A Case of the Eosinophilia-Myalgia Syndrome Associated with Use of an L-Tryptophan Product
- Michael T. Flannery, MD;
- Paul M. Wallach, MD;
- Luis R. Espinoza, MD;
- Michael P. Dohrenwend, MD; and
- Lynn C. Moscinski, MD
Excerpt
L-Tryptophan has been used as a sedative hypnotic for insomnia and as an antidepressant for many years. Previously reported toxicity has included nausea, vomiting, ataxia, hyperreflexia, possibly metabolite-induced bladder carcinogenesis, and worsening of hepatic encephalopathy in patients with a portocaval shunt (1, 2). Recent reports from the Centers for Disease Control (3, 4) indicate that there may be an association between the use of L-tryptophan products and development of a syndrome of myalgias and eosinophilia. We report a case of the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome without other known causes of eosinophilia and associated with use of an L-tryptophan product. When L-tryptophan was
This 100-word excerpt has been provided in the absence of an abstract.
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments: The authors thank Linda Watkins for preparing the manuscript.
Article and Author Information
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From the University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida. For current author addresses, see end of text.
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Requests for Reprints: Paul M. Wallach, MD, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Box 19, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612.
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Current Author Addresses: Drs. Flannery, Wallach, Espinoza, and Dohrenwend: University of South Florida College of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Box 19, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612.
Dr. Moscinski: H. Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Institute, Department of Pathology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612.
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