Collen....Am providing you a long document to peruse. Tryptophan plays a role with serotonin, 5HTP and other items as well as our liver, heart, brain and other organs.

So I wanted to you to see it all. You did not say if you were taking extra supplements of Tryptophan, 5HTP, Serotonin products or what. All of these are contributory to your question and your final analysis and answers.

So I am giving you alot to consider and think about. A quick and easy answer is yes going from the elbow over the head to the heart tryptophan can effect the heart as well as a lot of other things, including our UCD problems.

SO here goes:

For many organisms (including humans), tryptophan is an essential amino acid. This means that it cannot be synthesized by the organism and therefore must be part of its diet. Amino acids, including tryptophan, act as building blocks in protein biosynthesis. In addition, tryptophan functions as a biochemical precursor for the following compounds (see also figure to the right):
• Serotonin (a neurotransmitter), synthesized via tryptophan hydroxylase.[7][8] Serotonin, in turn, can be converted to melatonin (a neurohormone), via N-acetyltransferase and 5-hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase activities.[9]
• Niacin is synthesized from tryptophan via kynurenine and quinolinic acids as key biosynthetic intermediates.[10]
• Auxin (a phytohormone) when sieve tube elements undergo apoptosis tryptophan is converted to auxins.[11]
The disorders fructose malabsorption and lactose intolerance causes improper absorption of tryptophan in the intestine, reduced levels of tryptophan in the blood[12] and depression.[13]
egg, white, dried
spirulina, dried
cod, atlantic, dried
soybeans, raw
cheese, Parmesan
caribou
sesame seed
cheese, cheddar
sunflower seed
pork, chop
turkey
chicken
beef
salmon
lamb, chop
perch, Atlantic
egg
wheat flour, white
baking chocolate, unsweetened
milk
rice, white
oatmeal, cooked
potatoes, russet
banana


Although now available for purchase, there was a large tryptophan-related outbreak of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS) in 1989 which caused 1,500 cases of permanent disability including at least thirty-seven deaths. Some epidemiological studies[39][40][41] traced the outbreak to L-tryptophan supplied by a Japanese manufacturer, Showa Denko KK. The company would never release the chemical and bacterial makeup the the drug thus all research was stopped and findings to determine what killed the people was never truly determined.[4 One belief is that heavy consumption of turkey meat (as for example in a Thanksgiving or Christmas feast) results in drowsiness, which has been attributed to high levels of tryptophan contained in turkey.[52][53][54] While turkey does contain high levels of tryptophan, the amount is comparable to that contained in most other meats.[16] Furthermore, post-meal drowsiness on Thanksgiving may have more to do with what else is consumed along with the turkey, in particular carbohydrates and alcohol.
Benefits
Some doctors use for treatment of insomnia, depression, or anxiety (Impacts the serotonin –do not try to self medicate!!)
Deficiencies:
Depression, PMS, anxiety, insomnia, alcholism, volince, aggression, suicide, dangerous thrill seeking, pyromania, headaches, obsession/compulsions, obesity, and compulsive gambling.

The following is a web page put out by a manufacturer of supplements. It debuncts all medicat reports. But it has to –to sell its supplements. http://www.vrp.com/articles.aspx?ProdID=604
I am looking for the original reports. I did read many about Tryptophan.
Here was the fear: 1) Serotonin (or acetylcholine) applied *directly to the heart* can cause heart spasms. The only studies that found find that show serotonin causing coronary spasms are when high concentrations of serotonin are injected directly into the heart or one of its chambers, or when another drug or pre-existing syndrome made the heart hypersensitive to serotonin. My survey of this literature has not been as comprehensive, as there are many more papers. People with a particular (and rare) type of serotonin-secreting tumor called hindgut carcinoid, also have various heart problems, such as fibrosis of the endocardium and right heart valves, and heart failure. Should they avoid 5-HTP? Most of the tryptophan and 5-HTP in your diet converts to serotonin in your blood. It is estimated that only about 1 to 2% of your total serotonin crosses the blood-brain barrier and enters brain cells.

