Hello all. I recently got a 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.

I suggest you post this at the Parkinson's forum.

Members there have some experience with non-drug supplements to try
for dopamine enhancement.

Yes I did that as well, but the moderator suggested I post it in both places to get the most responses. Any help would be great.

lol you are getting redirected a lot Tommygun

hi mrsD
i suggested Tommy post his Q here too in case anyone had info re why tyrosine may be causing him that liver discomfort even tho it is helping his dopamine levels

I didn't know you already posted there

First question...
Are you diagnosed with Parkinson's? Your post is a little vague about that.

second:
How do you know you are low in dopamine? What was the test you had done?
And what kind of doctor did this test for you?

third:
How did the tyrosine help you...in what way?

Tyrosine is a very plentiful amino acid in food. Typically people are not "low" in
it, unless you don't eat dairy and meat.

So I can answer you better if I know what you are trying to accomplish.

I am sorry, I don't know about Mucuna-- some of the PD members here know more than I.

This website is very good, by Dr. Sahelian MD.
It discusses side effects, and your pressure at the sternum may be a symptom of high blood pressure.
Most of the people writing into this site, find usefulness in doses below what you are taking.
http://www.raysahelian.com/tyrosine.html

No need for apologies mrsd, I am just grateful you took the time to help me.

To answer your questions,

1. I do not have Parkinson's. I am a 24 year old healthy man. Just low dopamine which affects my mood and libido greatly. I really understand now why they call it the reward seeking neurotransmitter. I am not at all interested or driven to/for anything. The best word to describe my attitude is "blah"

2. I went to an endo to get a test done. Not too sure the specifics he tested a bunch of stuff when I went in and just offered this information (prolactin, testosterone, everything else: fine

3. With the Tyrosine I was concentrating at work, I was interested in women, I wanted to workout every day and could work out harder. I had a desire to go out. No more "blah"

I have tried eating more meat, bananas and even tried cottage cheese, which is supposed to be the Xanadu of tyrosine, but they do not have the same effect as the supplement.

Thank you again for taking time to help. I hadnt thought of the high BP causing the liver pain, so you have already helped me. Anything else you know mrsd, or anyone else, would be much appreciated.

Is complex.
There is the dopamine itself.
Then there is the receptor-- D1, D2, D3, D4, D5
Then there is binding affinity
Then there is the dopamine transporter

People vary at birth and during development based on genetic heritage on the ratio of neurotransmitters in the brain. There are two basic types of people.
1) high arousal types --prone to anxiety and with more serotonin actions
2) low arousal types-- prone to risk taking, drug use, etc to raise the dopamine hit reforcement cycle.

Some forms of depression are thought to be affected by dopamine.
When dopamine gets "low" prolactin typically goes UP. And you state your levels are normal.

So what I think is that you might be mildly depressed. Because you are relatively young, this is a mild depression. With time and age you may see this increase with more striking symptoms.

When you take tyrosine, you are increasing dopamine in the body, and also the synthesis of epinephrine. The epi is what gives the tightness in the chest and other unpleasant symptoms.

I think your options are to 1) lower your tyrosine dose so you don't get the chest tightness, 2) seek an opinion from a psychiatrist as to whether you are depressed or not. Typically to improve dopamine functions in the brain, the drug Wellbutrin (Bupropion) is used.

Another route you could try is SAMe. This natural substance that our bodies make increases neurotransmitter synthesis in the brain.
Young people typically start at 200mg in the morning on an empty stomach and don't need high doses.

I found an interesting list of what is in mucuna:
http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub...xsql?taxon=644
Notice that it is high in arginine. This amino acid improves erections in men.
It also stimulates viral replication, and if you have herpes it can activate it.

Since you are concentrating better also on the tyrosine, I'd consider ADD for you. There are interventions that improve concentration without drugs.
One is to take Essential fatty acids, Omega-3s.
Along with magnesium supplement and B6.
This is my magnesium thread:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread1138.html

And this is the EFA thread:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread6092.html
The EFAs work by making the membranes of the brain cells more flexible, and hence the
receptor site more efficient in accepting the neurotransmitter molecule.

So I think if you are serious about your issues, a visit to a psychiatrist may
be useful for you. Minor depression also resolves with SAMe and EFAs, for many people. So you may not need stronger drugs.

The problem with mucuna is that both India and China have problems with purity. Tainted herbs are coming out of both countries, and the problem is growing and not getting better. So it is rather risky to use an herbal product these days.

If your search Dr. Sahelian, he has monographs on many nutrients. I'd check him out before trying anything new.

Good luck, and be careful!

The tyrosine may not be doing anything to your liver, but maybe - for some unknown reason - it is stimulating your gall bladder; maybe you should have your gall bladder checked.

Tyrosine can be very helpful in concentration, but sometimes it seems too intense.

Have you ever tried Acetyl L-Carnitine, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach --- take one or two grams, it makes you very alert, but does NOT have that intense almost anxious acuity of the tyrosine.

I've read online that Acetyl L-Carnitine often helps people who have depression and/or ADD.

But it must be taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

I think that I read that the reason the Acetyl L-Carnitine is so transformative, in a positive, calm manner, is that this substance is necessary for the formation of the neurotransmitter acetyl-choline.

I've not read anythng about Acetyl L-Carnitine & dopamine, you might research that; but the Acetyl L-Carnitine provides some people a very clear lucid alert mind state in which concentration is enhanced.

Maybe it will assist you, too.

Thank you mrsd and maybee, your help is much appreciated.

mrsd: is this SAMe safe? it looks like there are some good and bad reviews. if i use it and there are side effects will i return to "normal" (i dont consider my current state normal, hence the quotation marks).

maybee: yes I actually had a CT scan on my liver pancreas and gallbladder and all was fine. I have also never read about tyrosine doing anything like this. That is why it is so depressing because it really was working. I will look into the carnitine though.

re the acetyl-L-carnitine....just a word of caution> It helps reduce tics in people with Tourette syndrome where they need lower dopamine....
so not sure how someone with already low dopamine may react to it as maybe it lowers it further and that is why it helps in TS
dont know...maybe mrsD will...but thought to mention that just in case!