l-Tryptophan supplementation does not affect postoperative pain intensity or consumption of analgesics

Abstract
Aiming at optimizing serotonin levels in endogenous pain-modulating systems, l-tryptophan supplementation pre- and postoperatively (2 g/day for 7 days) did not affect pain development or analgesic consumption after third molar surgery. Biological effects related to an increase in mood were observed, however, indicating transport of l-tryptophan to the central nervous system. The findings are discussed in relation to earlier reports on favorable effects of l-tryptophan on experimental pain in healthy subjects and in chronic pain patients.