5-HTP

Medical abbreviation · Drug

5-HTP
Stands for5-Hydroxytryptophan
CategoriesMedical

5-HTP stands for 5-Hydroxytryptophan, a drug abbreviation.

Amino acid that the body converts directly into serotonin, sold as a supplement extracted from the seeds of the African plant Griffonia simplicifolia for mood, sleep and appetite control.

Example: Holding 5-HTP while patient starts escitalopram due to serotonin syndrome risk.

Usage notes

Taking 5-HTP with SSRIs, MAO inhibitors, triptans or tramadol can raise serotonin dangerously. Evidence for depression is limited to small, older studies. It differs from L-tryptophan, its precursor, whose contaminated supplements caused the 1989 eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome outbreak in the US.

More drug abbreviations

  • 3HP – Three months of weekly isoniazid and rifapentine
  • 3TC – Lamivudine
  • 4-MP – 4-Methylpyrazole (fomepizole)
  • 5-ASA – 5-Aminosalicylic acid (mesalamine)
  • 5-FC – 5-Fluorocytosine (flucytosine)
  • 5-FU – 5-Fluorouracil
  • 6-MP – 6-Mercaptopurine
  • 70/30 – 70% intermediate-acting and 30% short-acting premixed insulin
  • AAS – Anabolic-androgenic steroids
  • ABC – Abacavir
  • ABX – Antibiotics
  • ACV – Acyclovir

See all 170 drug abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.