Tryptophan Side Effects to Report
There are a number of potential side effects with tryptophan that you should report to your healthcare provider and which might indicate that you should stop taking the supplement. In particular, any signs of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome or serotonin syndrome (both of which can be quite serious) should be reported immediately to your healthcare provider. These side effects include, but are not limited to:

Peoples experimenting with or having doctors give tryptophan need to be aware that this supplement can affect heart rate –it can become variable and the heart valve (may be rare, unless taking large amounts) Research paper states the more depressed you are the more apt to you may have heart damage. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16603135
http://www.healthhome.co.za/Health_tips/5_HTP,_Tryptophan,_Heart_Valve_problems/Health_Tip150.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/71243-side-effects-ltryptophan/
http://www.healthcaremagic.com/articles/Eosinophilia-syndrome/2570

• Signs of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS), such as:

o Very severe muscle pain
o Fatigue
o Nerve pain
o High eosinophil levels (found using a blood test)
o Nerve pain
o Hair loss
o Rash
o Dry, thickened skin or other skin changes
o Visual blurring
o Sexual disfunction
o May cause schizophrenia in people who cannot tolerate tryptophan supplements—hallucinations or delusions

L-tryptophan is POSSIBLY UNSAFE when taken by mouth. It has been linked to over 1500 reports of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS) and 37 deaths. EMS is a neurological condition with symptoms that include fatigue; intense muscle pain; nerve pain; skin changes; baldness; rash; and pain and swelling affecting the joints, connective tissue, lungs, heart, and liver. Symptoms tend to improve over time, but some people may still experience symptoms up to 2 years after they develop EMS. Some people report that their symptoms have never gone away completely.
• Signs of serotonin syndrome, such as:
Confusion
o Seeing or hearing things that are not really there (hallucinations)
o Fast heartbeat (tachycardia)
o Feeling faint
o Fever
o Sweating
o Muscle spasms
o Difficulty walking
o Diarrhea


• Signs of an allergic reaction, such as a rash, hives, itching, swelling of the mouth or throat, wheezing, or difficulty breathing.

Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: L-tryptophan is LIKELY UNSAFE in pregnancy because it may harm the unborn child. Not enough is known about the safety of L-tryptophan during breast-feeding. Avoid using L-tryptophan during pregnancy and breast-feeding.

A white blood cell disorder called eosinophila: L-tryptophan might make this condition worse. L-tryptophan has been associated with the development of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS).
DANGER FOR UCDER”S Liver or kidney disease: L-tryptophan might make these conditions worse since it has been associated with the development of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS).

Starting in 1989, there was an epidemic of EMS cases in the United States, mostly due to tryptophan supplement use. More than 1,500 cases and 37 deaths were reported. At this time, it is not clear if EMS is associated with just one brand of tryptophan (which contained contaminants) or with all tryptophan supplements. Many public health officials and researchers assert that there is good reason to believe that EMS is associated with all tryptophan supplements, while some people firmly believe that only contaminated supplements caused such problems. There are good and valid arguments on both sides of this debate, and the question currently remains unanswered.

Bothersome Tryptophan Side Effects
Not all side effects of tryptophan are dangerous; some are merely bothersome for most people. Such tryptophan side effects include:

• Heartburn or indigestion
• Loss of appetite
• Drowsiness
• Abdominal pain (stomach pain)
• Belching or gas
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Headaches
• Lightheadedness
• Dry mouth
• Blurred vision.

Final Thoughts on Tryptophan Side Effects
It is possible that you may experience some or none of these tryptophan side effects explained above. Unfortunately, there is no way for your healthcare provider to know beforehand if you will have side effects from a medicine that you have never tried. Therefore, make sure to let your healthcare provider know if you develop any side effects while taking tryptophan, or if something "just does not seem right." While it may not be a side effect of tryptophan, your healthcare provider will be able to diagnose and treat the problem.



