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Test bloods for serotonin, dopamine etc?

fibrodude84

Senior Member
Messages
191
Has anyone had a blood test to measure serotonin, dopamine, epinephrine etc? I don't know if they exist, are reliable or not but I'm wondering if this may be a deficiency in CFS that we can help with the right dosage in anti-depressant whether we are depressed or not?
 

A.B.

Senior Member
Messages
3,780
These tests are not useful to determine the right dosage or type of antidepressant.

In my opinion, if you're mildly depressed try some 5-htp before an antidepressant. 5-htp has a more beneficial side effect profile. If the depression is serious you should see a professional.
 

fibrodude84

Senior Member
Messages
191
I'm on antidepressant but no psych ever checked for this and I know some of these can play a significant role in fatigue.
 

halcyon

Senior Member
Messages
2,482
I've had a 24 hour urine test to measure epinephrine/norepinephrine/dopamine levels. My epinephrine levels were nil and norepinephrine levels were bordering on low.

HDRI has a catecholamine in platelets blood test that looks interesting. It's $365 though if you want the full panel (epinephrine/norepinephrine/dopamine/serotonin/histamine/acetylcholine), or $85 for each individual analyte.
 

barbc56

Senior Member
Messages
3,657
Unfortunately, the amount of seretonine, dopamine in your blood and urine does not necessari.ly correlate with what is happening in your brain. It's not the amount that makes a difference but how efficiently your brain's ability to access the seretonine in your brain.

... many researchers believe that the benefits of antidepressants stem from how they affect certain brain circuits and the chemicals (called neurotransmitters) that pass along signals from one nerve cell to another in the brain. These chemicals include serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. In various ways, different antidepressants seem to affect how these neurotransmitters behave
.
http://www.webmd.com/depression/how-different-antidepressants-work

There are so many things we don't know about the brain. Some say space will be the new frontier of knowledge but sometimes I wonder if it is the brain.

It's a fascinating subject.

Barb
 
Messages
15,786
Has anyone had a blood test to measure serotonin, dopamine, epinephrine etc? I don't know if they exist, are reliable or not but I'm wondering if this may be a deficiency in CFS that we can help with the right dosage in anti-depressant whether we are depressed or not?
I've had them tested once via urine and twice via blood platelets. My norepinephrine was low in each test, and taking an NRI helped with my OI problems. I don't have any issues with depression.