Old people often suffer from a deficiency of serotonin, an important inhibitory neurotransmitter that initiates sleep. Inhibitory neurotransmitters reduce neuron activity, in contrast to the above-mentioned neurotransmitters, which usually increase activity. Sleep disorders are common in old age, including difficulties in falling and staying asleep. Irritability and bedtime flights of ideas may occur. Tryptophan, an amino acid, is the natural substance used by the brain to make serotonin. Milk and bananas contain relatively large amounts
(hot milk before bedtime really does help you sleep). Some vitamin stores sell tryptophan tablets. Possible side effects are headaches, sinus congestion, constipation, or intestinal cramping, resulting from the contraction of smooth muscle caused by serotonin. Tryptophan may help relieve migraine headaches due to serotonin’s effect on smooth muscle in blood vessels.
The physical restlessness that may occur at night (or during the day) often responds to cholinergic stimulation, such as Deaner® (Riker), choline, or lecithin. Hyperkinetic children are often helped by Deaner® and should also respond to other cholinergics, such as choline or lecithin. Choline bitartrate, the most common type of choline sold at health food stores,
can cause diarrhea. If you use it, begin at a low dose and slowly work your dose up. You may be able to avoid diarrhea. Choline chloride (properly called choline hydrochloride) does not have this side effect, but is very hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from the air), so that it cannot be readily used in tablets.
One likely reason for the decline of the dopaminergic system in the brain is the high susceptibility of dopamine to autoxidation (the molecule oxidizes itself with molecular oxygen). In this process, dopamine is oxidized to 6-hydroxy-dopamine, producing hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals which damage the dopamine receptors. In the so-called burnt-out schizophrenics, there is abnormally low response to dopaminergic stimulation. These people are catatonic, with no desires and no pleasures. We think that this may be due to destruction of their dopaminergic receptors on the neurons by the hydrogen peroxide and associated free radicals. Since this damage is an oxidative process, antioxidants such as Hydergine® and vitamins C, E, B-1,.B-5, B-6, and zinc and selenium should be able to provide a degree of protection to the
receptors. Experiments by Drs. R. Poser and H. Demopoulos
have clearly shown that vitamin C will prevent autoxidation
of L-Dopa.
Hydergine® normalizes brain EEG energies under a variety of adverse. conditions (such as low oxygen, old age, and alcohol intoxication).. It reduces excess sensitivity to norepinephrine, too much of which can lead to irritability and rage, without tranquilizing effects. Bromocriptine (Parlodel® by Sandoz), a related compound, is another dopaminergic stim-
ulant. It normalizes growth hormone output, when it is either too low (as in dwarfism) or too high (as in acromegaly). Bromocriptine also seems to reset some of the brain’s aging clocks (natural programmed obsolescence), and it reinstates menstrual cycling in some postmenopausal women and in aging
female experimental animals.
Depression due to inadequate levels of catecholamines can be safely treated with the amino acid phenylalanine. Phenylalanine is converted in the brain to dopamine and norepinephrine. It has been used in the treatment of depressed patients with great success at doses of 100 to 500 milligrams
per day for two weeks. It was twice as effective as imipramine, a prescription drug for depression.
D-phenylalanine has recently been found to be an effective treatment for severe pain in some people
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