Initial lab 11/16: 4 NR, 3 D5, 6 Tyrosine. Serotonin 1, Dopamine 1391
Lab 2/17: 8 NR, 2 RE, 5 D5, 3 Tyrosine. Serotonin 3428, Dopamine 1489
Lab 5/17: 2 NR, 12 D5. Serotonin 23, Dopamine critical high
He has him on a dopamine challenge just like you mentioned. The 5HTP increase made him very nauseous and as the dopamine finally got high enough it's made him nauseous as well, but not as bad as the 5 HTP and he is working out his dosage right now for feeling optimal.
After a dopamine challenge what else do they do? Do they just stabilize you on a dose and let it sit for a number of months?
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by billbobby21
I would ignore the reference ranges that are stated on the test results as they are outdated.
What really matters is the phases of both serotonin and dopamine, which can be discovered by doing 2 tests on different dosages and seeing how they respond to that change.
If you post all the test results that he has done in order with the exact dosage he was on for each test I could tell you the phase each of them are in, and why Dr. Chad is changing the dosage in the way he is.
So for example it would look like this. First test - Dosage: 8 NR, 8 RE, 2 D5 Mucuna, 8 Tyrosine pills. Serotonin: 400 Dopamine: 200
Also, a VERY important thing that needs to be made sure is being done correctly, is the time that he is taking the test in correlation to when he goes to sleep. Does your husband go to sleep at a consistent time each night? For instance, if he consistently falls asleep around 11 pm, then he should be doing the test at 5 pm. If he falls asleep at 1 am, then he should be doing the test at 7 pm. The dosages throughout the day need to line up with these timings as well. For instance, if he takes the pills in 4 divided dosages throughout the day, then if he fell asleep at 11 pm, he would take the dosages at 9 am, 1 pm, 5 pm, and 8 or 9 pm. He should be taking the dosages within 30 min or so of these times each day, and on the day of the test it needs to be almost exactly at the right times for the first 2 dosages of the day. Also on the day of the test you need to make sure he does the test before taking the 3rd dosage, not after. This is all stated on the test instructions sheet you should receive from Dr. Chad, but I just want to make sure you are following these guidelines as not following them will make the tests erratic and worthless.
Him having a difficult time with the higher dosing values of 5-htp could actually be a sign that he is dopamine dominant, thus necessitating a dopamine challenge. It could just be an indication that the dosing values need to be increased slowly to allow them to buildup to adequate levels linearly rather than abruptly, as some patients struggle with that. My guess is he will do a dopamine challenge soon given he can already handle 5 D5 mucuna pills.
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