Neurologic effects of tryptophan in patients receiving a monoamine oxidase inhibitor

Abstract
The oral administration of 20 to 50 mg of L-tryptophan per kilogram to 7 patients during therapy with a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor produced neurologic effects including ethanol-like intoxication, drowsiness, hyperreflexia, and clonus. The possible mediation of these effects by tryptamine and serotonin and implications in the clinical use of MAO inhibitors are discussed.