Posted by bleauberry on December 22, 2009, at 17:02:50
In reply to neuroadrenal expanded profile 9128, posted by pedr on December 20, 2009, at 20:52:23
From my own personal experience, with a bit of pure logic sprinkled in, this test is not useful.
First of all, the test does NOT measure the amounts of the neurotransmitters. It measures the amounts of their metabolites, and then ASSUMES to convert that arithmetically to where those metabolites came from. Come on, give me a break. It aint that simple. No one has ever been able to accurately do that, and metabolic activity patterns will vary a lot from one person to another.
Ok let's assume there is a test that measures directly the neurotransmitters. Well, unless you had the sample taken from your brain or your spinal column through a brain biopsy, which I seriously doubt anyone is going to do, then you are instead measuring what is in the blood or urine...NOT what is in the nervous system. To assume they are the same is folly. Again, we wish it were so simple.
Let's assume we have an accurate measure of the neurotransmitters in the brain. Cool, huh? Well, not really. We have no idea what the receptors that accept those neurotransmitters look like...are they "normal" (whatever that is from person to person); are they damaged; are they clogged; are they malformed; are they too few; are they too many; are they under-responsive; are they overresponsive? A measure of neurotransmitters is like having one piece of a large puzzle. By itself you really can't see what the picture on the puzzle is.
I would also want to know, what other substances are present that are going to interfere with our neurotransmitters, no matter how much of the neurotransmitters we have. What is going to mess them up so they can't work right? Mercury and lead are obvious. More common would be acetyldehide and similar substances...the waste products of yeast and bacteria. My take is that 30% of psychiatric patients have unsuspected undiagnosed untreated infectious disease at the core of their symptoms, with the symptoms primarily coming from the manner in which the toxic secretions of the organisms disrupt normal nervous system mechanisms. Yeast (candida) or bacteria (Lyme, Clamydia Pneumonia, Mycoplasma, Bartonella, Staph, Babesia, and others), all highly guilty and highly hidden.
So you have perfect neurotransmitter levels. But do you know what other substances are present that would interfere with them? No. The test does not look for that. You would need a couple other tests to add those pieces to the puzzle.
My tests show clearly I was very low on serotonin. Well, then how come I do absolutely horrible with anything serotonin related? Huh? How come? Do you think the people at that website or my doctor can explain that? No. Repeat, no. Well, how come I do a lot better with a norepinephrine approach? My NE and DA were considered "normal range". The most helpful meds I've encountered are Savella (heavy on NE, light on 5ht); Nortriptyline+Zoloft (in doses that were heavy on NE and light on 5ht); Ritalin; LDN (low dose Naltrexone, which has no relation whatsoever to the test since it primarily boosts natural opioid peptides not the other neurotransmitters).
So you see, my reading of low serotonin was complete useless. As a matter of fact proven over and over and over again, if you want me to feel really bad and have horrific side effects, give me anything that has serotonin as its focus. Exact opposite of what the neurotransmitter test suggested.
Opioids. I suspect the opioid system is involved with depression in many people. Thus the overwhelming positive reports of pain patients taking Tramadol who discover it is for them the best antidepressant on the planet. The test does not measure this crucial player...the opioids.
Save your money. A better simpler cheaper more accurate test is to try, one at a time, 5htp; tryptophan; tyrosine; dlpa; gaba; glycine...and let your body tell you what you need in the way of boosting neurotransmitters (if that is going to be helpful). You'll know.
poster:bleauberry
thread:930064
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20091217/msgs/930367.html