Comment · Tue, September 22, 2015
Long-term view for increases in dopamine: L-tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Mucuna Pruriens, 5-HTP & other considerations
Original post in this thread
bio-hacker · 0 points
Dopamine is the one neurotransmitter I need some help with; all others are in-check. When I take supplements that increase dopamine, I'm focused (improves my ADD symptoms), in a better mood/an optimist, have a normal libido, etc. I feel I am more true self I would therefore like to increase my dopamine by a reasonable (not excessive) amount, while being cognizant of receptor down-regulation, tolerance, etc.
I'm not looking to use prescriptions. So with that said, I own the following, each of which work well for me (mucuna works the best):
D-L-Phenylalanine
N-acetyl L-tyrosine
Mucuna Pruriens
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to take these, so that I prevent tolerance? Also, does L-Tyrosine & DLPA run any risk of tolerance, or since they're precursors / serve as fuel, does the body avoid that on its own?
Regarding Mucuna, studies seem to indicate that it does not face the negative repercussions of straight l-dopa, so no need to highlight that – but does anyone know the traditional ayurvedic dosing regimen? For example, are there cycles, or is it ok for me to take over the long-term, perhaps only taking weekends off and one out of every 4 weeks?…
What they were answering
bio-hacker · 1 points
Here is a comment from /u/MisterYouAreSoDumb, where he states that supplementing with dopaminergics can lead to decreases in serotonin, and that therefore 5-HTP should be considered:
Also, since serotonin and dopamine use the same enzyme for their last step in synthesis (aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase), supplementing one precursor without the other can cause the levels of one neurotransmitter to fall. This means that if you are taking L-DOPA for long periods of time without supplementing 5-HTP, your serotonin levels could fall.
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Nootropics/comments/1hkjgi/lphenylalanine_vs_mucuna_pruriens_how_do_they/
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb
I think you misunderstood what I was saying. Supplementing with L-DOPA can cause serotonin levels to fall, because it can saturate aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase. That is because you are bypassing tyrosine hydroxylase, and not allowing your body to regulate the production. I was saying that if you only supplement L-DOPA, then serotonin would fall after a while. That is precisely why I suggest NOT supplementing 5-HTP or L-DOPA long-term. If you stick with L-Tyrosine and L-Tryptophan, then you keep the rate-limiting enzymes in control of things. That is better for long-term supplementation.