How do you increase dopamine levels in the brain?

Question

I have an illness that new research indicates may result from abnormally low levels of dopamine in the brain, and I wanted to know if anyone was aware of medications, herbs, etc...known for increasing dopamine levels in the brain.

Not kicking a heroin habit....have been battling fibromyalgia fro several years and the latest research has shown a significant decrease in the dopamine levels in the brains of people suffering from FM...just wanted to see what I could do to boost dopamine to see if I notice a decrease in the awful pain I live in every day.

Answer 1

A number of people have posted their ideas here:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021127/msgs/130159.html
Sex, eating, taking risks, achieving goals, or drinking water, all increase dopamine,

Answer 2

Exercise and eating and anything that gives you a "high" is stimulating dopamine. Unfortunately dopamine with all it's good uses is also foremost a bribe to the human system. It makes you feel good when you do certain pleasurable things. So anything that strongly stimulates your dopamine production also can lead to addiction because in the end all addictions are dopamine addictions it's just a matter of what triggers that persons dopamine. That's how you can be addicted to sex or shopping or gambling even though you ingest no drugs for these highs. This is your liscence to become a hedonist.

Answer 3

Without knowing what you have, I will just list several possibilities that I know of.

Carpo Dopa/Leva Dopa.... not a good idea unless you have Parkinsons or a related condition. Can cause involuntary movements.

A dopamine agonist e.g. Bromocriptine

Mono oxidase Inhibitor B - e.g. selegine. Doesn't exactly increase dopamine levels but prolongs its action at the synaptic cleft by reducing its uptake

But unfortunately all of these medications come with severe side effects. Have you ever seen the film Awakenings with Robin Williams and Robert Deniro? It gives you an idea.

Answer 4

Dopamine is a chemical naturally produced in the body. In the brain, dopamine functions as a neurotransmitter, activating dopamine receptors. Dopamine is also a neurohormone released by the hypothalamus. Its main function as a hormone is to inhibit the release of prolactin from the anterior lobe of the pituitary.

Dopamine can be supplied as a medication that acts on the sympathetic nervous system, producing effects such as increased heart rate and blood pressure. However, since dopamine cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, dopamine given as a drug does not directly affect the central nervous system. To increase the amount of dopamine in the brains of patients with diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Dopa-Responsive Dystonia, a synthetic precursor to dopamine such as L-DOPA (levodopa) can be given, since this will cross the blood-brain barrier.

Answer 5

You may try a natural extract of the velvet bean, MUCUNA PRURIENS, which is tested and standardized for content of L-Dopamine - usually around 20% - This is absorbed and it works well and is milder than the pharmacy Rx Laradopa.

Try it and see!! buy in health food store.

Answer 6

Sex helps increase dopamine levels. Also, try chocolate it also works

Answer 7

Are you sure you are not kicking heroin?

Let me know if you find something that works. I'm going to try the chocolate thing.

Answer 8

I love this question

Answer 9

It depends..