Posted by Larry Hoover on August 13, 2005, at 8:31:00
In reply to Tryptophan, posted by DonnaM on August 12, 2005, at 22:56:20
> I have a sleep disorder and my sleep specialist is trying me on tryptophan (I am in Canada).
Insomnia?
> I am to start on 1 tablet a day for a week and work up to 5/day. I have been on 1/day for 1 week and I am feeling depressed(not usual for me) and very irritable. I went nuts tonight on my teenage son and pulled over his computer because he called me a name a few times today. I am also on .5 mg clonazepam which I have been on for a couple of months. Last night I felt so depressed before bed that I couldn't move until I dragged myself into bed.
Are you saying the mental effect is so profound that it immobilized you? Or that you body was weak? It's more than a trivial distinction.
> I am not sure if it is helping my sleep.
Do you take it about one hour before normal bedtime?
> Could the depression and irritability be a side effect.
Absolutely, but they would be most unusual, absent an interaction with, for example, an SSRI. In cases of unusual drug reactions, what is typically done is to stop taking the med, wait a brief interval, and restart the med (called a challenge-rechallenge trial). If the adverse symptoms disappear during the non-medicated interval, and reappear upon restarting the med, it's reasonable to attribute the adverse symptoms to the med (regardless of whether the symptoms are "typical", or not).
> The Dr said that I may feel nauseated as a side effect but I don't have that. I will eventually call the doctor but I also wanted opinions from here esp personal experience. Thanks!
My experience is not at all like yours.
Here's a link to the drug monograph for Tryptan: http://rxcarecanada.com/Tryptan.asp
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:540921
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050812/msgs/541005.html