canbravelyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9785
posted
Hi guys,
I've been doing some research into Zofran, which I'm taking for vomiting, and learned that it lessens the body's ability to use serotonin (5-HT3 antagonist; to a lesser extent, 5-HT4 antagonist -- suddenly, I find myself sounding like Marnie ).
I've known there is a food connection for me, but it's been very difficult to ascertain connections between kinds of foods; when I look up foods that increase serotonin, here, I find foods at the top of my list; foods that decrease serotonin, the foods that I find more likely to tolerate. (I'm now on the hunt for a list, to try out my hypothesis; if you have a great list, please share it )
So, how to lower serotonin levels, naturally and with meds; hormones? Who has gone this route, and what have you discovered?
-------------------- For medical advice related to Lyme disease, please see an ILADS physician. Posts: 1494 | From Getting there... | Registered: Aug 2006
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posted
Actually you probably need more serotonin but it is being diverted into an alternate pathway which produces quinolinic acid -- a potent neurotoxin.
That was probably one of the biggest breakthroughs hubby got from Buhner's book.
Japanese knotweed blocks that alternate pathway. By taking the herb hubby could tolerate p5p and tryptophan for sleep. He eventually dropped the l-tryptophan and just took the p5p (activated B6) and herbs such as passionflower which mainly works on GABA.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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canbravelyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9785
posted
Wow -- OK, Bea...if so, how does one explain that the Zofran mediates the vomiting?
The other thing, of course, is the foods that drive me bananas (sorry!) are the ones highest on the seratonin list...
Did Steve suffer from vomiting as well? If so, did anything control it?
I can easily go back on Knotweed...
XOXOXOXOXOXO
-------------------- For medical advice related to Lyme disease, please see an ILADS physician. Posts: 1494 | From Getting there... | Registered: Aug 2006
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emla999/Lyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12606
posted
Canbravelyme, you might find the links down bellow to be helpful.
canbravelyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9785
posted
Wow, Emla; thank you!!!!!!!
I wonder how many of us suffer from too much serotonin production -- there sure are a lot of us with low body temperature (myself included): "
"Serotonin is highly involved in hibernation, lowering body temperature and more."
-------------------- For medical advice related to Lyme disease, please see an ILADS physician. Posts: 1494 | From Getting there... | Registered: Aug 2006
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canbravelyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9785
posted
Emla, any thoughts on the suggestion of "supplementing with branch chain amino acids, an increasingly trendy practice. The branch chain amino acids, leucine, isoleucine, and valine are commonly used to prevent muscle breakdown and trigger anabolism � effects that may have something to do with their role as a serotonin antagonist."?
Best,
-------------------- For medical advice related to Lyme disease, please see an ILADS physician. Posts: 1494 | From Getting there... | Registered: Aug 2006
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emla999/Lyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12606
posted
Canbravelyme, in the past, when I have taken amino acids, I have usually just taken one or two types of amino acids or a bunch of amino acids in combination that often contained tryptophan or methionine or cysteine. And reportedly those amino acids can INCREASE the body's production of serotonin. So, I was probably actually hurting myself.... though back then I thought that having increased levels of serotonin was a good thing.
Anyway, I have not tried taking the amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine in combination as a way to directly lower my serotonin production. But I suppose that it would be worth a try. And if I were to try that method, I would probably try not to eat a large amount of lean meat or take supplements that contain tryptophan, methionine or cysteine. Tryptophan is concentrated in muscle meats, but is not found in the bones, collagen or gealtin (hydrolysed collagen).
Also, supposedly, taking a pure gelatin product such as Knox gelatin can possibly help to lower serotonin levels due to gelatin containing relatively high levels of the "anti-serotonin" amino acid leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
You may also want to increase your salt consumption because salt restriction apparently can increase serotonin production.
So, eating more salt may also help to increase your metabolism and body temperaure. But if you drink alot of fluids then you may offset that affect of salt.
emla999/Lyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12606
posted
Supposedly, eating a raw carrot salad that consists of a grated carrot, some coconut oil and a little vinegar everyday can help to lower serotonin levels.
Also, some people have suggested taking certain antibiotics as an indirect way of lowering serotonin levels because anitibiotics can kill bacteria in the intestines and serotonin can be produced in the intestines by bacteria. But I don't know whether that actually works or not. Though, it sounds plausabile.
posted
This is confusing to me too, 'cause I thought it's a good thing to boost serotonin, as the supposedly feel-good neurotransmitter.
So is it that it's being diverted into another pathway for many?
Posts: 13116 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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dbpei
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 33574
posted
Wow. My serotonin (and dopamine) levels were extremely high when I was tested 6 months ago. I was not on any anti-depressent, but taking lithium orotate. LLNP wanted me to stop taking this, thinking that was triggering.
I am going to try the carrot salad. Sounds like a good thing! Thank you for this information!
Posts: 2386 | From New England | Registered: Aug 2011
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emla999/Lyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12606
posted
Excessive serotonin production may not always be a good thing.
posted
Actually ondansetron works pretty good for me, even though I don't have nausea. Makes me friendlier and bumps my libido up a little bit.
I haven't tried BCAAs recently, but I noticed that I got a nice bump from it for a few hours, probably due to the serotonin blocking effect. Gelatin may have a similar effect since it is relatively high in BCAAs. Gelatin is also great for skin and gut health.
LDN/cyproheptadine may also be worth trying. I've got some decent mood benefits from LDN.
Posts: 330 | From Colorado, USA | Registered: Nov 2008
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