If you are taking Tryptophan there are other vitamins and such you must take with it to help metabolization process; thes include

Co-enzyme B-6
Niacin
Serotonin reuptake inhibitors

All of the above should be managed under the care of a doctor. Do not self medicate.

L-TRYPTOPHAN INTERACTIONS
Major Interaction Do not take this combination
• Medications for depression (Antidepressant drugs) interacts with L-TRYPTOPHAN
L-tryptophan increases a brain chemical called serotonin. Some medications for depression also increase the brain chemical serotonin. Taking L-tryptophan along with these medications for depression might increase serotonin too much and cause serious side effects including heart problems, shivering, and anxiety. Do not take L-tryptophan if you are taking medications for depression.
Some of these medications for depression include fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), amitriptyline (Elavil), clomipramine (Anafranil), imipramine (Tofranil), and others.
• Medications for depression (MAOIs) interacts with L-TRYPTOPHAN
L-tryptophan increases a chemical in the brain. This chemical is called serotonin. Some medications used for depression also increase serotonin. Taking L-tryptophan with these medications used for depression might cause there to be too much serotonin. This could cause serious side effects including heart problems, shivering, and anxiety.
Some of these medications used for depression include phenelzine (Nardil), tranylcypromine (Parnate), and others.
• Sedative medications (CNS depressants) interacts with L-TRYPTOPHAN
L-tryptophan might cause sleepiness and drowsiness. Medications that cause sleepiness are called sedatives. Taking L-tryptophan along with sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness.
Some sedative medications include clonazepam (Klonopin), lorazepam (Ativan), phenobarbital (Donnatal), zolpidem (Ambien), and others.


Moderate Interaction Be cautious with this combination
• Dextromethorphan (Robitussin DM, and others) interacts with L-TRYPTOPHAN
L-Tryptophan can affect a brain chemical called serotonin. Dextromethorphan (Robitussin DM, others) can also affect serotonin. Taking L-tryptophan along with dextromethorphan (Robitussin DM, others), might cause there to be too much serotonin in the brain and serious side effects including heart problems, shivering and anxiety could occur. Do not take L-tryptophan if you are taking dextromethorphan (Robitussin DM, others).
• Meperidine (Demerol) interacts with L-TRYPTOPHAN
L-tryptophan increases a chemical in the brain called serotonin. Meperidine (Demerol) can also increase serotonin in the brain. Taking L-tryptophan along with meperidine (Demerol) might cause too much serotonin in the brain and serious side effects including heart problems, shivering, and anxiety.
• Pentazocine (Talwin) interacts with L-TRYPTOPHAN
L-tryptophan increases a brain chemical called serotonin. Pentazocine (Talwin) also increases serotonin. Taking L-tryptophan along with pentazocine (Talwin) might cause serious side effects including heart problems, shivering, and anxiety. Do not take L-tryptophan if you are taking pentazocine (Talwin).
• Phenothiazines interacts with L-TRYPTOPHAN
Taking L-tryptophan with phenothiazines can cause serious side effects including movement disorders.
Some phenothiazines include chlorpromazine (Thorazine), fluphenazine (Prolixin), trifluoperazine (Stelazine), thioridazine (Mellaril), and others.
• Sedative medications (Benzodiazepines) interacts with L-TRYPTOPHAN
Sedative medications can affect the nervous system. L-tryptophan can also affect the nervous system. Taking L-tryptophan along with sedative medications can cause serious side effects. Do not take L-tryptophan if you are taking sedative medications.
Some of these sedative medications include clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), and others.
• Tramadol (Ultram) interacts with L-TRYPTOPHAN
Tramadol (Ultram) can affect a chemical in the brain called serotonin. L-tryptophan can also affect serotonin. Taking L-tryptophan along with tramadol (Ultram) might cause too much serotonin in the brain and side effects including confusion, shivering, and stiff muscles could result.