Nutritional Supplement

5-HTP

5-hydroxytryptophan is used by the human body to make serotonin, an important substance for normal nerve and brain function. Serotonin appears to play significant roles in sleep, emotional moods, pain control, inflammation, intestinal peristalsis, and other body functions.

References

1. Kimball RW, Friedman AP, Vallejo E. Effect of serotonin in migraine patients. Neurology 1960;10:107-11.

2. Sicuteri F. The ingestion of serotonin precursors (L-5-hydroxytryptophan and L-tryptophan) improves migraine headache. Headache 1973;13:19-22.

3. Titus F, Davalos A, Alom J, Codina A. 5-hydroxytryptophan versus methysergide in the prophylaxis of migraine. Eur Neurol 1986;25:327-9.

4. Maissen CP, Ludin HP. Comparison of the effect of 5-hydroxytryptophan and propranolol in the interval treatment of migraine. Schweizerische Medizinische Wochenschrift /Journal Suisse de Medecine 1991;121:1585-90 [in German].

5. De Benedittis G, Massei R. 5-HT precursors in migraine prophylaxis: A double-blind cross-over study with L-5-hydroxytryptophan versus placebo. Clin J Pain 1986;3:123-9.

6. Mathew NT. 5-hydroxytryptophan in the prophylaxis of migraine. Headache 1978;18:111-3.

7. Bono G, Criscuoli M, Martignoni E, et al. Serotonin precursors in migraine prophylaxis. Advances in Neurology 1982;33:357-63.

8. De Giorgis G, Miletto R, Iannuccelli M, et al. Headache in association with sleep disorders in children: A psychodiagnostic evaluation and controlled clinical study ñ L-5-HTP versus placebo. Drugs Exp Clin Res 1987;13:425-33.

9. Santucci M, Cortelli P, Rossi PG, et al. L-5-Hydroxytryptophan versus placebo in childhood migraine prophylaxis: a double-blind crossover study. Cephalalgia 1986;6:155-7.

10. Ribeiro CAF. L-5-hydroxytryptophan in the prophylaxis of chronic tension-type headache: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Headache 2000;40:451-6.

11. Edmeads J. Placebos and the power of negative thinking. Headache 1984;24:342-3 [editorial].

12. De Benedittis G, Massei R. Serotonin precursors in chronic primary headache. A double-blind cross-over study with L-5-hydroxytrytophan vs. placebo. J Neurosurg Sci 1985;29:239-48.

13. Longo G, Rudoi I, Iannuccelli M, et al. Treatment of essential headache in developmental age with L-5-HTP (cross over double-blind study versus placebo). Pediatr Med Chir 1984;6:241-5. [in Italian].

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16. Puttini PS, Caruso I. Primary fibromyalgia syndrome and 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan: a 90-day open study. J Int Med Res 1992;20:182-9.

17. Moldofsky H, Warsh JJ. Plasma tryptophan and musculoskeletal pain in non-articular rheumatism (“fibrositis syndrome”). Pain 1978;5:65-71.

18. Caruso I, Sarzi Puttini P, Cazzola M, Azzolini V. Double-blind study of 5-hydroxytryptophan versus placebo in the treatment of primary fibromyalgia syndrome. J Int Med Res 1990;18:201-9.

19. Van Praag HM, Lemus C. Monoamine precursors in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Nutrition and the Brain, vol. 7, RJ Wurtman, JJ Wurtman, eds. New York: Raven Press, 1986 [review].

20. Van Praag H, de Hann S. Depression vulnerability and 5-hydroxytryptophan prophylaxis. Psychiatry Res 1980;3:75-83.

21. Angst J, Woggon B, Schoepf J. The treatment of depression with L-5-hydroxytryptophan versus imipramine. Results of two open and one double-blind study. Arch Psychiatr Nervenkr 1977;224:175-86.

22. Nolen WA, van de Putte JJ, Dijken WA, et al. Treatment strategy in depression. II. MAO inhibitors in depression resistant to cyclic antidepressants: two controlled crossover studies with tranylcypromine versus L-5-hydroxytryptophan and nimifensine. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1988;78:676-83.

