re: Very high tryptophan but very low serotonin - what to do????

[Guest guest]

,

My initial speculation is that your son may have one or more weak alleles

among the pathways whereby tryptophan is converted to serotonin. There

may be a cofactor (or several) with which you can push your son's

tryptophan serotonin pathways - but a first step is coming to understand

those pathways.

I'm still away from home and thus away from a storage locker full of

research materials. May I post your initial post into a list for

DAN!-oriented docs and researchers?

Also, consider a fax or email (if you can find his) to Quig, PhD,

who is at Doctor's Data. Perhaps getting Dr. Quig on the phone (and not

just whoever answers the phone) would get you an answer promptly.

Quig info:

http://www.yourmedicaldetective.com/public/198.cfm

The google IMAGE search

tryptophan serotonin pathways

will lead you to some of the charts illustrating the various pathways.

The google search

" elevated tryptophan " " low serotonin "

provides some informative links,

tho' you may have to read many in order to find the one or several which

are helpful.

- - - -

Very high tryptophan but very low serotonin - what to do????

Posted by: " Hirzel " mhirzel@... hirzram

Date: Sun Sep 9, 2007 5:26 am ((PDT))

I just got the results of my son's Metametrix ION test, and I am very

puzzled by the results regarding tryptophan and serotonin.

Tryptophan is very high (in the red), but serotonin (as indicated by very

low 5-hydroxyindoleacetate) is very low.

Phenylalanine is low-ish, in approx 25th quintile. When last tested

(2004) phenylalanine was the ONLY amino that was very high, with the rest

being deficient.

Marker (xanthurenate) for B6 looks okay (35th quintile).

I'm really puzzled about what to do. My son certainly has all the

symptoms of low serotonin (insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, etc.) and

Immunoscience labs 3 yrs ago measured serotonin at only 25% of " normal. "

I just cannot seem to find a physician with enough knowledge to help me

with this, and any info I find through Metametrix site/books do not

discuss such a scenario.

Any insights greatly appreciated!!!