Hello all. I recently got a blood test done and I have low dopamine. I know Parkinson's and dopamine are very related through my research and was hoping you guys and gals could help me.
I tried supplementing with 2g of Tyrosine and boy did that help me. However i began to get a pain in my liver near my sternum. It is definitely correlated because when I stopped the pain disappeared.
My questions are 3 fold. 1. Does anyone know why Tyrosine would do that? I have done so much research and see no side effects anywhere. Even in forums. 2. If I take Mucuna Pruriens, does that increase my chances of getting PD or is it safe to take for an otherwise healthy person with low dopamine? 3. Are there any other suggestions for helping my dopamine?

I apologize as this is not necessarily PD related but I am at wit's end and could really use the help of your expertise. Thank you so much.

A blood test for dopamine?? You've been had! Who are you seeing about this?

Xaxa

welcome to NeuroTalk, Tommygun
I hope you will find answers to your questions here .

you may also want to ask on our Vitamins/supplements forum as there are also members there very knowledgable on these matters
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum49.html



Xaxa, just an FYI that dopamine can be tested for in blood although urine tests are more commonly used

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/003561.htm

Yes it was a catecholamines test. When I got it I didnt know much about it so I am not sure why he chose that. Thank you for your help, I will post in the other section as well.

I think I am getting the runaround. Someone in that forum suggested I post it over here. Does anyone know of what I can do? Thanks again.

hi tommy.

the forums are a bit slow on the weekends. give it a few days. keep checking both threads.

Chemar,
By all means ask the vitamin supplement group about whatever but on a Parkinsons forum you tell US there is a blood/urine test for dopamine??
Tommy, don't read too much into it.

the info I put in was re the blood tests for catecholamines produced by the adrenal glands, made it up. not to suggest it was a blood test for PD/dopamine levels in brain

that is why I linked the Medline source article to differentiate as I felt that was likely the test that Tommygun was referring to, not that it was a PD related test

ps and just to clarify before anyone gets upset at me thinking I dont recognize the vast knowledge here on PD forum...I only directed Tommy to vitamins forum as that also seemed a good place for him to ask the Qs re tyrosine and liver pain etc. I assumed (I think correctly)that Tommy does not have PD) and was likely referring to dopamine issues not related to PD

Yes I certainly do not doubt it either. That's why I sought everyone's advice . However, I feel like I am bogging people down with the details of the test. I dont know specifics. I had blood drawn, and the doctor offered up that dopamine might be an issue. I did a little research and read alot of people using tyrosine with great benefit. I tried it and it worked very well. That is how I know it is dopamine related. The only reason I am not still using it is because of a strange pain i got on my liver just to the right of my sternum.

I do NOT have PD but since dopamine and PD are related I was hoping to gain insight from the minds of people who are more experienced than me.

If we could go on the assumption that the problem is in fact a dopamine deficiency, my questions (just to repeat) are 3 fold. 1. Does anyone know why Tyrosine would do that? I have done so much research and see no side effects anywhere. Even in forums. 2. If I take Mucuna Pruriens, does that increase my chances of getting PD or is it safe to take for an otherwise healthy person with low dopamine? 3. Are there any other suggestions for helping my dopamine?

Thanks again everyone.