{"id":9618,"date":"2021-04-23T14:00:27","date_gmt":"2021-04-23T21:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.everywomanover29.com\/blog\/?p=9618"},"modified":"2025-09-11T13:39:32","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T20:39:32","slug":"5-htp-and-or-tryptophan-to-help-with-increased-anxiety-panic-attacks-and-depression-caused-by-spring-allergies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.everywomanover29.com\/blog\/5-htp-and-or-tryptophan-to-help-with-increased-anxiety-panic-attacks-and-depression-caused-by-spring-allergies\/","title":{"rendered":"5-HTP and\/or tryptophan to help with increased anxiety, panic attacks and depression caused by spring allergies"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"5-htp,<\/p>\n

Many of my clients experience increased anxiety, more severe panic attacks and worse depression when their spring allergies are flaring up. Do they feel like this simply because they feel so bad physically or could there be some underlying biochemistry that triggers their worsening mental health symptoms? I explain below how low serotonin is one possible root cause that can be addressed nutritionally with tryptophan and\/or 5-HTP. Other factors to consider are the impact on the adrenals and GABA levels.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s blog is inspired by Unten, who is part of my Facebook community. She asked this question:<\/p>\n

I find that always during spring my anxiety and panic attacks get much worse when there\u2019s lots of pollen and dust and other allergens in the air (at least here in Finland)…could this be true and not just \u201cin my head\u201d?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And then someone else responded saying:<\/p>\n

I have noticed the same for me as well here in the USA.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

My response to both of them is that it is not just in your head. There is plenty of research supporting this connection and we see it clinically too.<\/p>\n

This paper, Changes in Severity of Allergy and Anxiety Symptoms Are Positively Correlated in Patients with Recurrent Mood Disorders Who Are Exposed to Seasonal Peaks of Aeroallergens<\/a>, confirmed a significant positive association between allergy scores and anxiety scores and reports some possible mechanisms:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The psychological effects of being ill, as well as impairments of sleep secondary to nasal obstruction or inflammation may affect mood.<\/em><\/li>\n
  2. Cytokines may lead to a mood disturbance via the expression of the enzyme indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase, which shifts the synthesis of tryptophan from serotonin to kynurenine. The resultant acute tryptophan depletion results in decreased brain serotonin, which may contribute to both depression and anxiety.<\/em><\/li>\n
  3. Cytokines released during allergic inflammation may affect the brain directly, via nerves, surrounding tissue, or via regions that do not have a blood brain barrier, such as the circumventricular organs.<\/em><\/li>\n
  4. Cytokines may also be involved in changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis\u2026 A sustained increase in activity in the HPA axis is associated with severe anxiety<\/em>.<\/em><\/li>\n
  5. Cytokines might lead to a physiological change in GABAA receptor functioning
    \n<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    I\u2019ll discuss some possible solutions below.<\/p>\n

    Tryptophan and\/or 5-HTP for low serotonin support if needed<\/h2>\n

    The second bullet above is a good reason to consider serotonin support with tryptophan or 5-HTP.\u00a0 If you have anxiety or panic attacks (and other low serotonin symptoms), we always want to figure out if low serotonin is a possible cause and address it, regardless of the circumstances\/trigger (seasonal allergies in this instance).<\/p>\n

    Here are some useful blogs related to low serotonin and the amino acids:<\/p>\n