Dopamine

 Risk Factor: C
 Class: AUTONOMICS / Sympathomimetics (Adrenergics)

Contents of this page:

Fetal Risk Summary
Breast Feeding Summary
References
Questions and Answers

Fetal Risk Summary

Experience with dopamine in human pregnancy is limited. Since dopamine is indicated only for life-threatening situations, chronic use would not be expected. Animal studies have shown both increases and decreases in uterine blood flow (1,2). In a study in pregnant baboons, dopamine infusion increased uterine vascular resistance and thus impaired uteroplacental perfusion (1). Because of this effect, the investigators concluded that the drug should not be used in patients with severe preeclampsia or eclampsia (1). However, although human studies on uterine perfusion have not been conducted, the use in women with severe toxemia has not been associated with fetal harm. The drug has been used to prevent renal failure in nine oliguric or anuric eclamptic patients by re-establishing diuresis (3). In another study of six women with severe preeclampsia and oliguria, low-dose dopamine (15 g/kg/minute) infusion produced a significant rise in urine and cardiac output (4). No significant changes in blood pressure, central venous pressure, or pulmonary capillary wedge pressure occurred. Dopamine has also been used to treat hypotension in 26 patients undergoing cesarean section (2). No adverse effects attributable to dopamine were observed in the fetuses or newborns of the mothers in these studies.

Breast Feeding Summary

No data are available.

References

1. Fishburne JI Jr, Dormer KJ, Payne GG, Gill PS, Ashrafzadeh AR, Rossavik IK. Effects of amrinone and dopamine on uterine blood flow and vascular responses in the gravid baboon. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1988;158:82937.
2. Clark RB, Brunner JA III. Dopamine for the treatment of spinal hypotension during cesarean section. Anesthesiology 1980;53:5147.
3. Gerstner G, Grunberger W. Dopamine treatment for prevention of renal failure in patients with severe eclampsia. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol 1980;7:21922.
4. Kirshon B, Lee W, Mauer MB, Cotton DB. Effects of low-dose dopamine therapy in the oliguric patient with preeclampsia. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1988;159:6047.
   
   

Questions and Answers

Dopamine??, does dopamine work with ur sense of humor? because i know it work with ur bodies sense of pleasure...

I doubt it'll affect your sense of humour per-se as that's more complex than simply a chemical reaction, but as mentioned it probably will make you feel better and thus you'll more likely be able to react positively to humourous stuff.

How do you increase dopamine levels in the brain?, I have an illness that new research indicates may result from abnormally low levels of dopamine in the brain, and I wanted to know if anyone was aware of medications, herbs, etc...known for increasing dopamine levels in the brain.

A number of people have posted their ideas here:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021127/ms...
Sex, eating, taking risks, achieving goals, or drinking water, all increase dopamine,

What exactly is it that causes the dopamine release in the brain for some people at a church revival?, Last night my girlfriend went to a revival and called me when she left and her and her mother both were all giggly and laughing like they were drunk. Her mother claimed this was the "holy spirit," which I'm sorry, but I think that's a bunch of crap.

What is it that causes that dopamine release, and can it be duplicated in other settings?

It's either dopamine or endorphins...or seratonin.

When you feel as though you did something good, or in need of reward, your brain releases one of those three chemicals.

Yes, it can be duplicated...Just do something that makes you feel good. Easiest thing I think of is .... uh you know.

A hershey bar gives you small levels of seratonin- feel good. So do all those simple carbs like cake, donuts, etc.

Marijuana gives you rather high levels of dopamine too. Im not recommending that though.

THE ATHEATI ARE WATCHING

How does dopamine as a hormone differ as a neurotransmitter?, All I know is that dopamine as a hormone stops the production of prolactin but that's totally unrelated to it as an inhibitory neurotransmitter.

The effect any neurotransmitter has on a cell depends on the receptor for that transmitter the cell has. Thus, the same transmitter can have an inhibitory effect on one cell, and an excitatory effect on another. However, in general, dopamine as a neurotransmitter acts as a catecholamine - like adrenaline, for which it is a precursor.

