Increasing glutamate?

[Hindi1989]

I know most people here are thinking of decreasing glutamate due to its excitotoxicity but perhaps my problem is the opposite. Perhaps my brain fog is a result of low glutamate levels in the brain.

I recently did a urine amino acid test where glutamine levels were sky high but glutamic acid was very low along with aspartic acid. Arginine and Alaine levels were also sky high. Perhaps this was due to high ammonia that results in glutamate turning into glutamine. Interestingly the only thing that has ever worked for me is methylphenidate ritalin which is know to increase glutamate levels.

So my question is: how do I increase glutamate levels? Supplementing with glutamic acid doesn't seem to increase blood glutamate levels much perhaps I need something that prevents glutamine from being converted to glutamate?
I will be experimenting with memantime a potent nmda blocker so I feel significantly worse my hypothesis is further supported.

 

[PatJ]

Something else to consider - this article describes the symptoms of high GABA which are very similar to symptoms of low glutamate:

The GABAergic `controls`` are the brakes on several cognition promoting neurotransmitters, however, GABA plays beneficial roles in mood and memory as well |10|, particularly in releasing growth hormone |11|, and in promoting nerve growth in some instances |12|. It also reduces cortisol secretion/release, which can have important anti-stress effects |13| |14|.

Despite this, having excessive GABA will negatively impact a number of cognitive functions and will especially influence nitric-oxide release.

Impaired Short-Term Memory
Impaired Coordination
Impaired Working Memory
Impaired Spatial Memory
Low Motivation
Disinhibition
Irritable Dysphoria
Apathy
Delirium
Odd Behavior...
No / Little Restraint on Own Words
Excessive Dependence on Stimulants
Little Capacity for Emotional Connections
Intolerance to Alcohol, or Strong Sensitivity to Alcohol and Other Sedatives
Dilated Pupils
Aggressive Behavior |.......|
Low Libido / Low Sex Drive / Absent Sex Drive / Absent Libido

 

[Mary]

Perhaps this was due to high ammonia that results in glutamate turning into glutamine.

I've read that ornithine can help reduce high ammonia. It can also be helpful with sleep, where insomnia is related to high ammonia. It's helped me with sleep.

 

[Cipher]

I've read that ornithine can help reduce high ammonia. It can also be helpful with sleep, where insomnia is related to high ammonia. It's helped me with sleep.

Interesting! Do you take it at bedtime? What dosage works for you? Does it help you initiate sleep or is it more that it helps you maintain sleep?

Here's a 8-week double-blind study I found investigating the effects of ornithine on stress and sleep quality:

Randomised controlled trial of the effects of L-ornithine on stress markers and sleep quality in healthy workers.

Miyake M1, Kirisako T, Kokubo T, Miura Y, Morishita K, Okamura H, Tsuda A.
Abstract

BACKGROUND:

L-ornithine is a non-essential, non-protein amino acid. Although L-ornithine is contained in various foods, the amount is usually small.Recently, studies have shown that orally administered L-ornithine reduced the stress response in animals.From these findings, we speculated that L-ornithine may play a role in the relieve of stress and improve sleep and fatigue symptoms in humans. Through a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study, we asked if L-ornithine could be beneficial to stress and sleep in healthy workers.

METHOD:

Fifty-two apparently healthy Japanese adults who had previously felt slight stress as well as fatigue were recruited to be study participants and were randomly divided into either the L-ornithine (400 mg/day) or placebo group. They orally consumed the respective test substance every day for 8 weeks. Serum was collected for the assessment of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate (DHEA-S). Perceived mood and quality of sleep were measured by the Profile of Mood States (POMS), Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), and Ogri-Shirakawa-Azumi sleep inventory MA version (OSA-MA).

RESULTS:

Serum cortisol levels and the cortisol/DHEA-S ratio were significantly decreased in the L-ornithine group in comparison with the placebo group. Also, anger was reduced and perceived sleep quality was improved in the L-ornithine group.

CONCLUSION:

L-ornithine supplementation has the potential to relieve stress and improve sleep quality related to fatigue, both objectively and subjectively.