Posted by magnesium on September 8, 2010, at 1:17:35
In reply to Vitamin D, Smoking and Dopamine..., posted by moomin68 on June 20, 2010, at 14:58:24
> I was found to have very low vitamin D levels about 6 months ago. I started taking Vitamin D3 and experienced the most profound improvement in my health in 20 years -- improved energy, sleep, mood, and I stopped getting sinus infections.
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> However... I started smoking again. I had quit 3 years previously using Wellbutrin. It was like flicking a light switch -- Wellbutrin just turned off the urge to smoke. I'm guessing my brain got its Dopamine kick from Wellbutrin instead of Nicotine, so it was relatively easy to quit.
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> I stopped the Wellbutrin 18 months ago. My urges to smoke came back but I was able to resist... until I started taking Vitamin D3. Now I crave cigarettes like crazy, all day, every day, and smoke more than I ever did.
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> In my case, it seems Vitamin D has somehow lowered or otherwise affected Dopamine levels. It has however left me feeling calmer and happier than I have for years.
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> Has anyone else experienced increased urges to smoke on Vitamin D? I have searched extensively but find nothing online, though Vitamin D deficiency and supplementation has only become the latest big deal in the last year or so, to the extent that regular Docs are starting to routinely test for deficiency -- so I'm not surprised such an effect would not yet be commonly reported.
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> Incidentally, I have also noticed I have the symptoms of low Dopamine, unless I take Magnesium Malate each day -- then they go away. But the Magnesium causes insomnia, no matter what time of day I take it. I seem to have a paradoxical reaction to a lot of things -- Magnesium is supposed to make people sleepy!
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> I don't know what to do. I don't want to stop taking Vitamin D. But I need to stop smoking. How else can I get the Dopamine my brain craves, without going back on Wellbutrin? I absolutely will not take pharmaceutical drugs, ever again -- that's another story!
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> Any and all experiences, thoughts, greatly appreciated.
Vitamin D increases tyrosine hydroxylase, a rate limiting step in the conversion of tyrosine to DOPA, which is the precursor for dopamine. So more Vitamin D--more dopamine.This study found calcitriol (metabolite of vitamin d) to "protect against METH-induced reductions in striatal and nucleus accumbens levels of DA [dopamine] and 5-HT [serotonin]"
http://www.michaelmooney.net/VitaminDReducesMethamphetamineToxicity.htmAlso interesting is the positive relationship between latitude and parkinsons disease. Vitamin d levels could be at work here.
poster:magnesium
thread:951619
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/neuro/20100607/msgs/961668.html