Take with a low-protein, carbohydrate-rich meal or snack to prevent an upset stomach.

Dosing

The dose of L-tryptophan will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of L-tryptophan. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The number of capsules or tablets that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are taking L-tryptophan.

• For oral dosage forms (capsules or tablets):
  • For mental depression:
    • Adults 8 to 12 grams per day, given in 3 to 4 equally divided doses
    • Children Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, it is not necessary to make up the missed dose. Skip the missed dose and continue with your next scheduled dose. Do not double doses.

Storage

To store this medicine:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store the capsule or tablet form of this medicine in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to break down.
• Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.

If you are taking this medicine without a prescription, carefully read and follow any precautions on the label. For L-tryptophan, the following should be considered:

Allergies Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to L-tryptophan. Also tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy L-tryptophan has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in humans.

Breast-feeding It is not known whether L-tryptophan passes into breast milk. However, L-tryptophan has not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies.

Children Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of L-tryptophan in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use of L-tryptophan in the elderly with use in other age groups.

Other medicines Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking L-tryptophan, it is especially important that your doctor and pharmacist know if you are taking any of the following:

• Lithium (e.g., Eskalith) or
• Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor activity (isocarboxazid [e.g., Marplan], phenelzine [e.g., Nardil], procarbazine [e.g., Matulane], selegiline [e.g., Eldepryl], tranylcypromine [e.g., Parnate]) Using these medicines with L-tryptophan may increase the chance of side effects

• Achlohydria or malabsorption (digestion problems) L-tryptophan may cause breathing problems in patients with certain types of digestion problems
• Bladder cancer L-tryptophan may increase the risk of bladder cancer
• Cataracts L-tryptophan may cause cataracts
• Diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) L-tryptophan may cause diabetes in patients with a family history of diabetes