Endometriosis, pain and serotonin In endometriosis, oestrogen is dominant over progesterone and this has an impact on neurotransmitter levels such as serotonin. Normally high oestrogen levels are associated with high serotonin levels, but the inflammation that is such a big part of endometriosis blocks the serotonin pathway. This means that despite having high oestrogen levels, women with endometriosis are more likely to have low serotonin levels. Serotonin and pain Because serotonin is involved in pain perception, low levels of serotonin are linked to a low pain threshold, which may be one of the reasons why women with endometriosis suffer so much pain. (1) Serotonin and moods Serotonin is also a neurotransmitter that makes you experience joy and have a restful sleep; but low levels can be associated with depression (especially in winter time), sugar and carbohydrate cravings, constipation, poor dream recall, loss of enjoyment and sometimes even rage (2,3) – symptoms experienced by many women who suffer from endometriosis. Can you test serotonin levels? Specialized labs can test for neurotransmitters, including serotonin. As symptoms of low serotonin levels overlap with symptoms of low dopamine levels and in some cases low GABA levels, it is recommended to do a test first to check whether it is really your serotonin levels that need boosting, or if other neurotransmitters are low instead. We do not recommend that you start boosting serotonin levels without checking the levels first, because elevated levels can cause digestive upsets, extreme agitation, confusion and muscle twitching. How can you improve your serotonin levels? Once you have established that your serotonin levels are low, there are several things you can do to boost them. Exposure to sunlight can help improve serotonin levels (4-6), as can exercise (8,9). Various foods are high in the amino acid tryptophan, a precursor for serotonin, but uptake from tryptophan from foods is poor and it is not easily used by the brain. Eating foods high in tryptophan does not do much to boost your serotonin levels. (7) The most effective way of increasing serotonin levels, is to talk to your health care practitioner about nutritional support. Legislation around the prescription of serotonin varies per country: in some countries it is considered a dietary component and readily available, in others it is classified as a drug on only available on prescription. A note of warning: serotonin should not be taken alongside anti-depressants or anti-epileptic medications, or by those suffering from bi-polar disorder. It is always best to first talk to your health care practitioner about testing your levels, and if they are low, then to ask them for the most appropriate way to boost your levels. This research was brought to you by Narelle Stegehuis, a practicing medical herbalist and naturopath specializing in restorative endocrinology for women, with over 14 years clinical experience. She is an accomplished writer, editor and technical training advisor for the media. A recipient of the Australian Naturopathic Excellence Award, Narelle adopts an integrated approach of both medical science and traditional complementary health care principles and can be contacted at, massattack.au" References: 1. Siedentopf F, Tariverdian N, Rücke M, Kentenich H, Arck PC. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2008 Nov;60(5):449-61. Immune status, psychosocial distress and reduced quality of life in infertile patients with endometriosis 2. Allan E. H. Oestrogen Regulation of GABA, Receptor Subunit mRNA Expression in Preoptic Area and Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis of Female Rat Brain The Journal of Neuroscience, March 1995, S(3): 2328-2337 3. Rybaczyk LA et al. An overlooked connection: serotonergic mediation of oestrogen-related physiology and pathology. BMC Women’s Health. 2005, 5(12); 1-10 4. Carlsson A, Svennherholm L, Winblad B, “Seasonal and circadian monoamine variations in human brains examined post mortem. Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl1980;280:75-85. 5. Ferraro JS, Steger RW. Diurnal variations in brain serotonin are driven by the photic cycle and are not circadian in nature. Brain Res1990;512:121-4 6. Cagampang FRA, Yamazaki S, Otori Y, et al. Serotonin in the raphe nuclei: regulation by light and an endogenous pacemaker. Neuroreport1993;5:49-52 7. Wurtman RJ, Hefti F, Melamed E. Precursor control of neurotransmitter synthesis. Pharmacol Rev1980;32:315-35. 8. Davis JM, Alderson NL, Welsh RS. Serotonin and central nervous system fatigue: nutritional considerations. Am J Clin Nutr2000;72(2 Suppl):573S-8S 9. Blomstrand E. Amino acids and central fatigue. Amino Acids2001;20:25-34.
Posted on: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 00:23:48 +0000
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