Medical disclaimer: CalmVerdict summarizes what people say about supplements on Reddit. It is not medical advice, and nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting a supplement, especially if you take an antidepressant or other medicine, are pregnant, or have a medical condition. Do not stop or change prescribed medicine on your own. If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 (US) or your local emergency number. Full disclaimer.

Amino acids & precursors · capsules

5-HTP: What People With Stress, Anxiety or Low Mood Report on Reddit

Illustration, not a product photo.

5-hydroxytryptophan, a serotonin precursor made from Griffonia seeds.

3.5 CalmVerdict score

21 owner comments (9 with a clear rating) from r/Anxiety, r/Supplements, r/insomnia, r/Nootropics, May 2026 to October 2026. Top 55% of the 24 ranked supplements.

Owner sentiment3.7

Recommendations1.0

Tolerability4.5

ValueNot rated

Value: Not rated. The example products differ too much in dose to compare cost fairly. How we score.

The short version

5-HTP is rated about average among the supplements we track: 3.5/5. Of 9 rated owner comments, 7 were positive, 1 mixed and 1 negative; 1 mention an unwanted effect. People talk most about mood and feeling flat or numb.

Reddit comments are self-reported and unverified. They tell you what people noticed, not whether a supplement works or is safe for you.

Read why serotonin supplements need extra caution. Compare the top-rated options for mood by concern. Reddit owners also rank supplements by anxiety reports.

What it is

5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) is a compound the body converts into serotonin.^[PubMed]
Cochrane reviewers found only a small number of trials of 5-HTP and tryptophan for depression, too few of good quality to draw firm conclusions.^[PubMed]

Safety and interactions

Do not combine with SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, triptans, tramadol or other drugs that raise serotonin without your doctor: the combination can cause serotonin syndrome, which can be life-threatening.^{[MedlinePlus]}^[PubMed]

Supplements can interact with medicines. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist first, especially if you are pregnant, take prescription medicine, or have red-flag symptoms. See supplement safety and interactions and serotonin supplements and antidepressants.

Reports by concern

Context	Rated owner comments	Positive	Negative	Unwanted effects
Low mood	10	4	0	1
Anxiety & worry	4	3	1	1

What Reddit owners say

Commonly praised

Feeling flat or numb: 1 owner comment
Mood: 1 owner comment

Common complaints

Side effects: 1 owner comment

4/5
“I took about that, 900 mg 5-HTP per day, for a while.”

owner comment via r/Supplements · 2026-08-07 · 2 upvotes

4/5
“I dislike 5 htp, it will likely just stay in the gut.”

owner comment via r/Nootropics · 2026-06-06 · 1 upvotes

4/5
“I've been thinking of trying 5htp...for anxiety and help with binge eating tendencies, but I see so much conflicting information.”

owner comment via r/Nootropics · 2026-09-02 · 1 upvotes

2/5
“I had tried and my mom had given me so many other anxiety supplements and sleep supplements, gaba, 5htp, melatonin, lemon balm skull cap, all that kind of stuff but it never went away”

owner comment via r/Supplements · 2026-07-01 · 1 upvotes

+3 more owner comments

4/5 Feeling flat or numbMood
“Interesting take, I have taken it for several months, at night, with 5-HTP, I and I could say I do feel less anxiety, but my anhedonia is severe.”

owner comment via r/Supplements · 2026-08-03 · 1 upvotes

5/5
“5htp removed depression and ocd for me as well as intrusive thoughts.”

owner comment via r/Supplements · 2026-08-12 · 1 upvotes

3/5 CostMood
“I tried this that contains 5HTP for a month.”

owner comment via r/insomnia · 2026-09-05 · 1 upvotes

Example products

These are examples of 5-HTP products sold on Amazon. They are not ranked by Reddit and the score above is for the ingredient, not a specific product. Check the label for dose and other ingredients.

Example product · not Reddit-scored

Now Supplements, 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) 100 mg, 120 Veg Caps

$15.99 on Amazon (price as of 2026-11-03). Prices change; check Amazon for the current price.

Check Price on Amazon

Example product · not Reddit-scored

THORNE 5-HTP, 100 mg 5-Hydroxytryptophan & Active Vitamin B6, 90 Capsules

$39.00 on Amazon (price as of 2026-11-03). Prices change; check Amazon for the current price.

Check Price on Amazon

Example product · not Reddit-scored

Natrol 5-HTP 100 mg Time Release, Helps Support a Balanced Mood, 90 Tablets

$14.90 on Amazon (price as of 2026-11-03). Prices change; check Amazon for the current price.

Check Price on Amazon

Research to read

Published studies (we list them so you can read the evidence yourself; inclusion is not an endorsement):

FAQ

What do people say about 5-HTP for stress, anxiety or mood on Reddit?

Across 21 Reddit comments from people who say they have used it, 7 of 9 rated comments were positive and 1 negative, for a CalmVerdict score of 3.5/5. These are self-reported experiences, not clinical evidence.

Do people report side effects with 5-HTP?

1 of 9 rated owner comments (11%) describe an unwanted effect such as drowsiness, headache, stomach upset or feeling flat. Check the safety notes on this page and ask a doctor or pharmacist before starting.

Who talks about 5-HTP most?

Most rated owner comments come from people who describe low mood or depression (10 comments, 4 positive).

Is 5-HTP scored on clinical evidence?

No. The score summarizes Reddit owner comments only. Factual statements on this page link to NIH or PubMed sources, and nothing here is medical advice.