If a person has symptoms of a dopamine deficit at any time throughout the day, is there any way to boost or supplement it without rx meds? I have adhd and rls. I don’t take stimulant meds because of age and hx of cardiac issues.
I take gabapentin 600 mg at bedtime for rls. Occasionally I have to take an extra dose. Insomnia has been a problem for years.
healthline.com/nutrition/ho... anything you find pleasurable, food treats & of course, sex is often mentioned on here.
You are atually right Jules. Orgasm releases endorphines and excites your dopamine receptors. I don't wish to sound crude and apologise if I have caused any offense, absolutely unintentionally done. At least it is a free feel good.
🤣Yep. The link I posted doesn't seem to work but it listed about 10 things that increased dopamine, including exercise, mucuna pruriens, etc.I think people should know what can help!
Hello,
That's an interesting question!
I'm not sure I can give a brilliant answer.
There's a couple of things that have me puzzled.
I believe there is some connection between ADHD meds and RLS, is that correct?
Stimulants may aid ADHD but exacerbate RLS.
Dopamine's (Dopa) also involved in there somewhere.
I guess that low Dopa is an issue in ADHD, is that also correct?
If that's the case, then I can see why you want to raise Dopa levels.
What I'm not 100% with is what symptoms you get that suggest your Dopa is low, is it attentional symptoms or RLS symptoms?
Plus, what is your most pressing issue, the ADHD symptoms or the RLS symptoms?
AND, do you get RLS at night? Dopa levels are usually lower at night.
There is some point to this, which is although Dopa can be used as a treatment for RLS, it's not ideal, it's no longer recommended for persistent RLS and RLS is not actually caused by low dopamine anyway. So if it's RLS you primarily want the Dopa for, I wouldn't recommend it.
If it's ADHD you primarily want the Dopa for, that's different.
Normally, if RLS was your primary/only issue, I'd suggest increasing the gabapentin. I appreciate you wanting to avoid meds, but you are already taking it. What I don't know is the impact of gabapentin on ADHD.
Perhaps really, you've considered all this already and you just want "natural" ways of increasing dopa through supplements.
I believe this is usually attempted by eating foods known to be high in Dopa. I'm sure a google search should find some.
You could also search for food supplements claimed to boost Dopa. These are usually amino acids.
Dopa levels are also naturally boosted by carrying out activities that you find pleasurable. This is because this boosts dopamine levels in the reward system part of the brain. This I read is an issue also in ADHD.
This is what I think Jools is getting at.
The last thing I can think of is a herb, mucuna pruriens, which I believe can be quite effective.
The only reservation I have about this is that it may be so effective you may as well take a drug, e.g. levodopa.
I hope my rambling has a smidgin of help in it at least.
Hi JL, are you doing what I do and self diagnosing yourself..... with a daytime "dopamine deficit" disorder? It's pretty impossible to make recommendations without knowing your symptoms? I see from your "health interests" that there are numerous conditions and treatments that you are focusing on. We with RLS supposedly have plenty of dopamine, more than the average bear. The problem is our "delivery" of that dopamine to our central and peripheral nervous system. In other words, we with RLS have a lousy dopamine transport system which might be connected to low brain iron stores, which we supposedly have as well. Lucky us.
Some of the ways I have read that people can build up their dopamine transport system, and more specifically the D2/D3 receptors, is by fasting, anaerobic exercise and the uridine stack, however, I would not recommend the third. There are good studies showing that severe calorie restriction/fasting does increase the number and density of D2 receptors and there are numerous people on here who have reported good success with a long nightly fast of about 12 to 14 hours - night, after night, after night. And exercise is rarely a bad idea. Maybe next time you sense a "dopamine deficit" climb several flights of stairs quickly till you're out of breath - with your doctor's permission.
Of course there are numerous people on here who can provide sound advice and personal experience in terms of RLS. Take a look at my profile page and think about trying that for RLS, as well as feelings of dopamine deficit. Serum iron is needed for the proper functioning of our dopamine receptors. google.com/amp/s/www.psycho... So iron is a great place to start.
Whenever I feel that "dopamine deficit" or "disconnect" I reread the following quote:
“You're an interesting species. An interesting mix. You're capable of such beautiful dreams, and such horrible nightmares. You feel so lost, so cut off, so alone, only you're not. See, in all our searching, the only thing we've found that makes the emptiness bearable, is each other.”
