A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the efficacy and tolerability of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) was conducted in 50 patients with primary fibromyalgia syndrome. All the clinical parameters studied were significantly improved by treatment with 5-HTP and only mild and transient side-effects were reported. Further controlled studies are required to define properly the value of 5-HTP in patients with primary fibromyalgia syndrome.
PayneTCLeavittFGarronDC: Fibrositis and psychologic disturbance. Arthritis Rheum1982; 25: 213–217.
3.
MoldofskyHScaresbrickPEnglandR: Musculoskeletal symptoms and non- REM sleep disturbances in patients with ‘fibrositis syndrome’ and healthy subjects. Psychosom Med1975; 4: 341–351.
4.
BengtssonAHenrikssonKGLarssonJ: Reduced high energy phosphate levels in the painful muscles of patients with primary fibromyalgia. Arthritis Rheum1986; 29: 817–821.
5.
DinermanMGoldenbergDCFelsonDT: A prospective evaluation of 118 patients with fibromyalgia syndrome: prevalence of Raynaud's phenomenon, sicca symptoms and low complement and Ig deposition in the dermal – epidermal junction. J Rheumatol1986; 13: 368–373.
6.
WallaceDJ: Fibromyalgia: unusual historical aspects and new pathogenic insights. Mt Sinai J Med1984; 51: 124–127.
7.
MorganePJ: Serotonin: twenty years later. Monoamine theory of sleep: the role of serotonin – a review. Psychopharmacol Bull1981; 17: 13–17.
8.
ChaseTNMurphyDL: Serotonin and central nervous system function. Ann Rev Pharmacol1973; 13: 181–197.
9.
MoldofskyHWarshJJ: Plasma tryptophan and musculoskeletal pain in non-articular rheumatism. Pain1978; 5: 65–71.
CarusoISarzi PuttiniPCBoccassiniL: Double-blind study of dothiepin versus placebo in the treatment of primary fibromyalgia syndrome. J Int Med Res1987; 15: 154–159.
12.
WysenbeekAJNorFLurieY: Imipramine for the treatment of fibrositis; a therapeutic trial. Ann Rheum Dis1985; 44: 752–753.
13.
CaretteSMcCainGABellDA: A double-blind study of amitriptyline versus placebo in patients with primary fibrositis. Arthritis Rheum1986; 29 (suppl): 658–659.
14.
YunusMMasiATCalabroJJ: Primary fibromyalgia (fibrositis): clinical study of 50 patients with matched normal controls. Semin Arthritis Rheum1981; 11: 151–171.
15.
MoldofskyHLueFA: The relationship of alpha and delta EEG frequencies to pain and mood in ‘fibrositis' patients treated with chlorpromazine and L-tryptophan. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol1980; 50: 71–80.
16.
MollerSEKirkLHonoreP: Relationship between plasma ratio of tryptophan to competing amino acids and the response to L-tryptophan treatment in endogenously depressed patients. J Affective Disord1980; 22: 47–59.
