L-tryptophan is an amino acid. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Proteins are necessary for the human body in almost all life processes. There are 20 different amino acids. 11 of them can be synthesized in the body, and the remaining 9 can only be obtained from the body externally. L-Tryptophan is one of the 9 essential amino acids. In an ideal world, a healthy person gets the required amount of essential amino acids from a balanced diet.
Tryptophan is used to relieve anxiety, stress, treat depression and normalize sleep. However, this is an important substance that needs to be used consciously, and we will try to give direction for thought in the article below. If you have used tryptophan, tell us about your experience in the comments!
Important! The text below is for informational purposes only and cannot in any way serve as a guide for self-prescribing treatment. Tryptophan has significant side effects and contraindications. Be sure to consult with a qualified healthcare professional before taking tryptophan products, especially if you are taking other medications.
The role of serotonin and melatonin in the body
Tryptophan is involved in the production of two very important hormones - serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin is otherwise called the “happiness hormone” and is produced during the daytime. At night, melatonin, the “sleep hormone,” is formed; again, this essential amino acid is involved in this process.
Serotonin in the body is responsible for the feeling of emotional comfort. If the body produces this substance in sufficient quantities, then a person responds adequately to stressful situations, because serotonin reduces anxiety, relieves tension, and helps to relax.
If a sufficient amount of this essential amino acid enters the body, then melatonin is produced from it at night. This hormone is synonymous with good sleep, promotes rapid falling asleep, and significantly improves sleep quality. With sufficient melatonin production, a person can get enough sleep, and after sleep he feels rested and full of energy.
Side effects of taking tryptophan and contraindications
You should not uncontrollably take drugs with tryptophan in combination with other antidepressants. This is especially true for monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). They are available under different commercial names, such as nialamide, prilindor and others. Such combinations can pose a real danger. Prescribing tryptophan in combination with other antidepressants can increase the effectiveness of therapy, as we wrote above, but only a qualified doctor and pharmacist who understands how these drugs will interact can prescribe a course.
Tryptophan is not recommended to be taken during the day due to possible drowsiness, as happens when taking melatonin.
Due to the influence of serotonin on peristalsis, side effects of tryptophan can cause problems with the gastrointestinal tract in the form of nausea, diarrhea, and bloating.
With an overdose of tryptophan, the so-called. A condition in which there is general weakness and muscle pain, which can last for a long time (sometimes six months).
Control of tryptophan turnover in the USA
In the late 80s, the United States introduced a ban on the import of tryptophan from other countries. This was due to the discovery of more than 60 thousand cases of syndrome (EMS) that was associated with L-tryptophan intake. After the information was released to the public and circulation control was introduced, numerous studies were conducted and assumptions were made about how tryptophan and EMS syndrome are specifically related. There have been suggestions of poor quality starting material from one particular tryptophan manufacturer in Japan. However, none of the reasons has been reliably confirmed. And in 2001, the FDA loosened control over tryptophan, but with .
Based on the scientific evidence that is available at the present time, we cannot determine with certainty that the occurrence of EMS in susceptible persons consuming L-Tryptophan supplements derives from the content of L-Tryptophan, an impurity contained in the L-Tryptophan, or a combination of the two in association with other, as yet unknown, external factors. Furthermore, results from published studies suggest that the risk of developing EMS may be linked in part to different patterns of xenobiotic metabolism and immune response genes in patients with EMS. Consequently, the FDA cannot determine that oral dosage forms of L-Tryptophan and related compounds such as L-5-hydroxytryptophan can be safely used as dietary supplements.
In short, the FDA has washed its hands of the drug and does not know whether there is a specific connection with taking L-tryptophan with EMS, what dosages are safe, and what other substances tryptophan can safely interact with. In general, make the decision to consume tryptophan at your own peril and risk.
Other useful properties
This amino acid is not only a natural antidepressant, it helps the body resist stress, overcome it and diseases associated with it (for example, reactive depression). It also helps reduce hunger, helps control appetite, and reduces irritability. This is why dieters need to get enough tryptophan.
This substance helps reduce pain sensitivity. It promotes the production of growth hormone, increasing muscle mass and reducing body fat.
If the body contains a sufficient amount of this amino acid, then such people adapt faster when changing time zones, and their sleep-wake cycle is normalized in a shorter time.
Contraindications
According to the instructions, Triftazin is contraindicated for use when:
- Impaired renal excretory function;
- Severe liver failure;
- Inhibition of bone marrow hematopoiesis;
- Progressive diseases of the brain and spinal cord;
- Traumatic brain injuries;
- Comatose states of any etiology;
- Severe depression of the function of the central nervous system;
- Severe cardiovascular diseases;
- Hypersensitivity.
According to the instructions, the drug Triftazin is prescribed with caution for alcoholism, angina pectoris, valvular heart disease, pathological changes in the blood, breast cancer, angle-closure glaucoma, prostatic hyperplasia, liver and kidney failure, gastric and duodenal ulcers.
Also, according to the instructions, Triftazin is used with caution for Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, myxedema, Reye's syndrome, cachexia and vomiting.
The drug Triftazin is prescribed with caution in the elderly; it is not prescribed to children under 3 years of age, pregnant women or during lactation.
