by aatadmin | Feb 7, 2018 | Amino Acid Therapy, dopamine dominance, Parkinson's Disease
I receive dozens of inquiries on a monthly basis about an amino acid protocol that people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) can use to improve their mental and physical function. Some of these people are not (and have not) taken any conventional medications for PD, such as carbiodopa/levodopa; but many are taking some combination of conventional medications and are not receiving relief from their symptoms. The problem is, everyone’s needs are different, so there is no one protocol people can follow to achieve optimal function. However, here I will detail the general process that should be followed in order to find each person’s optimal amino acid dosing. (more…)
by aatadmin | Jan 31, 2018 | Amino Acid Therapy, dopamine dominance, Parkinson's Disease, restless legs
For those clients that are found to be dopamine dominant, including everyone that has restless leg syndrome (RLS) and Parkinson’s disease (PD), we often recommend that they avoid foods rich in the amino acid tyramine while taking L-dopa/mucuna pruriens and/or large amounts of L-tyrosine. This is because that in some people, this combination can cause an abrupt increase in blood pressure. (more…)
by aatadmin | Jan 17, 2018 | Amino Acid Therapy, Neurotransmitters, Parkinson's Disease, Symptoms of Neurotransmitter Imbalance
Many people are on medications that alter, mimic or in some way manipulate neurotransmitter levels in the body. These include stimulants, such as amphetamines (i.e., methamphetamine, “speed”, Adderall, Vyvanse, Dexedrine), ecstasy (MDMA), cocaine, and methylphenidate (i.e., Ritalin, Concerta); norepinephrine-reuptake inhibitors (i.e., Strattera, Edronax); norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors (i.e., Wellbutrin, Zyman); selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (i.e., Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, Lexapro and Luvox); triptans (i.e., Imitrex, Maxalt, Amerge, Zomig); sleep aids (i.e., Ambien, Lunesta); barbiturates (i.e., phenobarbital, Fioricet); benzodiazepines (i.e., Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, Lorazepam); MAO inhibitors (i.e., Azilect, selegiline, Nardil, Morplan); COMT inhibitors (i.e., Comtan, Tasmar); and carbidopa/levodopa (i.e., Sinamet, Rytary, Stalevo). While these medications may exacerbate or cause neurotransmitter imbalances in the body, most can be safely used along with amino acid therapy to achieve optimal neurotransmitter function. (more…)
by aatadmin | Jan 3, 2018 | Amino Acid Therapy, dopamine dominance, Symptoms of Neurotransmitter Imbalance
A person undertaking amino acid therapy will have periodic urine testing completed in order to determine if/how to adjust their amino acid dosing in order to optimize neurotransmitter function. Along the way, they may get a lab value for dopamine (or serotonin) that is much higher than is expected. This is often referred to as a “dopamine fluctuation”. We have provided a two part series discussing the dopamine fluctuation in more detail; here I wanted to provide a brief overview of what a dopamine fluctuation is and why it’s important to find and correct them as soon as possible. (more…)
by aatadmin | Dec 20, 2017 | Amino Acid Therapy, diabetes, Neurotransmitters, Symptoms of Neurotransmitter Imbalance
Close up of sugar and sweetener packets
Aspartame is a widely used artificial sweetener. Since its discovery in 1965, it has been used in thousands of food products as a non-caloric sweetener. Aspartame is about 200 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar). However, aspartame is not the only artificial sweetener found in foods; others include saccharin, neotame, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose. More than 6000 new products that contain artificial sweeteners were launched in the United States between 1999 and 2004, including soft drinks, baby food, Pedialyte, frozen foods, chewing gum and many (many) foods aimed at weight loss and blood sugar management (see other posts on the effects of artificial sweeteners and blood sugar and weight gain). (more…)
