Oral contraception abnormal tryptophan metabolism

Many attempts have been made to determine whether medications were influential as a risk factor. Although use of a prescription or nonprescription medication did not differ substantially between case patients and controls, it appeared that the use of an antidepressant or psychotropic medication (any antipsychotic, antidepressant, benzodiazepines, and/or other anxiolytic) could increase the risk of developing EMS.22-67 It is of interest that a number of medications, such as corticosteroids, oral contraceptives, and estrogen, which can alter tryptophan metabolism, have not been determined to have an effect on the development of EMS. Actually, some clinicians have postulated that EMS itself may be caused by or related to abnormal tryptophan metabolism.42 68... 

Brin, M., Abnormal tryptophan metabolism in pregnancy and with the oral contraceptive pill. I. Specific effects of an oral estrogenic contraceptive steroid on the tryptophan oxygenase and two aminotransferase activities in livers of ovariectomized-adrenalectomized rats. Amer. J. Clin. Nutr. 24, 699-703... 

Depression has been described in women taking oral contraceptives (Al, Bl, H9, L6, W8) although a causal relationship has not been convincingly demonstrated (L3, W5). There has been interest lately in depression in OCA-users because these women often manifest abnormalities in tryptophan metabolism and because depressive illnesses may be associated with abnormal brain neuroamine metabolism. 

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