• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Alpha Lipoic Acid and COMT+/+

Peyt

Senior Member
Messages
678
Location
Southern California
Hi All,
Does anyone know if ALA increases Dopamine?
I have COMT +/+ and generally do very poorly with supplements like Tyrosine (very bad headaches) and even SAMe... so I also noticed when I take Alpha Lipoic Acid (I have tried at least 3 brands) I get a headache after a couple of days... If I manage to stay on it for a few days though I also notice the aches and pains in my body is gone and my sugar cravings reduce so I am trying to figure out if the headaches have to do with excess dopamine or something else....

The reason I am wondering about dopamine is because I generally get headaches from 2 types of supplements, one which increases dopamine or saratonin (ex: Tyrosine, St. John, SAMe, ......) and one that the bacteria in my gut feeds from (such as Choline) and then bacteria dumps their waste in the blood stream and causes me headaches which my Chinese Medicine Doc likes to call liver toxicity headaches....... I have found a ALA cream that I am considering buying as long as ALA does not increase dopamine,... the cream helps me get around the bad bacteria problem that I have in my gut which causes the 2nd type of headaches I mentioned.. ( I have SIBO)

Thanks for your comments in advance.
 

helen1

Senior Member
Messages
1,033
Location
Canada
I wonder if your headaches might be related to mercury as ALA is a mercury chelator. If you only take it once or twice a day it will let go of the mercury it has bound (as it's half life is short - about 3 hrs) and redistribute it in your body including your brain. Do you have mercury fillings or a history of mercury exposure?
 

Peyt

Senior Member
Messages
678
Location
Southern California
I wonder if your headaches might be related to mercury as ALA is a mercury chelator. If you only take it once or twice a day it will let go of the mercury it has bound (as it's half life is short - about 3 hrs) and redistribute it in your body including your brain. Do you have mercury fillings or a history of mercury exposure?
I had 2 tests done recently , hair test and UTEE and both showed low mercury,
My problem is excess production of dopamine and Norepenephrine, as I said I have the same problem with Tyrosine, ... I didn't mention this but way back when I was also given Ritalin, Concerta, Adderall and had the same headaches plus very aggressive behavior (fight or flight)..
Instead, supplements like Niacinamide, and Magnesium help calm me down...

All I am asking is this : Does ALA increase dopamine? does anyone know?
Thanks
 

Gondwanaland

Senior Member
Messages
5,092
@Peyt do you have pain from too much dopamine and adrenaline due to 2x +/+ COMT? I ask because you and my husband have many SNPs in common including the COMT and CBS ones.
 

Peyt

Senior Member
Messages
678
Location
Southern California
@Peyt do you have pain from too much dopamine and adrenaline due to 2x +/+ COMT? I ask because you and my husband have many SNPs in common including the COMT and CBS ones.
You know I don't have pain usually, but only when I take a supplement ... and it's not general pain, it's headache..

But I am really curious to know if the headache is caused by the bacteria in my intestine or the COMT++.... so I ordered the transdermal ALA and should receive it next week.... this way its not gonna go in my belly, it's a cream that I will rub on... if that still gives me headache then i know for sure it's because of the COMT++

Here is the one I have on order: http://www.chandika.com/ala-transdermal-cream/

I have been using Ashwaghanda cream from the same company for a month and no headache which in the past when I used to take the capsules I would get a headache from that .... I think anyone with SIBO that has overgrowth of bacteria can benefit from these creams ... .
 

Peyt

Senior Member
Messages
678
Location
Southern California

Gondwanaland

Senior Member
Messages
5,092
Via skype or personally?

I have been avoiding ALA like the plague b/ DH and I have amalgams, and DH has one tooth that is at least 80% amalgam and it touches his gum. I suppose I should keep avoiding it...
 

Gondwanaland

Senior Member
Messages
5,092
what is the relation between ALA and amalgams?
After safely removing amalgams with a biological dentist one can chelate mercury out using ALA by its half-life (every 2-3 hours) on 3 consecutive days weekly according to Cutler's protocol. ALA is a di-thiol molecule that grabs metals and escort them out of the body.

So, taking ALA with amalgams on board might be counter-productive, to put it mildly.

Do a search for the key word Cutler.

I have been working on my health in order to face unsafe amalgam replacements (no biological dentists where I live).

Freddd is of the opinion that once you get your methylation right, you need no chelation. That might be true for a number of people. If I feel well enough at some point, I might well skip chelation.

As for ALA benefits as a supplement, I won't risk trying it myself while I can barely cope with methylation side effects.
 

Peyt

Senior Member
Messages
678
Location
Southern California
After safely removing amalgams with a biological dentist one can chelate mercury out using ALA by its half-life (every 2-3 hours) on 3 consecutive days weekly according to Cutler's protocol. ALA is a di-thiol molecule that grabs metals and escort them out of the body.

So, taking ALA with amalgams on board might be counter-productive, to put it mildly.

Do a search for the key word Cutler.

I have been working on my health in order to face unsafe amalgam replacements (no biological dentists where I live).

Freddd is of the opinion that once you get your methylation right, you need no chelation. That might be true for a number of people. If I feel well enough at some point, I might well skip chelation.

As for ALA benefits as a supplement, I won't risk trying it myself while I can barely cope with methylation side effects.

That's interesting you say that.
I removed all my mercury fillings a couple of years ago, and I have had tests (both hair and Essential Elements) done which shows I have very low mercury,
However, I do have a few silver fillings left... Wonder if ALA would cause problems on that.... anyways
in general, I wish there was more transdermal (cream, lotion) products available ... especially for people like myself with SIBO... I don't understand why more companies won't make supplements that way.
 

Gondwanaland

Senior Member
Messages
5,092
I am really curious to know if the headache is caused by the bacteria in my intestine or the COMT++
I would say it is the COMT... I for instance have a slow breakdown of estrogen and serotonin. Serotonin doesn't give me headaches (I get other inflammation symptoms from it), but I have severe migraines (with vomiting) from estrogen 1x monthly due to my period. Magnesium helped me to overcome them, but after 2-3 month with manganese supplementation they came back (manganese is very estrogenic).

In addition to lower back pain, sciatica and ulnar nerve inflammation, my husband has severe headaches from excess dopamine and adrenaline in stressful days (slow breakdown), just like Dr. Rostenberg explains in that video.

All doctors always say "it is stress induced" since they can't explain the mechanism, but now I know why and am trying to find out how to avoid pain crises. Methylation is very tricky b/c too much methyl donors will make him feel rage.
 

Johnmac

Senior Member
Messages
756
Location
Cambodia
I also wondered if ALA increases dopamine, as I recently noticed an increase in energy & a reduced desire for carbs, nicotine & caffeine on ALA. And a headache on Day 2 that only lasted a day.

I have COMT V158M+/- and COMT H62H+/- .

I'm using ALA to chelate mercury via the Cutler Protocol. I take it round the clock every 2h. Presently 75mg p dose works; 150 crashes me.