See which brain chemicals
(neurotransmitters) you may be low in by taking the quiz below…
The “S” Group – Serotonin
Please mark the items which apply to your present
feelings:
__ It’s hard for you to go to sleep.
__You can’t stay asleep.
__You often find yourself irritable.
__Your emotions often lack rationality.
__You occasionally experience unexplained tears.
__Noise bothers you more than it used to. It seems louder than normal.
__You “flare up” at others more easily than you used to.
__You experience unprovoked anger.
__You feel depressed much of the time.
__You find you are more susceptible to pain.
__You prefer to be left alone.
If three or more of the
above apply, then read below.
The “S” group – Serotonin
is a hypothalamus neurotransmitter which is necessary for sleep to occur. A lack of serotonin causes difficulty in
getting to sleep, as well as staying asleep.
It is often this lack of sleep that causes the symptoms mentioned above.
Serotonin levels can
easily be raised by supplementing with the essential amino acid, L- 5
Hydroxytryptophan (5HTP), a form of Tryptophan, which is available over-the-counter
and works extremely well for most patients.
The higher your serotonin
the less pain you have.
The higher your serotonin
the deeper your sleep-5htp raises your natural sleep hormone by 200 percent.
The higher your serotonin
the happier, less anxious you are.
The higher your serotonin
the less likely you are to have IBS.
Supplementing with 5HTP –
Start with taking 50 mg. 30 minutes before bed.
Take on an empty stomach, along with 4 oz. of juice (apple or
grape). You may need to increase this dose,
up to 200 mg. per night. You should fall
asleep fairly quickly and sleep through the night, possibly waking only once to
use the bathroom. If you do wake for the
bathroom, you should be able to fall asleep quickly afterwards. If you feel hung over the next day, decrease
your dose of 5HTP, it should not cause ANY “hang over” effects.
Warning – a few
individuals who attempt to take 5HTP at night will have an adverse
reaction. (These are the same people
that usually have adverse reactions to NyQuil and other over the counter
medications that usually cause drowsiness.)
Individuals with a sluggish liver may have trouble breaking down 5HTP
fast enough. Instead of making them
sleepy, it revs them up and they become mentally alert. If this happens, simply take 1 or 2 5HTP
tablets with food 1 or 2 times a day instead of at night time on an empty
stomach.
Natural weight loss and
increased energy are side benefits of 5HTP!!!
The “O” Group – Opioids
Please mark the items which apply to your present
feelings:
__Your life seems incomplete.
__You feel shy with all but your close friends.
__You have feelings of insecurity.
__You often feel unequal to others.
__When things go right, you sometimes feel undeserving.
__You feel something is missing in your life.
__You occasionally feel a low self-worth or esteem.
__You feel inadequate as a person.
__You frequently feel fearful when there is nothing to
fear.
If three or more of the
above apply, then read below.
The “O” Group is named for
the opioid neurotransmitters contained in the hypothalamus gland. Opioids are released in small bursts when we
feel a sense of urgency (stress). Some
individuals thrive on this sense of urgency.
They love just meeting deadlines, racing around to get things done. They
seem to feed off of this adrenaline rush.
A sense of urgency can help us get out of bed in the morning or get the
kids off to school. However, if you can
never turn this sense of urgency off, you’ll eventually deplete the opioids
along with other vital hormones including cortisol and DHEA.
As a way to turn off the
constant mind chatter, those in the “O
Group” use stimulants and mind numbing chemicals (alcohol, marijuana, food,
etc.) to escape the constant pressure they place on themselves to be more, do
more, and have more. Type A’s are often
overcome by opioid burn out. They cannot
sit still. Until one day the bottom
falls out and they “just can’t do it anymore”.
