Posted by BarbaraCat on September 3, 2003, at 0:03:08
In reply to Re: A glass of dopamine » BarbaraCat, posted by katia on September 2, 2003, at 22:11:45
I have some in my cabinet because for a while I tried to go it without meds and failed miserably and so threw the baby out with the bathwater and stopped taking them. But I kept them and I do know about amino acids and their pathways as precursors to neurotransmitters and have had good results in the past when taking them with psych meds.
I have hypothyroidism and tyrosine is supposed to help with this so I was taking it for a while and noticed a definite upswing in my mood. I also got hypomanic around that time and got scared that tyrosine was doing it because I was feeling so darned good. I get concerned when I start feeling too darned good (where's that alcohol?)and if what I'm taking is doing it, but I've had so many stressful events that, well, take your pick, any one will do just fine.
For me, tyrosine is preferred because of the thyroid thing, but for others, phenylalanine is quicker and more effective. Phenylalanine has two branches, D- and L- and I believe the D- branch is better for pain control and the L- for mood, but taking both is fine also and DL-phenylalanine is alot easier to find in stores.
Now, I may have the order of this this wrong, but phenylalanine converts to tyrosine at which point it goes in multiple pathways, one of which is as a precursor to dopamine which then goes on to become norepinephrine. Again, don't take my word for it as far as the when and where in the chain of events, but they all are affliates of each each other and will eventually end up round about at the same place, making dopamine and norepinephrine.
Check 'em out, Katia, and see if they ring any bells for you. Wish I had a website for you... oh, here, found one I visited before:
http://www.thewayup.com/products/0094.htm
Patricia Slagle depends a little too much on amino acids curing every dang thing, but she probably is the authority on mood disorders/amino acids and has a clinic where that's mainly what she uses. If you can ignore the evangelical tone, the website is a treasurehouse of good info. Her advice to take tyrosine with Vit B6 and at certain times of day is very sound. Aminos can counteract each other, some need to be taken with or without meals, and some need catalyzers enzymes to do their job. Her products have what's needed for best efficacy, so it's not a bad idea to consider her products for this reason and they're not a bad price either.
I did notice a definite pep in my step with L-tyrosine, but being hypothyroid I'll never know if it was the amino acid by itself, or if it was simply improving my hypothryoid condition. Who the hell cares? I'm ready to give it the old college try again.- B
> NO I haven't. And you? Why do you have some in your cabinet? Let me know what happens....
> I upped my Dep. today and I'm knocked out. sluggish, exhausted - like before when I was taking it during the day. I don't think this will work to take it during the day. I'll give it 'til tomorrow.
> k.
poster:BarbaraCat
thread:9730
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030902/msgs/256520.html