Does 5-HTP help with anxiety?
Often, yes. 72% of 71 people who reported on 5-HTP for anxiety say it improved. 8% noticed no change and 20% say it got worse. That is below the typical result for anxiety (85% across 95 options).
Anxiety: what users report
72%better71 reports · medium confidence
51 better6 no change14 worse
Ranked #65 of 95 for anxiety.
What people say about 5-HTP and anxiety
“I just one day randomly decided to take 5-HTP an hour after finishing my workout, and I felt WIRED 15 minutes after taking it, and that lasted for 5–6 hours.”
“It gave me nightmares, I shit myself and started panicking in fear. But... after that I was finally able to feel emotions again. I felt AMAZING.”
“I've been taking 5HTP for the last 2ish weeks with no problem...then took my 5htp, and left to go walk to the store. i started feeling weird and anxious...i was high...like i had just smoked a joint high.”
“Recently I took around 100mgs of 5 htp, and the next day i felt better.”
What the research says
AResearch: Strong15 meta-analyses · 73 trials on PubMed
None of the top reviews we found look specifically at anxiety. See all research on 5-HTP.
Side effects people mention
vivid dreams 14heart valve 14serotonin syndrome 10drowsiness 10nausea 4
What else is 5-HTP used for?
Information only — not medical advice. How we count