Alcohol and other
chemicals can temporarily relieve the anxious feelings associated with opioid
overload. They do so by providing
artificial opioids. Unfortunately, these
artificial opioids also cause the opioid manufacturing cells in your brain to
reduce their output. In the long run
these cells lose their ability to produce the needed opioid
neurotransmitters. You then crave the
artificial opioids and an addiction has been born. (Opioid comes from the word opium.)
When you exercise, your
body causes extra quantities of the opioids to be released,
takes away the pain of
sore muscles and may provide a feeling of euphoria. Long
distance runners and other
avid exercise enthusiasts are well aware of the “the high” that comes from
pushing the body past its normal limits.
The opioids play an important role in pain modulation. A deficiency of opioids can lower our pain
threshold. A lowered pain threshold
means being more sensitive to painful stimuli.
DL-Phenylalanine (a
special form of the amino acid phenylalanine) can be extremely helpful in
restoring proper opioid levels.
Supplementing with
DL-Phenylalanine – Start with 1000 mg, 1 to 2 times daily, on an empty
stomach. If you don’t seem to notice any
benefits, keep increasing the dose up to 4000 mg., twice daily. If you experience a rapid heartbeat,
agitation or hyperactivity, reduce or stop taking DL- Phenylalanine. L-Glutamine increases the effectiveness of
both DL and L-Phenylalanine. Take 500 mg
of L-Glutamine 1 to 2 times a day on an empty stomach along with the
Phenylalanine. Both DL and
L-Phenylalanine can increase blood pressure.
If you already have high blood pressure, consult your doctor before
taking either form of Phenylalanine. It
can also be stimulating and should not be taken after 3PM.
This vicious cycle can
also affect your adrenal glands.
Extended periods of stress, caffeine and not enough sleep burn out our
adrenals, which some people call our “life force”. An adrenal glandular or herbs for gland
support will help to support and rebuild the adrenals.
The “G” Group – (Anti-anxiety Amino Acids)
Please
mark the items which apply to your present feelings:
__You
often feel anxious for no reason.
__You
sometimes feel “free floating” anxiety.
__You
frequently feel “edgy” and it’s difficult to relax.
__You
often feel a “knot” in your stomach.
__Falling
asleep is sometimes difficult.
__It’s
hard to turn your mind off when you want to relax.
__You
occasionally experience feelings of panic for no reason.
__You
often use alcohol or other sedatives to calm down.
If three or more of the
above apply, then read below.
The “G” group symptoms are
from the absence of the neurotransmitter, Gamma Amine Butyric Acid (GABA). GABA is an important neurotransmitter
involved in regulating moods and mental clarity. Tranquilizers used to treat anxiety and panic
disorders work by increasing the GABA. GABA is made from the amino acid,
glutamine. Glutamine passes across the
blood brain barrier and helps provide the necessary fuel needed for proper
brain function. A shortage of
L-Glutamine can reduce IQ levels.
L-Glutamine supplementation has been shown to increase IQ levels in some
mentally deficient children. L-Glutamine
is brain fuel. It feeds the brain cells,
allowing them to fire on all cylinders.
A deficiency in L-Glutamine can result in “foggy thinking” and fatigue.
Individuals with “fibro fog”
may benefit tremendously from this essential amino acid. The QXCI shows GABA helpful for “the
electrical storms in the brain”, sometimes confused with ADD and ADHD, when it
may simply be a amino acid deficiency.
Even a small shortage of L-Glutamine will produce unwarranted feelings
of insecurity and anxiousness. Other
symptoms include continual fatigue, depression, and occasionally impotence.
Supplementing with GABA –
Usually only a small dose of GABA is needed, 500 or 1000 mg, twice daily. Some individuals may need to take GABA 3 or 4
times a day. Like most amino acids ,
GABA needs to be taken on an empty stomach.