23. Nolen WA, van de Putte JJ, Dijken WA, Kamp JS. L-5-HTP in depression resistant to re-uptake inhibitors. An open comparative study with tranylcypromine. Br J Psychiatry 1985;147:16-22.

24. D'Elia G, Hanson L, Raotma H. L-tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan in the treatment of depression. A review. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1978;57:239-52 [review].

25. Jangid P, Malik P, Singh P, et al. Comparative study of efficacy of L-5-hydroxytryptophan and fluoxetine in patients presenting with first depressive episode. Asian J Psychiatr 2013;6:29–34.))

26. Birdsall TC. 5-Hydroxytryptophan: a clinically-effective serotonin precursor. Alternative Med Rev 1998;3:271-80.

27. Schneider-Helmert D, Spinweber CL. Evaluation of L-tryptophan for treatment of insomnia: A review. Psychopharmacology (Berlin) 1986;89(1):1-7.

28. Lindsley JG, Hartmann EL, Mitchell W. Selectivity in response to L-tryptophan among insomniac subjects: a preliminary report. Sleep 1983;6:247-56.

29. Wyatt RJ, Zarcone V, Engelman K, et al. Effects of 5-hydroxytryptophan on the sleep of normal human subjects. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 1971;30:505-9.

30. Puttini PS, Caruso I. Primary fibromyalgia syndrome and 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan: a 90-day open study. J Int Med Res 1992;20:182-9.

31. Bruni O, Ferri R, Miano S, Verrillo E. L-5-Hydroxytryptophan treatment of sleep terrors in children. Eur J Pediatr 2004;163:402-7.

32. Guyton AC, Hall JE. Textbook of Medical Physiology, 9th ed. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders, 1996.

33. Schneider-Helmert D, Spinweber CL. Evaluation of L-tryptophan for treatment of insomnia: A review. Psychopharmacology (Berlin) 1986;89(1):1-7.

34. Caruso I, Sarzi Puttini P, Cazzola M, Azzolini V. Double-blind study of 5-hydroxytryptophan versus placebo in the treatment of primary fibromyalgia syndrome. J Int Med Res 1990;18:201-9.

35. Soulairac A, Lambinet H. Etudes cliniques de líaction du precurseur de la serotonine le L-5-hydroxy-tryptophane, sur les troubles du sommeil. Schweiz Bundschau Med (PRAXIS) 1998;77(34a):19-23 [in French].

36. Young SN. Behavioral effects of dietary neurotransmitter precursors: basic and clinical aspects. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 1996;20:313-23 [review].

37. Riemann D, Vorderholzer U. Treatment of depression and sleep disorders. Significance of serotonin and L-tryptophan in pathophysiology and therapy. Fortschr Med 1998;116:40-2 [review].

38. Chouinard G, Jones BD, Young SN, Annable L. Potentiation of lithium by tryptophan in a patient with bipolar illness. Am J Psychiatry 1979;136:719-20.

39. Hedaya RJ. Pharmacokinetic factors in the clinical use of tryptophan. J Clin Psychopharmacol 1984;4:347-8.

40. Prange AJ, Wilson IC, Lynn CW, et al. L-tryptophan in mania: contribution to a permissive hypothesis of affective disorders. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1974;30:56-62.

41. Chambers CA, Naylor GJ. A controlled trial of L-tryptophan in mania. Br J Psychiatry 1978;132:555-9.

42. Murphy DL, Maker M, Goodwin FK, et al. L-tryptophan in affective disorders: indoleamine changes and differential clinical effects. Psychopharmacologia 1974;34:11-20.

43. van Praag HM, de Haan S. Chemoprophylaxis of depressions. An attempt to compare lithium with 5-hydroxytryptophan. Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl 1981;290:191-201.

44. Mendlewicz J, Youdim MB. Antidepressant potentiation of 5-hydroxytryptophan by L-deprenil in affective illness. J Affect Disord 1980;2:137-46.