Biological supplements
Considering the modern pace of life, stress and psychological stress that we have to deal with every day, it is obvious that our body needs a sufficient supply of tryptophan to function properly. However, it is not always possible to ensure this. Someone is on a diet, someone is fasting, and someone else is simply not watching their diet. In such conditions, you can resort to taking dietary supplements containing this essential amino acid.
Preference should be given to those biological additives that, in addition to tryptophan, also contain vitamins B5 and B6. These vitamins promote the formation of serotonin and melanin, in turn, enhancing the effect of tryptophan.
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Anna Nikolenko (Zaykina)
The author is a practicing psychiatrist with 11 years of experience. Master of Medicine and compassionate doctor. More information about the author is on this page.
Side effects of Triftazin
According to reviews, the use of Triftazin can lead to complications from various body systems in cases of overdose, namely:
- Nervous system: insomnia, dizziness, drowsiness, akathisia, parkinsonism, tardive dyskinesia, dystonic extrapyramidal reactions, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, phenomena of mental indifference, mental changes and delayed reaction to external stimuli;
- Endocrine system: hypoglycemia, glycosuria, hyperprolactinemia, galactorrhea, pain or swelling in the mammary glands, amenorrhea, hyperglycemia, dysmenorrhea and weight gain;
- Genitourinary system: oliguria, decreased potency, priapism, frigidity, decreased libido, impaired ejaculation and urinary retention;
- Digestive system: nausea, loss of appetite, dry oral mucosa, constipation, gastralgia, bulimia, anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, cholestatic jaundice, hepatitis and intestinal paresis;
- Hematopoietic organs: leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, pancytopenia, agranulocytosis, eosinophilia and hemolytic anemia;
- Sense organs: visual impairment (paresis of accommodation), clouding of the lens and cornea, retinopathy and blurred vision;
- Cardiovascular system: reduction or inversion of the T wave, prolongation of the QT interval, heart rhythm disturbances and increased frequency of angina attacks.
In addition, Triftazin, according to reviews, can cause other disorders, namely:
- Skin rash;
- Angioedema;
- Urticaria;
- Exfoliative dermatitis;
- Conjunctiva;
- Skin coloring;
- Photosensitivity;
- Discoloration of the sclera and cornea;
- Myasthenia;
- Phenylketonuria.
Also, the use of Triftazin, according to reviews, can lead to the development of heat stroke, loss of the ability to sweat, confusion and false positive pregnancy tests.
An overdose of the drug can lead to neuroleptic malignant syndrome, low blood pressure, hypothermia, tachycardia, gynecomastia, coma, collapse and toxic hepatitis.
Tryptophan reviews
Positive
Review #1 : I have struggled with insomnia most of my life and have taken many prescription medications and none of them have ever worked. To work, I need to get enough sleep. And I only slept about 3 hours a night. Now I take two tryptophan capsules 2 hours before bed and sleep for 7 hours and feel great. I wish I had found it a long time ago. []
Feedback #2 : Your mood improves and you become more sociable with other people. Tryptophan is very useful for the body, since the body produces 5-hydroxytryptophan from it and then the hormone Serotonin. The more serotonin in the body, the better our mood. It is especially useful to take when the weather is bad or cloudy outside or for people who live in regions where there is little sun. If you take it closer to the evening or night, then after 18 hours another hormone will be produced in the body - melatonin and you will fall asleep faster and get better sleep. []
Review #3 : It's so simple - one capsule in the morning and one capsule in the evening. And the result is amazing - you can calmly react to situations that were terribly annoying before taking it. They write about the result after two weeks, but I felt the effect after a couple of days, although perhaps it’s a placebo)))) I highly recommend it to anyone who finds it difficult to maintain a positive attitude in the midst of endless stress at work - and this does not work on indifference, but on calmness, in which you do not waste your nerves and feelings on irritation, but can productively solve the problem or rationally push it aside if it is impossible to solve. Just a salvation for me. Miracle product! []
Review #4 : Super product! I finally started falling asleep without sleeping pills or melatonin. in the morning cheerfulness and good mood. []
Review #5 : Excellent product. It made my sleep much more peaceful. He helped me get off amitriptyline, for which I am grateful. And the dosage is just right. []
Negative
Review No. 1 : Nothing has changed, there is no sleep, I want sweets, but my mood is always ok. []
Review #2 : Wasted money. This drug did not give any effect. It's a pity - there were hopes. []
Review No. 3 : What I drank and what I didn’t drink. I slept the same, I was also nervous, I didn’t become happier, I didn’t get thinner. For me it's a dummy. []
Review #4 : I took it because of depression. I didn't notice any effect. True, I slept 2 hours longer than usual (good thing it was a non-working day). My parents took this drug as a remedy for insomnia, also zero effect! []
Review No. 5 : I’ll share my unpleasant experience of taking this drug. Regardless of the time of taking the capsules, a calming effect was observed for the first three to four hours, but after that one felt excitement of the nervous system and slight internal trembling. And speaking of sleep, when taking this tryptophan there is no sleep at all, this has never happened to me, not being able to fall asleep for a minute all night is something... Whether to buy this product or not is up to you to decide, but unfortunately it doesn’t work for me came up. (((( []
