{"id":10100,"date":"2021-12-24T05:33:02","date_gmt":"2021-12-24T13:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.everywomanover29.com\/blog\/?p=10100"},"modified":"2025-12-12T09:26:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T17:26:23","slug":"increasing-tryptophan-or-5-htp-temporarily-when-a-winter-dip-in-serotonin-causes-more-severe-anxiety-ocd-and-or-the-winter-blues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.everywomanover29.com\/blog\/increasing-tryptophan-or-5-htp-temporarily-when-a-winter-dip-in-serotonin-causes-more-severe-anxiety-ocd-and-or-the-winter-blues\/","title":{"rendered":"Increasing tryptophan or 5-HTP temporarily when a winter dip in serotonin causes more severe anxiety, OCD and\/or the winter blues"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"tryptophan<\/p>\n

Don’t forget that serotonin takes a dip in winter when the days are shorter and there is less light. If you’re currently using tryptophan or 5-HTP to boost low serotonin and ease low serotonin symptoms – worry-type anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, ruminations, PMS, irritability, negativity, perfectionism, obsessiveness, lack of confidence, anger\/rage, afternoon\/evening cravings – you may find you need to increase your dose for a few months.<\/p>\n

This will especially be the case if you check off winter blues or more severe winter anxiety (yes it’s a thing and published in the research) on the low serotonin symptoms list.<\/p>\n

I shared this on Facebook last week and the feedback ranged from surprised to curious to confirmatory.<\/p>\n

In this blog I\u2019m sharing some of the feedback and some of the supporting evidence, as well as other factors to consider.<\/p>\n

The addition of 5-HTP in the morning and a light box<\/h2>\n

Kathy thanked me for the reminder and shared the changes she makes in the winter months:<\/p>\n

Thanks for the reminder! I need to increase my dose this time of year\u2026 I can feel myself feeling \u201cdown\u201d. I take 500 mg Tryptophan before bed and 100 mg 5-HTP in the morning before breakfast. I also use a light box in the morning while eating breakfast, which helps.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is an increase from her typical dosing in the spring and summer when she only takes tryptophan at night before bed.<\/p>\n

She also only uses her light box or SAD (seasonal affective disorder) lamp in winter. You can read more about SAD\/full spectrum lamps here<\/a>. They are also a wonderful way to boost serotonin and mood in the winter.<\/p>\n

My daughter’s anxiety and OCD goes through the roof<\/h2>\n

Mark shared about his daughter\u2019s anxiety and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder):<\/p>\n

Every year from October – March, my daughter’s anxiety and OCD goes through the roof. At first we thought it was the transition from summer to school, then the craziness of the winter holidays and suspected mold allergy. Now, based on this information, a winter\/less light induced dip in serotonin may be an additional factor we hadn’t considered. We’ll try adjusting her 5-HTP dose and see if we gain some improvement. Thanks for the tip.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s really common for families to attribute the more severe anxiety and OCD to the stress and craziness of the winter holidays. And of course suspected mold issues do need to be looked into and addressed. But even then, the dip in serotonin can compound all these factors.<\/p>\n

Planned tryptophan bump for Christmas sugar cravings and holiday family stress<\/h2>\n

Carol shared this about her plans to temporarily boost serotonin:<\/p>\n

I am one of those light weights that was able to do one 500 mg pill a day of tryptophan. But I do think that it would help to bump it up to two a day to get me through the Christmas sugar cravings AND holiday family stressful get togethers! I\u2019m all about taking the minimum effective dose but this is helpful to know that there could be a temporary boost just to get you through this time!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s wonderful that 500mg tryptophan is enough for her and I’m all for a minimum effective dose! However the winter dip in serotonin – and increased sugar cravings and family stress – is a common reason many folks bump up the dose for a month or more.<\/p>\n

You may also find you made the change intuitively. Linda shared this: \u201cI had made the adjustment. I just did not realize the reason why.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

A question about timing of 5-HTP and what to do in Spring<\/h2>\n

Suzanne shared that she uses a SAD light (also called a light box) and finds that it helps. She asks:<\/p>\n

Can I just take the 5-HTP on days with no sun or is it better to have it build up in my system? When spring rolls around, do I taper off or can I just stop taking it?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is my feedback: I haven’t had anyone just use 5-HTP on cloudy days but it’s worth a trial.\u00a0 If you are noticing increased anxiety and mood changes only on cloudy days and using the SAD lamp on those days helps, then using 5-HTP on those days may be enough. If not, use 5-HTP consistently\/daily through the winter months.<\/p>\n

Amino acids do not need to be tapered but I find my clients do better when they are reduced over a few weeks. Some folks also choose to just stop taking them and do fine.<\/p>\n

I appreciate all the feedback and the great questions. I\u2019ll report back when I hear how Mark\u2019s daughter does with the adjusted 5-HTP and how Carol does with the bump in tryptophan (and any other feedback I get from these folks).<\/p>\n

Some of the research and possible mechanisms<\/h2>\n

There are many studies that support serotonin changes and seasonal variations in mood. Here are just two of them:<\/p>\n