# dopamine increase



## imfromtheburgh (Mar 5, 2010)

Im taking all the credit for this i have done some research on dopamine and the lack of it in the brain. Im just fucking around i seen tommyguns talking about this and i think he is on to something i did some research on it lack of it can cause anxiety and there are foods that boost it. I think my dp was is caused by anxiety so im looking to get rid of it even more by eating alot of foods that boost dopeamine. what alot of people forget even me is that most likely you dont have the disorder you just dont unless for some reason it cam out of no where and youve been dealing with it since you were a little kid and it hasnt went away but alot of people dont have the disorder they got it from pot and then got anxiety or they got it from depression or trauma once the underlying thing is gone you should start to recover. im not saying this is a cure but for a lot of people boosting dopeamine can be a very good thing in recovering. Its not like youve always had this one day you were normal and the next for whatever reason you felt a little off and that turned into dp at least thats what it was for me it came on gradually it can go away gradually. I think for some people vitamins, diet and staying away from all drugs , beer, and cigs can recover a shitload of people on here. im not saying its that easy but those things to me i think are key to recovery


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## Guest (Apr 4, 2010)

It might help you to know that the chemical in pot, THC, triggers the release of dopamine. That's why you are happy when high. Dopamine is what makes you feel high. You can imagine that smoking pot on a consistent basis eventually sooner than later depletes the dopamine.


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## insaticiable (Feb 23, 2010)

imfromtheburgh said:


> Im taking all the credit for this i have done some research on dopamine and the lack of it in the brain. Im just fucking around i seen tommyguns talking about this and i think he is on to something i did some research on it lack of it can cause anxiety and there are foods that boost it. I think my dp was is caused by anxiety so im looking to get rid of it even more by eating alot of foods that boost dopeamine. what alot of people forget even me is that most likely you dont have the disorder you just dont unless for some reason it cam out of no where and youve been dealing with it since you were a little kid and it hasnt went away but alot of people dont have the disorder they got it from pot and then got anxiety or they got it from depression or trauma once the underlying thing is gone you should start to recover. im not saying this is a cure but for a lot of people boosting dopeamine can be a very good thing in recovering. Its not like youve always had this one day you were normal and the next for whatever reason you felt a little off and that turned into dp at least thats what it was for me it came on gradually it can go away gradually. I think for some people vitamins, diet and staying away from all drugs , beer, and cigs can recover a shitload of people on here. im not saying its that easy but those things to me i think are key to recovery


What kind of foods can boost dopamine? I'm curious.


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## imfromtheburgh (Mar 5, 2010)

insaticiable said:


> What kind of foods can boost dopamine? I'm curious.


im not sure i mean i looked at it really quick and didnt really get a full look on things but look it up on your own not sounding rude but i just didnt get a good look at it im actually going to look it up again in a little bit


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## imfromtheburgh (Mar 5, 2010)

ThoughtOnFire said:


> It might help you to know that the chemical in pot, THC, triggers the release of dopamine. That's why you are happy when high. Dopamine is what makes you feel high. You can imagine that smoking pot on a consistent basis eventually sooner than later depletes the dopamine.


not to sound like a dick but i know what you mean but i dont do you think that people with that dr high feeling have to much of it or what


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## insaticiable (Feb 23, 2010)

imfromtheburgh said:


> im not sure i mean i looked at it really quick and didnt really get a full look on things but look it up on your own not sounding rude but i just didnt get a good look at it im actually going to look it up again in a little bit


That didn't sound rude at all. I'm going to take a look when I get a chance, and ask my psychiatrist too the next time I see her.


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## Tommygunz (Sep 7, 2009)

for anyone who is interested, it is fuckin HAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRDDDDDDD to raise dopamine with diet and supplements. it's basically what i have been trying to do for the last four months and i have been coming up a little short on every avenue i have tried. if anything turns up on a safe and natural effective way to do it, i will be sure to let everyone know. for now though it seems that prescription strength drugs are the only way to do it, (without inducing acute psychosis that is).


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## Guest (Apr 5, 2010)

imfromtheburgh said:


> not to sound like a dick but i know what you mean but i dont do you think that people with that dr high feeling have to much of it or what


I'm not an expert but I think they have less dopamine than usually from depleting it with drugs.


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## S O L A R I S (Dec 24, 2009)

Right now I am fine with DP, not great, but hopefully getting there.

