Problems with Neurotransmitter Synthesis
We routinely have people come into the clinic wanting to address one or more disorders related to neurotransmitter imbalance. When we explain our approach of using amino acid therapy, occasionally we will hear something like “I’ve tried 5-HTP before, but it didn’t work” or “5-HTP makes me sleepy, hungry, tired, (insert symptom here)”. I explain to these people that what they have done by taking only 5-HTP is cause further imbalance in the system, which will not address their underlying neurotransmitter dysfunction and could make it worse.
There are several reasons that taking only 5-HTP can make an underlying neurotransmitter imbalance worse. This post will discuss problems with the synthesis of neurotransmitters. Part 2 (link to it) will discuss problems with the degradation (metabolism) of neurotransmitters. Part 3 (link to it) will discuss what this means to you.
Synthesis of Neurotransmitters
The synthesis of serotonin and the catecholamines (i.e., dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine) is illustrated here. The thing to note is that the same enzyme – Aromatic Amino Acid Decarboxylase (AAAD) – catalyzes (i.e., assists) the conversion of 5-HTP-to-serotonin and L-dopa-to-dopamine everywhere in the body. There is only so much of this enzyme to go around; this is very important.
If a person takes only 5-HTP, the production of dopamine (and the rest of the catecholamines, including norepinephrine and epinephrine) will be inhibited, as the enzyme AAAD will be used primarily for the conversion of 5-HTP into serotonin. This means that if you take only 5-HTP without the proper balance of L-dopa (or L-tyrosine) you will decrease the production of all the catecholamines, including dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine. This will make any underlying imbalance between serotonin and the catecholamines worse may lead to an exacerbation of your existing symptoms or create new symptoms.
However, this isn’t the only detrimental effect to taking 5-HTP without the proper balance of other amino acids. There are also issues with the degradation of neurotransmitter that can create further imbalances; this is the topic of Part 2 in this series.
