ٹرپٹوفان · tryptophan
Weak evidence
The step before 5-HTP, with the same interaction risk and a contamination history.
This is information, not medical advice. This page is information, not medical advice. Nothing here is a prescription, a diagnosis or a recommendation to take anything, and none of it replaces a doctor who knows your history. Supplements are not harmless because they are natural: they interact with prescription medicines, some are unsafe in pregnancy, and a few can cause real damage. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist before starting anything here, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18, have a liver, kidney or heart condition, or take any regular medication. Never stop a prescribed antidepressant to try a supplement instead.
An essential amino acid from protein foods - meat, eggs, dairy, seeds - which the body converts into serotonin.
Small old trials suggest a modest effect in mild depression, and there is better evidence that depriving people of tryptophan lowers mood temporarily - which is not the same as supplementing it helping. Reviews call the evidence insufficient.
Studies used 1 to 3 g daily, often at night.
Recorded because a person who has decided to try something will find a number somewhere, and a forum's number is worse than a trial's. It is not a recommendation, and the right amount for you depends on things only a doctor who knows your history can weigh.
Same serotonin syndrome risk as 5-HTP with antidepressants, tramadol and triptans. In 1989 a contaminated batch caused an outbreak of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome that killed dozens - manufacturing quality genuinely matters here. Causes drowsiness.
Uncommon on shelves and usually imported. Food sources are cheaper and safer.
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