45. Gaby, AR. Nutritional Medicine. Concord, NH: Fritz Perlberg Publishing, 2011.

46. Caruso I, Sarzi Puttini P, Cazzola M, Azzolini V. Double-blind study of 5-hydroxytryptophan versus placebo in the treatment of primary fibromyalgia syndrome. J Int Med Res 1990;18:201-9.

47. Byerley WF, Judd LL, Reimherr FW, Grosser BI. 5-hydroxytryptophan: A review of its antidepressant efficacy and adverse effects . J Clin Psychopharmacol 1987;7:127-37 [review].

48. Zmilacher K, Battegay R, Gastpar M. L-5-hydroxytryptophan alone and in combination with a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor in the treatment of depression. Neuropsychobiology 1988;20:28-35.

49. Poldinger W, Calanchini B, Schwarz W. A functional-dimensional approach to depression: serotonin deficiency as a target syndrome in a comparison of 5-hydroxytryptophan and fluvoxamine. Psychopathology 1991;24(2):53-81.

50. Soulairac A, Lambinet H. Etudes cliniques de líaction du precurseur de la serotonine le L-5-hydroxy-tryptophane, sur les troubles du sommeil. Schweiz Bundschau Med (PRAXIS) 1998;77(34a):19-23 [in French].

51. De Benedittis G, Massei R. 5-HT precursors in migraine prophylaxis: A double-blind cross-over study with L-5-hydroxytryptophan versus placebo. Clin J Pain 1986;3:123-9.

52. Titus F, Davalos A, Alom J, Codina A. 5-hydroxytryptophan versus methysergide in the prophylaxis of migraine. Eur Neurol 1986;25:327-9.

53. Maissen CP, Ludin HP. Comparison of the effect of 5-hydroxytryptophan and propranolol in the interval treatment of migraine. Schweizerische Medizinische Wochenschrift /Journal Suisse de Medecine 1991;121:1585-90 [in German].

54. Mathew NT. 5-hydroxytryptophan in the prophylaxis of migraine. Headache 1978;18:111-3.

55. De Giorgis G, Miletto R, Iannuccelli M, et al. Headache in association with sleep disorders in children: A psychodiagnostic evaluation and controlled clinical study ñ L-5-HTP versus placebo. Drugs Exp Clin Res 1987;13:425-33.

56. Ribeiro CAF. L-5-hydroxytryptophan in the prophylaxis of chronic tension-type headache: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Headache 2000;40:451-6.

57. Ceci F, Cangiano C, Cairella M, et al. The effects of oral 5-hydroxytryptophan administration on feeding behavior in obese adult female subjects.J Neural Transm 1989;76(2):109-17.

58. Cangiano C, Ceci F, Cascino A, et al. Eating behavior and adherence to dietary prescriptions in obese adult subjects treated with 5-hydroxytryptophan. Am J Clin Nutr 1992;56:863-7.

59. Cangiano C, Laviano A, Del Ben M, et al. Effects of oral 5-hydroxy-tryptophan on energy intake and macronutrient selection in non-insulin dependent diabetic patients. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1998;22:648-54.

60. van Praag HM, Lemus C. Monoamine precursors in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Nutrition and the Brain, vol. 7, eds. RJ Wurtman, JJ Wurtman. New York: Raven Press, 1986 [review].

61. Russell IJ, Michalek JE, Vipraio GA, et al. Platelet 3H-imipramine uptake receptor density and serum serotonin levels in patients with fibromyalgia/fibrositis syndrome. J Rheumatol 1992;19:90-4.

62. Yunus MB, Dailey JW, Aldag JC, et al. Platelet 3H-imiprimine uptake receptor density and serum serotonin levels in patients with fibromyalgia/fibrositis syndrome. J Rheumatol 1992;19:104-9.

63. Wolfe F, Russell IJ, Vipraio G, et al. Serotonin levels, pain threshold, and fibromyalgia symptoms in the general population. J Rheumatol 1997;24:555-9.

64. Kimball RW, Friedman AP, Vallejo E. Effect of serotonin in migraine patients. Neurology 1960;10:107-11.

65. Schneider-Helmert D, Spinweber CL. Evaluation of L-tryptophan for treatment of insomnia: A review. Psychopharmacology (Berlin) 1986;89(1):1-7.

