Posted by Larry Hoover on October 20, 2004, at 7:57:31
In reply to Re: Aminos, when/how to take?, posted by gromit on October 20, 2004, at 1:41:19
> I found this article interesting as I was under the impression that there were no tests that could determine an imbalance in neurotransmitter levels. I would think that taking appreciable amounts of say 5-HTP or Tryptophan would not be the best idea if you are taking an SSRI.
>
> RickThere are no useful tests for neurotransmitter function. Well, they are useful, for increasing the revenue of the labs.
As an example, 5-HIAA is the urinary metabolite of serotonin. Yes, it is indicative of total serotinergic degradation, but it doesn't tell you where the serotonin came from. It could have come from food. It could have come from the intestinal tract, or blood cells. Less than 10%, perhaps less than 5%, of all the serotonin in your body is in your brain. There is no way to know from a urine test what is happening in your brain.
Moreover, even if they could somehow link a portion of that 5-HIAA to net brain serotonin activity, there is no conceivable way to determine which structures of the brain gave rise to the serotonin itself. Differences in serotonin activity across brain structures have been associated with mood disorders, but some of those are actually increases. Moreover, the vast majority of the serotonin in the brain is re-absorbed into neurons (unless one is on a reuptake inhibitor).
Believe me, if urinalysis was a useful tool, your mainstream doctor would use it. It is a cheap test, easily done, but of no utility whatsoever.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:402522
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20040928/msgs/405057.html