dopamine/(#33 on OAT)

[Terri Bilinsky]

Would like confirmation. A high level on this marker would indicate too much dopamine within the body OR not enough within the body due to high levels being excreted? Would lithium orotate be a good choice if this marker is high (2.9)?

Topic

[Kurt Woeller]

Terri,

Marker #33 on the Great Plains Laboratory OAT, homovanillic, is typically linked to increased dopamine production. It is a dopamine metabolite and can be high for many reasons, although there may be one exception that I know of and this is neuron realize of dopamine from metal exposure such as mercury, lead and aluminum. In most cases the high homovanillic is occuring because:

-clostridia infection producing HPHPA or 4-cresol that is inhibiting the dopamine converting enzyme called dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH).
-a polymorphism in the DBH enzyme (this is a potential problem and Great PLains is currently working on a genetic test to confirm).
-Someone taking L-tyrosine supplements or L-DOPA medication which increases dopamine levels.
-Vitamin C deficiency which slows down the function of DBH. Vitamin C depletion can occur from stress induced adrenal activity.

Some of this may be hard to prove 100% such as metal exposure. You would have to go through heavy metal detection and chelation therapy overtime and then track homovanillic levels on the OAT.

What is commonly seen is the homovanillic is high because of the presence of clostridia bacteria.

Dr. Woeller

[Terri Bilinsky]

My client’s HVA is 2.9, all clostridia markers are within range. Vit C is high 407. quinolinic is high at 2.9. He has many seizures, agitation is common. Gi map reveals hookworm, giarda, blasto and many gram neg bacteria. He has started a NAD+ product recently. Would lithium and magnesium be supportive enough to get the HVA down as I work on so many other areas? he’s actually deficient on both on HTMA however wondering if the doses he’s taking needs to be increased. If lithium is a good choice, what is the dosage of orotate form you prefer to use? I usually use 5mg however I’m wondering in this case if he may need more.

[Kurt Woeller]

Terri,
The main cofactors for dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) activity are copper and vitamin C, but mostly ascorbic acid. I don’t know of any relationship of magnesium or lithium to DBH. Have you come across something? Magnesium and lithium may be supportive to HVA in other ways that I am not aware of, so I cannot say for sure if they will help. When I do give Lithium Orotate it’s typically a 10mg capsule, but I like to check a hair analysis to see if this is registering low. A 5 mg capsule is not that much and could be considered supportive to brain health.

With high quinolinic I would personally use Niacinamide at 500mg twice daily.

Is this person having digestive problems in association with the Giardia and Blasto?

Dr. Woeller

[Terri Bilinsky]

I’m asking about the lithium and mag because when I had a consult with the clinician at GPL, she rec those 2 for the high dopamine on OAT. Haven’t known of this connection. I found this in my research https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5118071/

His HTMA is registering low for lithium and mag.
His porphyria test from 2017 (someone else ran it) is positive. He does have high arsenic on HTMA.

For the last 2 days, he was what his dad calls, ‘brutal’. 20 y/o was psychotic, OCD, muscles contracting, agitated, can’t sit still, didn’t sleep much in 48 hours. 2 days ago he passed ‘a ball of worms that looked like spaghetti’. This was the 1st this has happened. Usually he can’t have a bm unless his dad gives him an enema.

I had him take more binders (away from food/supps), increase lithium to 10mg(was taking 5mg) and increase mag (he’s taking mag glycinate) and we added mag calm to help with bm. He was already taking niacel (thorne) 1 bid. Yesterday and today he had bm’s on his own for the 1st time in yrs. He has been much calmer. slept all night. Muscles have stopped contracting. Dad says ‘this is like night/day difference!”

When he was going through what seemed to be an acute porphyria attack, I had him take 1 tsp of honey (didn’t want to overdo it since he also has parasites/worms/candida)for the glucose. He settled down. Knowing glucose can settle an acute porphyria attack, I saw the correlation when his dad had mentioned a time where he was in ER with seizures. He was given a glucose IV and he immediately settled.

So yes, definitely digestive issues!

[Kurt Woeller]

Terri,
Sounds like the Lithium orotate is not a bad idea and could be beneficial for many reasons. The low lithium on HTMA definitely indicates poor levels in the body.

Another interesting type of magnesium that has good reports for central nervous system effects is Magnesium L-Threonate. Mercola at Mercola.com has some articles on this. New Beginnings Nutritionals carries a iMagT powder which is Magnesium L-Threoate to be used for states of stress and anxiety.

Dr. Woeller

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