Posted by tealady on October 27, 2004, at 17:25:16
In reply to Re: Supplements for brain fog? » karaS, posted by raybakes on October 27, 2004, at 11:02:51
> >I'm trying to remember the sequence of events in the brain. Tyrosine becomes dopamine and then some of that gets metablized to norepinephrine. Does the process ever go backwards and NE becomes DA again? I doubt it but I want to be sure of this because I'm going to make some decisions where this is critical to know.
>
> As far as I know, it only goes one way - never heard of enzymes that work the other way, but is probably best to check with a few people.
>
> Ray
>My understanding is almost all of this pathways work BOTH ways, depending on the relative concentration gradients. I think there are a few that ONLY work in one way.., I think they say these are irreversible, but I'm not sure.
The enzymes act as catylsts to speed up the reactions ..mostly I think by lowering the thresholds for the reactions to occur, so that more converts along the pathways. I think they speed up reactions too though.
I'm not sure if the enzymes work in both directions or not?
So with say tyrosine, you add some in your body..this makes it way higher than the dopamine..so it converts..then if the dopamine is higher than the adrenaline..it will convert until the dopamine and adrenaline are in balance I guess. If you already have lots of adrenaline, it should stay as dopamine..but I suspect you always get a bit of conversion anyway.As I think you've worked out..its the adrenaline thats limits how much tyrosine one can take...or the thyroid hormones .
The tyrosine also goes into thyroid hormones along the pathway somewhere too. ..so if you are low of them it should shunt off that way too.
As I already take some thyroid hormones most of my tyrosine seems to go to the dopamine pathway..and then some to adrenaline..which limits me. Although some still converts to thyroid hormones...wch makes tyrosine a problem in those already on enough thyroid hormones, or who are hyperthyroid.
I doubt any adrenaline would convert back as adrenaline gets used up fairly quickly doesn't it? Not sure but I think it stimulates cortisol to lower it?
But if adrenaline is used up like that , it would make the amount of adrenaline relatively low which would make your body always favour converting some into adrenaline.
o I don't know what I'm talking about here, just how I THINK it may work.Now if you have low adrenals this may be fine, unless they need a rest I guess.
Anyway I think the answer to your question is yes they go both ways..but not usually.
I even suspect with me tyrosine may go to PEA as well<g>, but I haven't looked at that pathway lately.
The converions are sooo much mostly one way that everyone just assumes they only go one way.
I'm pretty sure I don't go the "right" way always too with these pathwaysIt has to do with whether you have enough of all the enzymes and cofactors as well as how much of the substrates(the relative concentration gradients) you have etc..which is why P5P is an important one with me.
Its also why you have to take supplements as a "group" and why usually just taking one thing doesn't work unless that was all you were short on.Jan
poster:tealady
thread:359642
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20041022/msgs/408042.html