Amino Acid Therapy
What are Neurotransmitters?
Neurotransmitters are naturally occurring chemicals within the brain that relay signals between the nerve cells and are required for proper brain and body function. A proper balance of neurotransmitter levels helps achieve optimal health.
Neurotransmitter imbalances have been linked to:
- Attention issues (lack of focus and motivation, poor concentration, and ADD)
- Learning difficulties and development delays (young children)
- Hyperactivity and ADHD for both children and adults
- Sleeping problems (fatigue, problems falling asleep, tossing and turning, etc.)
- Menopause related issues (hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats)
- PMS and birth control related issues (mood swings, aggressiveness, irritability, sadness, lack of libido)
- Weight and appetite control issues (cravings, overwhelming hunger, etc.)
- Migraine Headaches
- Anxiety (irritability, nervousness, obsessive-compulsive, insecurity, racing thoughts, restlessness)
- Libido issues (lack of sex drive for women and men, orgasm issues, erectile dysfunction, etc.)
The Naturopathic approach to neurotransmitter imbalance is based on a baseline measurement of your neurotransmitter and/or hormone levels. The initial testing of your levels from a urine or saliva sample constitutes your baseline.
By measuring 13 different neurotransmitters and 11 different hormones, your baseline sample will help us determine if your condition is neurotransmitter related, and what the optimal treatment is for addressing your condition(s).
Through laboratory testing, it has been found that very few patients have a neurotransmitter imbalance that is limited to a single neurotransmitter. The vast majority of patients have imbalances involving multiple neurotransmitters and, therefore, require therapies that address multiple neurotransmitters.
Some antidepressant drugs, like Lexapro, only prevent the reuptake of serotonin, while others, like Wellbutrin, only prevent the reuptake of norepinephrine. It is common for a patient to require more than one of these medications to achieve symptom relief due to the way in which serotonin, norepinephrine, and other neurotransmitters work together in your brain. The need for this combination is well understood, and other reuptake inhibitors, like Effexor, affect both serotonin and norepinephrine.
Targeted Amino Acid Therapy (TAAT)
The Naturopathic process of balancing neurotransmitters is called Targeted Amino Acid Therapy (TAAT). Amino acids are the basic building blocks of proteins. They are also the precursor ingredients for inhibitory neurotransmitters, excitatory neurotransmitters, and neurotransmitter supporters. TAAT supplies the amino acids to the body that can help balance your neurotransmitters, without the side effects that are common with pharmaceutical antidepressants.
Dr. Bronner can develop a TAAT program with you that addresses and remedies your unique neurotransmitter imbalances.
