of day.

In individuals with auto-immune disorders, there is concern that melatonin supplementation may exacerbate symptoms due to stimulation of the immune system.[66]

Melatonin can cause somnolence, and therefore caution should be shown when driving, operating machinery, etc. When taken several hours before bedtime in accordance with the Phase Response Curve for melatonin in humans, the dosage should be so tiny as to not cause tiredness/sleepiness.

Individuals who experience orthostatic intolerance, a cardiovascular condition that results in reduced blood pressure and blood flow to the brain when a person stands, may experience a worsening of symptoms when taking melatonin supplements, a study at Penn State College of Medicine\’s Milton S. Hershey Medical Center suggests. Melatonin can exacerbate the symptoms by reducing nerve activity in those who experience the condition, the study found.[67]

Blood–brain barrier - Wikipedia
Serotonin - Wikipedia Synthesis Chart on right

http://en.wikip edia.org/wiki/G … inobutyric_acid

Nootropic - Wikipedia

Serotonergic - Wikipedia

Tryptophan needs B6 & C to go along with it. It is explained in those links a bit.

Generally supplementation makes more of the compound. An SSRI slows/stops the reuptake so that it stops the tide from going out. If you combine the creation of more with the stopping up of the sink through an SSRI. You will have an overflow which creates in some people which is rare:
Serotonin syndrome - Wikipedia

Of course, tryptophan does take some energy to get to 5-htp to serotonin proper. So the closer to 5-ht you get the more available and pure it is to get to the next level cause it is preprocessed somewhat.

I am sure someone with a degree or schooling will laugh at my simple analogies, so they can correct it, but till they show up.

http://en.wikip … /Rhodiola_Rosea seems to work a bit on all the big name Neurotransmitters. I used to take it, now I am fairly calm that I don’t need it. I am down to like a third of my supplements. I have my Liver problem licked and my crapped out spleen problem is all that is left according to TCM.

Generally speaking, different subtypes of neurotransmitters have different functions that are SPECIFIC. Supplements kind of just throws the materials there and hopes that one or more you need gets to be absorbed where needed and the rest which is left over doesn’t hurt you.

Neurotransmitter - Wikipedia
http://en.wikip edia.org/wiki/N … chopharmacology

That is my limits pretty much on this subject. I don’t think you should have a problem unless you go crazy. I hope these links explain stuff way better than I can.

I’ve been taking melantonin for about 3 years now and definitely don’t feel any libido boosts. I take a single 5mg pill at night.

Cinnamon does it for me 2 grams of cinnamon bark capsules before bed and in about an hour I’m out like a log.

I take melatonin to regulate my sleep cycle. Let’s say I’ve been going to bed at 4am for a few days and I want to get back to going to bed at 11pm. I’ll start taking the melatonin to get my body sleepy around that time again.