66. Williamson BL, Benson LM, Tomlinson AJ, et al. On-line HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry analysis of contaminants of L-tryptophan associated with the onset of the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome. Toxicol Lett 1997;92:139-48.

67. Williamson BL, Klarskov K, Tomlinson AJ, et al. Problems with over-the-counter 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan. Nat Med 1998;4:983.

68. Williamson BL, Tomlinson AJ, Mishra PK, et al. Structural characterization of contaminants found in commercial preparations of melatonin: similarities to case-related compounds from L-tryptophan associated with eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome. Chem Res Toxicol 1998;11:234-40.

69. Belongia EA, Hedberg CW, Gleich GJ, et al. An investigation of the cause of the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome associated with tryptophan use. N Engl J Med 1990;323:357-65.

70. Martin RW, Duffy J, Engel AG, et al. The clinical spectrum of the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome associated with L-tryptophan ingestion. Clinical features in 20 patients and aspects of pathophysiology. Ann Intern Med 1990;113:124-34.

71. Mayeno AN, Lin F, Foote CS, et al. Characterization of “peak E,” a novel amino acid associated with eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome. Science 1990;250:1707-8.

72. Reinauer S, Plewig G. [Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome]. Hautarzt 1991;42(3):137-9 [in German].

73. Toyo'oka T, Yamazaki T, Tanimoto T, et al. Characterization of contaminants in EMS-associated L-tryptophan samples by high-performance liquid chromatography. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 1991;39(3):820-2.

74. Trucksess MW, Thomas FS, Page SW. High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of 1,1'-ethylidenebis(L-tryptophan) in L-tryptophan preparations. J Pharm Sci 1994;83(5):720-2.

75. Trucksess MW. Separation and isolation of trace impurities in L-tryptophan by high-performance liquid chromatography. J Chromatogr 1993;630(1-2):147-50.

76. Ito J, Hosaki Y, Torigoe Y, Sakimoto K. Identification of substances formed by decomposition of peak E substance in tryptophan. Food Chem Toxicol 1992;30(1):71-81.

77. Castot A, Bidault I, Bournerias I, et al. [“Eosinophilia-myalgia” syndrome due to L-tryptophan containing products. Cooperative evaluation of French Regional Centers of Pharmacovigilance. Analysis of 24 cases]. Therapie 1991;46(5):355-65 [in French].

78. Michelson D, Page SW, Casey R, et al. An eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome related disorder associated with exposure to L-5-hydroxytryptophan. J Rheumatol 1994;21:2261-5.

79. Sternberg EM, Van Woert MH, Young SN, et al. Development of a scleroderma-like illness during therapy with L-5-hydroxytryptophan and carbidopa. N Engl J Med 1980;303:782-7.

80. Johnson KL, Klarskov K, Benson LM, et al. Presence of peak X and related compounds: the reported contaminant in case related 5-Hydroxy-L-tryptophan associated with eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome. J Rheumatol 1999;26(12):2714-7.

81. Hagan JJ, Hatcher JP, Slade PD. The role of 5-HT1D and 5-HT1A receptors in mediating 5-hydroxytryptophan induced myoclonic jerks in guinea pigs. Eur J Pharmacol 1995;294:743-51.

82. Green AR, Johnson P, Mountford JA, Nimgaonkar VL. Some anticonvulsant drugs alter monoamine mediated behaviour in mice in ways similar to electroconvulsive shock; implications for antidepressant therapy. Br J Pharmacol 1985;84:337-46.

83. Bourin M, Hascoet M, Deguiral P. 5-HTP induced diarrhea as a carcinoid syndrome model in mice? Fundam Clin Pharmacol 1996;10:450-7.

84. Hirai M, Nakajima T. Biochemical studies on the mechanism of difference in the renal toxicity of 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan between Sprague Dawley and Wistar rats. J Biochem (Tokyo) 1979;86:907-13.

85. Martin TG. Serotonin syndrome. Ann Emerg Med 1996;28:520-6.

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The information presented by TraceGains is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2024.

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