5-HYDROXITRYPTOPHAN DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION IN POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS SYNDROME

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common psychological long-term consequence of patients that have been treated in intensive care units together with anxiety disorders (AD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study aimed to investigate the effect of 5-hydroxytryptophan administration on serotonin levels in critically ill patients and the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in our patients. A randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, Clinical Emergency Hospital Bucharest, Romania, on patients admitted for severe non-surgical illness aged from 18 to 55 years. Thirty subjects were recruited and randomized through sealed envelopes with a concealed 1:1 allocation to either treated or control group: Group 1-placebo (control group) and Group 2 (5-TRP group)-treated with 300 mg of 5-hydroxytryptophan twice daily. After 7 days, Group 2 had higher levels of serum serotonin (230.06 ± 34.96 μg/L) in comparison to the control group (181.20 ± 38.87 μg/L; p < 0.001). The incidence of depression was 24.49% in Group 2 and 42.17% in Group 1 (p < 0.005) after 30 days of observation. Our results suggest that due to his role as an immediate precursor, 5-hydroxytryptophan increases the plasma level of serotonin, with a beneficial effect on anxiety and depression of the treated patients.