This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

[Scat89]

Has anyone supplemented w/ 5-HTP to help with sleep and mood swings?

[jackD]

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplemen ... Name=5-HTP

A warning!

jackD

[CuriousRobot]

I once used it for approx. 2 weeks post-CCSVI surgery. I had myalgia and increased fatigue and felt like I was having another attack. Afterwards, I went off the supplement, threw it away and never had "said" attack.

[jackD]

There is a GOOD side to 5-HTP as I posted below on 22nov2002 - It raises IL-10 levels thus lowering the Immun System a tad BUT there is always that NEGATIVE side I as mentioned in the above http link I posted.

Does anyone have any other info/experience on antidepressants that helped the MS condition.

I am looking for more than "It makes me feel better statements".

jackD

"22 Nov 2002

I find this quite interesting. The comment about the "negative immunoregulatory effect" could be a positive immunoregulatory effect for folks with MS.

It would be a good idea to take an antidepressant that helped the MS condition. I do not know if the drugs listed here are the only ones that have this effect.

Jack N Dalton

1: Hum Psychopharmacol 2001 Jan;16(1):95-103 The immunoregulatory effects of antidepressants.

Maes M. Clinical Research Centre for Mental Health, Antwerp, Belgium. There is some evidence that major depression is accompanied by activation of the inflammatory-response system (IRS).

It has been hypothesized that increased production of proinflammatory cytokines may play a role in the etiology of major depression. If increased production of proinflammatory cytokines is at all involved in the etiology of depression, one would expect antidepressive treatments to have negative immunoregulatory effects.

This paper reviews the effects of antidepressants, such as tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), heterocyclic antidepressants (HCAs), serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), lithium, l-5-hydroxytroptophan (L-5-HTP), reversible inhibitors of MAO-A (RIMA) on the production of proinflammatory cytokines, e.g. interferon-gamma (IFNgamma), and negative immunoregulatory cytokines and agents, e.g. interleukin-10 (IL-10).

In depressed patients, prolonged treatment with antidepressants and mood stabilizers normalizes signs of activation of the IRS, such as increased serum IL-6 and acute phase protein concentrations.

In vitro, it has been shown that various types of antidepressive drugs, including TCAs (imipramine; clomipramine); SSRIs (citalopram, fluoxetine, sertraline); lithium; SNRIs (venlafaxine); HCAs (trazodone); RIMAs (moclobemide) and L-5-HTP significantly suppress the ratio of IFNgamma/IL-10 production by peripheral blood immunocytes.

These antidepressant drugs appear to have a common effect on the IRS, i.e. in vitro they increase the production of IL-10 by peripheral blood leukocytes. Thus, the results suggest that antidepressants have negative immunoregulatory effects. It may be speculated that antidepressants exert some of their antidepressant effects through their negative immunoregulatory capacities.

Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID: 12404604 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Newsgroups: alt.support.mult-sclerosis
From: "jack n dalton" <jdal...@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2002 03:17:30 -0500
Local: Fri, Nov 22 2002 3:17 am
Subject: Antidepressants as immunoregulators
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[Stillhaha]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idebenone

I take 150mg of idebenone daily. The Wiki mentions some documented success relieving neuro issues, along with a lack of sufficient successes.

It seems to help me, and I plan to keep taking it. If that counts as a gamble, then I feel lucky. ;]