― Carl Sagan, Contact
The implied message in the above quote, though hard to discern, unless you see the movie, is that we're never alone, never cut-off, even if we're not in direct physical contact with other people. Physical separation and feeling cut-off is just a strange earthly perception that allows us, to a certain extent, to have this human experience, just like our perception of time and space, which only exists in this earthly realm as well. People who have had near death experiences (even religious people) also report that there is no disconnect, no time, no space, no up, no down, no heaven, no hell, no god of the old testament. Hard to wrap your head around until you listen to some of these NDE stories. Some people just intuitively know there is no separation between souls and that we "forget" this fact in order to make life here on earth seem real. Buddha, Christ, Krishna, Lao-Tzu, Plato, Pythagoras, possibly Jung and all the great mystics who were somehow able to transcend this realm were also able to discern this fact and spread the word. So is that a dopamine rush? It is for me.
The Link Between the Keto Diet and Restless Leg Syndrome
General sleeping problems are common side effects for people on the Keto diet. This includes the sleeping problem known as restless leg syndrome (RLS). RLS causes uncomfortable sensations in the legs that make you want to move them. These symptoms often occur in the evening or at night when you’re trying to sleep. Sitting or lying down makes the symptoms worse, and this will seriously disrupt your sleeping patterns or stop you from falling asleep at all.
There is a strong link between the keto diet and restless leg syndrome because of electrolyte deficiencies. Electrolytes are minerals that carry a positive or negative charge. The minerals support energy production in the body and hydration and are essential for a variety of bodily functions.
Two of the essential electrolytes are potassium and magnesium. It’s very common to suffer from deficiencies in these electrolytes when you’re on a keto diet which, in turn, may cause restless leg syndrome.
Correcting Restless Leg Syndrome
You may have to experiment with your diet a bit when trying to correct restless leg syndrome. It can be very difficult to get enough of these nutrients on the keto diet without eating more carbs than you're allowed. You can try supplementing these nutrients with tablets or with electrolyte drinks. However, when it comes to getting enough potassium, in particular, taking a supplement may not be ideal. You will get enough potassium from your food, therefore food is a better source of this nutrient.
Foods like avocado, edamame, and salmon are good options for getting more potassium in your diet without adding too many carbs.
The key to this is to listen to your body and to work with a medical professional who’s aware of the keto diet. You will need an individual approach to correcting your deficiencies that takes into account the keto diet as well as your overall health and any conditions you might have. This is even more important if you have Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS).
How Poor Sleep Impacts AFS
Poor sleeping patterns are a common problem when you have AFS and a major cause of the stress that brings on AFS. This type of stress tends to be relatively low-grade but chronic and it can last for years. This type of chronic stress is the primary cause of AFS. Stress activates the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) stress response, causing the release of cortisol into the body. Cortisol is a very helpful hormone that helps your body cope with stress by prompting changes in the body’s circuits.
When you’re under chronic stress, the adrenals become fatigued from the high demand for cortisol. The changes brought about by cortisol, however, are usually temporary. In case this becomes permanent, it causes imbalances in these altered circuits, and this can be very dangerous and debilitating.
The Neuroaffect Circuit is one of six circuits in the body and includes the brain, the autonomic nervous system (ANS), and the microbiome. These components work together and separately to resolve stress and perform lots of very essential functions. When they become unbalanced and start to malfunction because of AFS, it can be very distressing and dangerous.
Restless Leg Syndrome and AFS
Poor sleep is already very common when you have AFS due to neurotransmitter imbalances and other health problems. If you make the change to the keto diet during this time and experience restless legs, this will only worsen your sleeping problems and cause additional stress for your body. This will, in turn, worsen adrenal fatigue.
This link between the keto diet and restless leg syndrome means that you need to be very careful when deciding whether to try this diet. Work with a medical practitioner who’s aware of AFS and make any changes slowly, checking for side effects.
You will also need to be careful when trying to rebalance your electrolytes to alleviate restless leg syndrome when you have AFS. Taking supplements such as magnesium and potassium can cause paradoxical reactions or sensitivities, which will further increase stress levels and worsen AFS. That’s why you should try to get the nutrients you need first from food and only supplement with the help of an AFS aware doctor.
The Takeaway
Unfortunately, the link between the keto diet and restless leg syndrome means that you may experience this type of sleeping problem when you try this diet. If you do, here’s what you need to do:
1. Talk to your doctor about getting tested for mineral deficiencies.
2. Try adjusting your diet to include more foods that contain the potassium and magnesium you need, including avocado and edamame.
3. Supplement carefully if you can’t get enough nutrients in your diet and always start with low doses and increase over time
For more help with your diet or with poor sleeping patterns, you can use our Ask the Doctor system by clicking here or talk to one of our staff at +1 (626) 657-2269.
© Copyright 2021 Michael Lam, M.D. All Rights Reserved.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emo... I took it myself, extremely powerful med
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