I tend to get hit pretty hard by androstadienone depression and I think I've taken the edge off that issue (though not fixed it completely) with topical application of 5HTP. Oral ingestion of 5HTP without a decarboxylase inhibitor is controversial (Some allege it's converted to serotonin in the blood before it even gets to the brain, causing myriad health issues, while others argue that this is bunk. )
However if 5HTP could be active as a pheromone it would route around these issues entirely and be highly effective. The cause of androstadienone induced depression seems to be a drop in serotonin. 5HTP is used by the body to make serotonin. The conversion of 5HTP to serotonin is not the rate limiting step in the reaction, which basically means "the more 5htp you have, the more serotonin you'll get." While this potentially would be a problem with oral administration, I haven't had any issues related to serotonin overdose.
So far, a saturated solution of the stuff is fine for me and dilution of 5htp isn't really required as it is with many pheromonal molecules.
The biggest question that remains for me (aside from the question of whether I'm experiencing a placebo effect, which I need to test for) is how pheromonal 5HTP would impact the utility of androstadienone. Perhaps serotonin reduction is instrumental to its effect, rather than incidental. I suspect that there might still be the reduction in personal space due to cortisol upregulation, even with 5HTP. And you'd still have the reduction in pregnenolone metabolites related to cortisol upregulation. But would Androstadienone still be a "bonding pheromone" if it didn't lower serotonin? Many of the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors are notorious for reducing sex drive.
Another idea to consider is PEA application. PEA also seems to have pheromonal effects and some have claimed that PEA application makes people more resistant to the effects of pheromones in general. PEA is subject to rapid degradation in the body, especially the mouth and gut.
However if 5HTP could be active as a pheromone it would route around these issues entirely and be highly effective. The cause of androstadienone induced depression seems to be a drop in serotonin. 5HTP is used by the body to make serotonin. The conversion of 5HTP to serotonin is not the rate limiting step in the reaction, which basically means "the more 5htp you have, the more serotonin you'll get." While this potentially would be a problem with oral administration, I haven't had any issues related to serotonin overdose.
So far, a saturated solution of the stuff is fine for me and dilution of 5htp isn't really required as it is with many pheromonal molecules.
The biggest question that remains for me (aside from the question of whether I'm experiencing a placebo effect, which I need to test for) is how pheromonal 5HTP would impact the utility of androstadienone. Perhaps serotonin reduction is instrumental to its effect, rather than incidental. I suspect that there might still be the reduction in personal space due to cortisol upregulation, even with 5HTP. And you'd still have the reduction in pregnenolone metabolites related to cortisol upregulation. But would Androstadienone still be a "bonding pheromone" if it didn't lower serotonin? Many of the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors are notorious for reducing sex drive.
Another idea to consider is PEA application. PEA also seems to have pheromonal effects and some have claimed that PEA application makes people more resistant to the effects of pheromones in general. PEA is subject to rapid degradation in the body, especially the mouth and gut.