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On 09/08/97 Mary Legan asked: Can someone pull the info on serotonin, dopamine, tryptophan, B >complex, etc. together? Tryptophan is one of the amino acids that combine in genetically controlled ways to form the proteins and protein related substances that are necessary for body substance and function. Other amino acids that are of immediate interest to PWPs are tyrosine and its precursor amino acid, phenylalanine. These are the source amino acids for dopamine, and epinephrine. Dopamine and serotonin work together in nerve transmission. When proteins are digested, their amino acid end products are available to be utilized to make any of the compounds that become the tissue, the fuel, or the catalysts that give life and movement to muscle, bone, and brain. In the case of tryptophan, one of its end products is a powerful hormone, neurotransmitter and vasoconstrictor, serotonin. Too much or too little of these neurotransmitters available at the synapses can lead to a wide spectrum of problems, from muscle dysfunction to dementias. We function normally when these substances are in balance. Normally, balance is maintained by a release and re-uptake mechanism at the synapses that is designed to prevent an excessive amount of a powerful stimulant while providing the proper amount for optimum nerve transmission. When this goes awry, and an excess of the potent central nervous system stimulator serotonin accumulates, the result is the toxic condition called Serotonin Syndrome. This presents itself with varying problems like hallucinations, confusion, fluctuations in blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, high temperatures, stiffness and seizures. A frequent cause of this syndrome is the interaction of medications. Other drugs and conditions can reduce the supply of serotonin with other resulting problems. It is not a simple thing to convert amino acids to neurotransmitters. And it is a dangerous thing to assume that taking a dose of tryptophan will provide an ideal amount of serotonin, if any. Getting from the amino acid to the nerve transmitter involves a number of sophisticated steps. And these steps require specific enzymes to facilitate them. A number of minerals and vitamins in the B-complex are involved as co-enzymes. If they are not present when needed, the conversion does not happen. One of these essentials is Pyridoxine (Vitamin B-6), which is necessary for the conversion to serotonin to take place. B6 is also essential for producing dopamine from tyrosine. When I was working with B6, it fell my lot to have to take a stress load dose of l-tryptophan (2 grams.) This was done to measure, in a 24 hour urine sample, the amount of Xanthurenic acid produced. This abnormal metabolite results when there is too little B6 to channel the tryptophan along the pathway that ends at serotonin. Most of the ingested tryptophan in my case was recovered, as expected, in the form of Xanthurenic acid. This meant that it was not being used for making serotonin, Nicotinic acid, melatonin, etc. The amount wasted depends on the available supply of vitamin B6 and of other necessary nutrients. Too much is as harmful as too little when dealing with the biochemistry of amino acids and vitamins.. B6 is likewise essential in quantitatively specific amounts for the conversion of tyrosine to dopamine. It is for these reasons, I assume, that Dr. Iocono recommends B vitamins and a banana at bedtime. Just as fava beans are a source of ldopa, the foods he recommends are sources of tryptophan. The B-vitamins are necessary as co-factors to allow utilization of the hormone. Why at bedtime? Another end product of tryptophan is melatonin which helps induce sleep. And the food sources are far better than taking tryptophan itself. A balanced diet, supplemented, if necessary, by a conservative vitamin source, is the most effective route. PWPs have been warned in the past not to take B6. It is necessary to have enough, however, and now that carbidopa is combined with ldopa, it is usually safe to take an amount that does not exceed the RDA for B6. What is not often understood is that the fine balance of nutrient requirements can be thrown out of kilter when a large excess of one or another is thrown into the mix. This is one of the hazards of dosing ones self with specific active substances purchased from a drug store or health food store. For example, in the 1940s, it was found that pregnant women excreted Xanthurenic acid and that injections of a hefty dose of Vitamin B6 relieved the problem. (I was one who can attest to its effectiveness.) Unfortunately, it also resulted in many cases of brain- damaged infants who suffered multiple grand mal seizures each day. This excess of an essential vitamin at a critical time in embryonic development was a disaster. Martha Rohrer [log in to unmask]