If I Reach my limits with this thing then Id be willing to try a prescription dopamine agonist. Id go to my neurologist and claim that I have restless leg syndrome lol, the drugs to treat that are dopamine agonist agent.

Im really curious if someone with DP have tried this class of drugs. Anyone?


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## Tommygunz (Sep 7, 2009)

for those who are interested, here is a copy and paste of some tips on how to naturally increase dopamine.

Include ripe bananas as part of your daily diet. As a banana matures, it produces dopamine quinine, a naturally occurring form of dopamine. Although small brown areas on the fruit indicate bruising, these portions also contain the highest levels of dopamine.

Supplement your diet with foods rich in antioxidants. Free radicals lower dopamine levels in the body, and antioxidants eliminate free radicals. Most vegetables and fruits contain some antioxidants, with red beans, blueberries, cranberries, artichokes, prunes and strawberries topping the list.

Reduce your intake of sugary foods and saturated fats. Not only will these products reduce dopamine levels in your bloodstream, saturated fats will clog your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease. You can still enjoy your favorite foods but cut out as much sugar as possible and substitute olive oil or another polyunsaturated oil in food preparation.

Switch to decaffeinated coffee and reduce alcoholic drinks to one or less per day. Caffeine boosts the neurotransmitters in the brain and increases serotonin temporarily, but after the spike, dopamine levels sink. People who suffer from depression should avoid caffeinated coffee. Likewise, alcohol limits neurotransmitter function and creates a false sense of security that the user comes to depend upon.

Pack a handful of raw almonds or sunflower seeds for your morning break instead of eating a candy bar. In addition, sprinkle sesame seeds on salads and sandwiches for a jump-start to your dopamine levels.

Purchase natural amino acid supplements to get a dopamine boost. Available at health food stores or online, these products offer a concentrated dose of the amino acids naturally found in a healthy brain.


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## dalailama15 (Aug 13, 2004)

I think wellbutrin is primarily dopamanergic. I've been taking it, more on than off, for five or so years. It is the only AD that has had any positive effect for me -- not so much for core dp symptoms, but, at least at first, a surprising lightening of mood. Also, on wellbutrin, I find myself having some motivation to do things, some understanding that a day exists in order to do things, and some surprise that I virtually never felt this way before.

I also seem to _feel_ a little more, although, unfortunately, most of what I feel is intense, almost nonstop, self hatred. For this reason I stopped for a few months, but just got the scrip refilled today, because, for the last several months, I can barely stand being me, and hope pulsing the wellbutrin again will initiate some kind of different direction.

A stronger, i believe, primarily dopamanergic drug is the Parkensons med selegeline now available in patch form called EMSAM, which is outrageously expensive. I wanted to try selegeline several years ago, the last time i spoke to a mental health professional, but he wouldn't prescribe it. He assocatied dp with psychosis, and thought--actually claimed, as fact--that the selegeline would make me psychotic. The guy was an idiot. Maybe I'll try this again.

I think people with high and constant anxiety tend to have problems with wellbutrin.

Putzing around with supliments and diet can't hurt, I think, and yes, may help some people. But it seems to me that if this, dp, is created by low levels of one or other of the neurotransmitters, then someone would have been cured by one or other of the antidepressants, in a way that people talk about being cured of depression by them. As far as I understand, putzing around with neurotransmitters is what antidepressants do.

Anyway, god, I think I'll go get drunk tonight, for the first time in a long time.

anyway


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## S O L A R I S (Dec 24, 2009)

Dalai,

I think EMSAM and Wellbutrin are dopamine reuptake inhibitors, not agonists per say. Inhibitors increase intracellular concentration of these neurotransmitters but not the quantity. Parkinsons drug are more dopamine agonists, thus, increasing the amount of dopamine


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## dalailama15 (Aug 13, 2004)

Thanks SOL

I guess I don't fully understand agonists and antagonists and reuptake inhibitors, and I never appreciated the difference between increasing and decreasing levels as opposed to _concentrations_. Thanks for a succinct explanation.

EMSAM _is_, I believe, trans-dermal selegiline, and since not swallowed, it is not associated with MAOI dietary restrictions. Just reading the wiki article on selegiline, I see that it is prescribed for early Parkinsons, and is somehow associated with levadopa. The emsam patch is being prescribed for severe depression. And I think I remember selegiline being used for "canine cognitive dysfunction," which means dog and I could, i guess, take it together. I had thought it increased dopamine somwhow, but now, I guess, I'm not sure.