Don’t mistake glutamine
for monosodium glutamate (MSG). MSG can
also pass by the blood brain barrier and can cause many health problems,
including headaches, short term memory loss, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s,
Alzheimer’s, and dementia. MSG is a fake
amino acid, with the same chemical structure as glutamine. Your brain cells don’t know the difference
and will uptake MSG, especially when it is prevalent in the body (because of
our foods) and glutamine is lacking. If
the “G” group applies to you, be sure to avoid all MSG products while
supplementing with GABA. See attached
page for additional MSG information.
The “D” Group – Dopamine
Please
mark the items which apply to your present feelings:
__You
lack pleasure in your life.
__You
feel there are no real rewards in life.
__You
have unexplained lack of concern for others, even loved ones.
__You
experience decreased parental feelings.
__Life
seems less “colorful”or “flavorful”.
__Things
that used to be “fun”, aren’t any longer enjoyable.
__You
have become a less spiritual or socially concerned person.
If three or more of the
above apply, then read below.
The “D” Group – Dopamine
is a neurotransmitter associated with the enjoyment of life, food, arts,
nature, your family, friends, hobbies, and other pleasures. Dopamine is considered the “happy amino
acid”. The popularity of cocaine (or
chocolate) stems from the fact that it causes very high levels of dopamine to
be released in a sudden rush. This
creates a euphoric state. A dopamine
deficiency can lead to a condition known as anhedonia.
Anhedonia is the lack of
ability to feel any pleasure or remorse in life (lifeless). It also reduces the person’s attention
span. For example, a person who has
taken cocaine for some time will have used up most of his or her dopamine
supply. Their attention span is often
reduced to 2 or 3 minutes instead of the usual 50 to 60 minutes. Learning, for such a person, is nearly
impossible.
Brain fatigue, confusion,
and lethargy are all byproducts of low dopamine. The brain cells which “manufacture” dopamine
use the amino acid L-Phenylalanine as the raw material. Like most cells in the hypothalamus, they
have the ability to produce 4 or 5 times their usual output if larger
quantities of the raw materials (amino acids and their co-factors) are made
available through nutritional supplementation.
Supplementing with
L-Phenylalanine – same as with “O” group
The “N” Group – Noriepinephrine
Please
note the items which apply to your present feelings:
__You
suffer from a lack of energy.
__You
often find it difficult to “get going”.
__You
suffer from decreased drive.
__You
often start projects and then don’t finish them.
__You
frequently feel a need to sleep or “hibernate”.
__You
feel depressed a good deal of the time.
__You
occasionally feel paranoid.
__Your
survival seems threatened.
__You
are bored a great deal of the time.
If three or more of the
above apply, then read below.
The “N” Group – The
neurotransmitter Norepinephrine, when released in the brain, causes feelings of
arousal, energy, and drive. On the other
hand, a short supply of it will cause feelings of a lack of ambition, drive and
energy. It can even cause depression,
paranoia, and feelings of apathy.
Norepinephrine is also used to initiate the “flow” of adrenaline when
you are under psychological stress.
People under a great load of stress, or a continual stress loading of
almost any size, often find their Norepinephrine levels too be too low.
An alternative to
L-phenylalanine is S-adenosyl-methionine (SAMe). It works rather quickly and
seems to provide the needed pep that many of my patients are looking for.
Several well-designed studies have shown SAMe to be one of the best natural
antidepressants available? More than 100 peer-reviewed studies reveal SAMe as
an effective natural medication for depression. And it’s faster acting with
fewer side effects than prescription antidepressants.
As you can see, amino
acids are a very important part of our emotional and mental health and brain
function. Amino acids are also the
building blocks of the body. Our bodies
are constantly renewing and rebuilding.
Amino acids and fatty acids are essential as tools for the body to
regenerate healthy cells. I recommend
that you take a combination amino acid complex also, when taking individual
amino acids for better results, and to keep the body in balance.
If need help interpreting this questionnaire feel
free to call the clinic 205-879-2383.
Yes we do carry these
amino acids including 5HTP, SAMe, and GABA in my clinic. They are also
available at most health food stores.
