Hello, I wanted to add that I bought Dr. Murphree's book, "Treating and Beating Fibromyalgia," and really liked everything he said. He does certainly sound very knowledgeable about fibro.

I was so impressed I bought his fibro starter kit, which included 5-htp along with other vitamins and supplements. The 5-htp did help me sleep. He said to start off with 50 mg., I think, and continue adding each night until you got a full night's sleep, without waking up. I believe the maximum he recommended at night was 300 mg.

I did this for several months, but it wasn't helping with my pain, plus I was also on an antidepressant. He's the only person I've heard of that said it was fine to take the 2 together. The idea is that 5-htp is what your body uses to actually make serotonin.

I quit taking his supplements when I started having to take pain pills for relief. I decided it was too expensive taking all his stuff, if it wasn't helping my pain.

He says it helps many people, though, and I believe that it probably does. I just wasn't one of them.

I hope it works for you....take care!

I've been taking L-Tryptophan, which is a precursor of 5-HTP, but much less expensive. I took it many years ago, before it was taken off the shelves, and am glad it's back on the market. It was banned for a few years because a few people died taking it, but the problem was traced to contamination in the manufacturing plant. That's when 5-HTP came on the market. Now that L-Tryptophan is available again, many people still think there's something wrong with it, but there's not. I take 1000 mg every night and it really helps calm me down to get ready to sleep. I also take amitripylene, and neither my PC or rheumy have said there's a conflict with L-tryptophan.