All this brain science stuff interests me, and I think this kind of stuff has to be at the core of this dp business, but it is such a vast field and I am generally so vastly unmotivated.


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## rob35235 (Feb 21, 2009)

You see, I think this sort of thing is where we confuse ourselves. While I do suspect Depersonalization does have a specific, organic cause, I think most of our solutions and drug solutions are just OTHER things that make us feel better in other ways and helping with a distraction...though perhaps dopamine would be just one small component of the specific effect of the cause, but if we were really hitting the the entire cause there would be very dramatic differences in the way we feel, not just vague, wishful thinking/moderate improvements. Could be something to this dopamine thing though... I think overly-ripe bananas (nearly rotten) are a very good source of dopamine.


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## Livingthenightmare (Jan 12, 2010)

I don't suppose anybody here tried l-dopa suplements for increasing dopamine levels ? Like Mucuna pruriens ? I'll get some asap.


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## Tommygunz (Sep 7, 2009)

hold your horses livingthenightmare, l-dopa is hella, and i mean hella dangerous. as in it can pretty much cause acute psychosis on the first dose. don't ever touch mucuna puriens or any form of l-dopa without the proper administration of a qualified health care physician. in order to prevent the intensly terrible side effect attributed to l-Dopa you must also take a peripheral dopa decarboxylase inhibitor, which you won't find in a supplement store. basically what im saying is, don't take l-Dopa. thats the reason i never added it to my supplement list. it's too dangerous.

The side-effects of L-DOPA may include:

Hypotension, especially if the dosage is too high 
Arrhythmias, although these are uncommon 
Nausea, which is often reduced by taking the drug with food, although protein interferes with drug absorption 
Gastrointestinal bleeding 
Disturbed respiration, which is not always harmful, and can actually benefit patients with upper airway obstruction 
Hair loss 
Disorientation and confusion 
Extreme emotional states, particularly anxiety, but also excessive libido 
Vivid dreams and/or insomnia 
Auditory and/or visual hallucinations 
Effects on learning; there is some evidence that it improves working memory, while impairing other complex functions 
Somnolence and narcolepsy 
A condition similar to stimulant psychosis

More serious are the effects of chronic levodopa administration, which include:

End-of-dose deterioration of function 
On/off oscillations 
Freezing during movement 
Dose failure (drug resistance) 
Dyskinesia at peak dose 
Possible serotonin depletion: Recent studies have demonstrated that use of L-DOPA without simultaneously giving proper levels of serotonin precursors depletes serotonin 
Possible dopamine dysregulation: The long-term use of L-DOPA in PD has been linked to the so-called dopamine dysregulation syndrome.[3]


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## Livingthenightmare (Jan 12, 2010)

From what I found,a decarboxylase inhibitor just prevents l-dopa being converted to dopamine outside the brain, gets more dopamine in the brain and reduces side effects like nausea and vomiting. So if anything, since it increases dopamine in the brain it should increase the mental side effects, not decrease them. Here's the full quote:



> Levodopa and carbidopa are used for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Levodopa can be used alone, but adding carbidopa lowers the amount of levodopa that is required and may reduce some of the levodopa side effects such as nausea and vomiting. Carbidopa is a medication (called a decarboxylase inhibitor) that, when taken with levodopa, helps prevent the levodopa from converting to dopamine outside the brain. The combination of carbidopa and levodopa allows more levodopa to get to the brain. The levodopa carbidopa combination decreases side effects caused by increased dopamine levels outside the brain by reducing the supply of �free� dopamine outside the brain. Most people take levodopa and carbidopa together, rather than levodopa by itself.


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## Visual (Oct 13, 2010)

dalailama15 said:


> I think wellbutrin is primarily dopamanergic. I've been taking it, more on than off, for five or so years. It is the only AD that has had any positive effect for me -- not so much for core dp symptoms, but, at least at first, a surprising lightening of mood. Also, on wellbutrin, I find myself having some motivation to do things, some understanding that a day exists in order to do things, and some surprise that I virtually never felt this way before.
> 
> I also seem to _feel_ a little more, although, unfortunately, most of what I feel is intense, almost nonstop, self hatred. For this reason I stopped for a few months, but just got the scrip refilled today, because, for the last several months, I can barely stand being me, and hope pulsing the wellbutrin again will initiate some kind of different direction.
> 
> ...


Did you ever get to try other dopamine boosting meds?

Aside from Wellbutrin, what do you take?


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