Posted by BarbaraCat on September 19, 2002, at 14:54:03
In reply to Re: Alternatives, posted by Roo on September 19, 2002, at 9:30:11
Your question of why is serotonin low is the question of the decade. If we could figure that one out, there would be a race to patent it. The reproductive and other hormones certainly play a big part in it, but it leads back to where did they go out of whack in the first place. Alot of theories about toxins in our environment acting as neuro-modulators and hormonal disruptors. You asked about testing and that also is a very controversial subject. Hormones ebb and flow, especially in a menstruating woman, so blood work should be done at least twice during the month. What the tests measure is the serum, or blood levels of circulating hormones, however, they don't measure how and if the hormones are binding efficiently on a cellular level. Many substances are molecular mimickers of hormones and fit in the receptor site enough to block the real hormones from binding, but the fit isn't close enough to signal the cell's response. So you can have plenty of hormones circulating in the blood serum, whether estrogen, progestin, thyroid, androgens, insulin, glucagon, whatever, but if they're not able to effect a cellular response, it's like starving in the midst of plenty. The pituitary is the master gland in all this, so it's likely that this is where it begins. That's good news, but it doesn't help since there isn't a way to 'fix' a dysfunctional pituitary that anyone knows about at this time.
One thing that stands out is the fact that you have PMS and had bad reactions to birth control pills. Both are high progesterone states. Progesterone in exess can block estrodiol and estrodiol is needed for serotonin synthesis. This isn't to say that you simply gobble estrogen pills either. I think that's the standard medical approach which works in the short run but doesn't address the underlying dysfunction. But your endocrine tests may simply be telling a true picture and something else is going on.
Roo, the fact that you said you're a sugar and carb self medicator is the red flag. It sounds like 'reactive' rather than 'glucose fasting' hypoglycemia. If this is so, it's a huge piece in the puzzle of why you're feeling bad. This is the piece of the puzzle that's fitting for me. I've been following a version of The Zone diet just recently and it's been pretty amazing in how better I feel. If you suspect you have a condition linked to low blood sugar and the resultant insulin spikes then a good nutritionally oriented doctor or practitioner who REALLY knows what they're doing is the first step. Really, when you think of it, we have no control over anything in our lives except what we put into our bodies. Eating a high carbo and sugar diet is the first place to look and start finding ways to control it. It's not easy cause it becomes like a drug.
You say you don't want to go back to ADs. Perhaps as a stop gap until other systems get under control? You asked how long it took. It's been about 1 month since I started seeing him and getting intense treatments. I'm down to 7 mg of Remeron and have reduced the other meds considerably. I'm feeling alot better, but keeping my fingers crossed. Oh well, I'll take what I can get - a few good days now is better than the constant misery of before.
poster:BarbaraCat
thread:1924
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020914/msgs/120432.html