Research
5-HTP for Menopause: Evidence, Interactions and Cautions
5-HTP is an ingredient used in menopause supplements marketed to women. Below is what it has actually been studied for, how strong that evidence is, the drug interactions and cautions on record, and the primary source our grade rests on — all drawn from the HerWellReport ingredient dataset.
Also sold as: 5-hydroxytryptophan; oxitriptan
What the evidence says about 5-HTP
A Cochrane review found only 2 of 111 identified trials were of adequate quality, together covering 64 people; they favoured tryptophan or 5-HTP over placebo but the authors judged the evidence insufficient to be conclusive and preferred established antidepressants, which are proven effective and safe. Memorial Sloan Kettering's monograph states 5-HTP showed no benefit for hot flushes. Cochrane also flags that a possible association between these substances and the potentially fatal eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome has not been resolved. 5-HTP is absent from the Menopause Society's 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement.
The grade "very limited" means: very limited — Mostly animal, laboratory or anecdotal evidence, with at most a single weak human study. Grades are explained in full on our methodology page.
Read the primary source this grade rests on (opens in a new tab).
5-HTP drug interactions
- SSRIs
- tricyclic antidepressants
- MAOIs
- linezolid
- St John's wort
- SAM-e
- carbidopa
Who should be careful with 5-HTP
- Do not combine with serotonergic medicines because of serotonin syndrome risk
- contaminated products have been linked to eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome and a scleroderma-like illness
- it can interfere with 5-HIAA urine testing for carcinoid tumours
Read more on HerWellReport
- Best Menopause Supplements: What Is Actually In Them
- 65 Ingredients, None Proven: What Is Actually Inside the Supplements Sold to Women (2026)
This entry is generated from row "5-HTP" of the HerWellReport ingredient dataset (v2.1, updated 2026-09-23). The dataset is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 — how to cite it. Ingredient evidence is not evidence for any finished product, and nothing here is medical advice.