Posted by bleauberry on May 17, 2009, at 12:17:49
In reply to Neurotransmitters Can Be Tested., posted by Phillipa on May 16, 2009, at 17:40:56
> ...Also brought the adrenal axix and thyroid axis into conversation.
Excellent, now we're starting to get somewhere. Of course, good ole bleauberry has been preaching this to you for how long?
>Learned so much.
Awesome. We can never know enough, but the more we know of both sides of the fence, the better our grasp on things.
>...he also will never get a vaccination. He believes as some that especially flu vaccines are worthless as thousands of strains out there.
I look at it a different way. Most of the flu vaccines out there have a preservative in them that is, guess what, mercury.
There is little/no proof that:
a) neurotransmitters are low in depression
b) urine levels of neurotransmiters correspond to brain levels of neurotransmitters
c) supplementation with iscolated amino acids is safe or effective in the treatment of depression
Linkadge
Linkadge is quite correct. The only scientific studies on dl-phenylalanine for example (two) were done in the 1980s and were poorly controlled small studies. Every study I've seen on 5htp or tryptophan has shown benefit on sleep and anxiety, but not depression at all (except when tryptophan is added to antidepressants when it can be helpful).
What is in the urine does not say a thing about what is in the nervous system. What is measured in urine are neurotransmitter metabolites, not the neurotransmitters themselves. The only way to know what is in the nervous system is to do a spinal tap or a brain biopsy, which obviously no one is going to do.
Even if we could somehow know, it is of little help. If depression was from low serotonin in urine, then 5htp supplements should cure it right away, right? Well, they don't. Outside of those clinics and seminars where they make all this stuff sound so fantastic, you have to hunt far and wide to find anyone that has found benefit from 5htp, dl-phenylalanine, tyrosine, or Gaba, for any length of time.
What they don't account for is that we have enzymes that determine how much of our proteins will be converted to serotonin, dopamine, whatever. Any excess is not converted. So maybe the problem is not in having enough dopamine, but rather the rate-limiting genes involved in making dopamine (example). Those genes have to be manipulated, not the amount of raw material they are given to make neurotransmitters.
Phillipa, I had that urine test. Results:
Dopamine normal.
Norepinephrine normal.
Epinephrine high normal.
Glutamate normal.
Serotonin very low.
Gaba elevated.Was that information at all useful in finding what would help me feel better? Absolutely no. It would appear I need 5htp or tryptophan, right? Oh so wrong. Nope, what makes me feel better is norepinephrine/dopamine, as in Milnacipran, Ritalin, Parnate. That is totally unpredicted by the above urine test results.
I do believe however their bioidentical approach to hormones is going to help you a lot in overall symptoms. And I do believe if they give you 5htp and/or gaba, you will see a reduction in anxiety.
But why is all this stuff messed up? Well, you know you used to have amalgam fillings, so you know there is a lot of stored mercury in your nervous system. And you know you had/have Lyme, which loves to sequester mercury. Both of those issues are notorious for screwing up the immune system (as in Hashimotos), screwing up the adrenals, screwing up thyroid, and keeping your nervous system bathed in neurotoxins.
Treat those things. Just because you did this or did that many years ago has no bearing whatsoever on 2009. Use the bioidentical people to help you lessen symptoms and have an improved life, but treat the diseases. The meds you need are:
Tetracycline 500mg every other day for a year.
Clyndamycin added to it at 6 months.
DMSA 12.5mg + 12.5mg Alpha Lipoic Acid every 4 hours 3 days on and 4 days off for about a year.
Heavy doses of refrigerated high potency probiotics.
Diet heavy on proteins, veggies, and fruits, very scarce on sugars and caffeine.There ya go. (I know you won't listen, so I'm just practicing). Love ya though!
poster:bleauberry
thread:896107
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090515/msgs/896258.html