For its effects on the brain take a look at this web site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopamine,
expecially the section titled Functions in the brain.

How much DOPAMINE is in the body, where are dopamine receptors located?, i mean the brain and the rest of the body, where's the dopamine go and what does it do there?

Dopamine is released by the hypothalamous in the brain. The receptors are located on the nerve cells. What it does and the areas affected by it are too many to put here so I will provide a link that will explain it all to you. Did you know that Parkinson's disease is caused by a low level of dopamine in the motor areas of the brain?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopamine

A dopamine level can be tested via blood or a 24 hour urine collection. Either way, you are usually asked to follow a special diet for 2 - 3 days. In addition, if it is a blood test, nothing to eat or drink for 10 - 12 hours before the blood draw. Normal dopamine levels are as follows, in the:
blood - Less than 10 ng/L
urine - Less than 480 µg

How does alcohol affect the release of dopamine in the reward system?, I know that cocaine prevents the reuptake of dopamine, and meth does, too, as well as increasing the release of dopamine. But what does alcohol do? I can't seem to find a website that says.

Alcohol appears to inhibit the release of dopamine in the reward system. The drugs you mention do, as you say, block the re-uptake of dopamine and keep it available in the system longer. It is produced from from those parts of the limbic system responsible for reacting to emotional and physical stimuli; as you said, in the reward system.

When more of these receptor re-uptake sites become unavailable because of all this blocking, (some drugs wiping out a great number each time) more of those chemical stimuli are required to get to a similar level as the original really good one. Dopamine controls drive, motivation, energy, and it can cause intense focus, concentration and interest in whatever the attention is turned to for as long as it is present. It affects the more basic pleasure centres of our brain, since it releases the excitor neurotransmitters that get us charged up and heighten our senses. Without it we'd be really blaaaahh and lethargic. I only mention all that as it is pertinent to its interaction with alcohol.

When combined with alcohol, dopamine "loses its edge" somewhat, as alcohol inhibits the activity in the post-synaptic neurons, preventing them from giving up their load, which would, given the right stimuli, release large amounts of dopamine into the system.

Alcohol does not combine well with what the central nervous system has geared up to dol. Dopamine excites to action, but alcohol ends up inhibiting it, which completely alters the effects dopamine would normally produce.
Alcohol also uses a different set of hormonal neurotransmitters, which have an impact on a different set of emotional triggers in the reward network. Alcohol, nicotine, heroin, ecstasy MDMA, mushrooms, LSD and DMT work on serotonin rather than dopamine, producing vastly differing results and effects.

If dopaminehas already put the central nervous system into high gear by being present in the system before the alcohol is introduced, the alcohol may not turn off the dopamine exactly, but it does change the chemical dynamic downward.

Not only do these chemicals mediate the more obvious emotions of anger/joy/anxiety/love....... they also conduct the orchestra, so to speak, when there are any behavioural anomalies, including many addictions presenting in a remarkable number of ways.

Although there have been studies done to determine the effect alcohol has on both dopamine production and its re-uptake, using positron emission tomography scans (PET scans) so far little evidence has been found that alcohol measurably affects dopamine levels. Those tests, however, were done using differing criteria than those I cited.

Due to a miriad of reasons, many people have slightly or considerably "off" brain chemistry, affecting every area of their physical and mental lives.
Interestingly, contrary to the imression given on commercials promoting anti depressants, there is no way of measuring levels of these electro-chemical hormonal messengers we call neurotransmitters in a living person, so there is no known "balanced guideline" to go by, as many suggest. Hmmmm.

I don't know if this helps at all; hope it does a bit. I tend to get a tad carried away sometimes. I never know if someone is interested in the why and how of it all, or just want the facts, ma'am.
DAMN this is long, and I deleted 6 paragraphs, too...

Anyone know the best supplements and other ways to increase dopamine?, Cousin was just Dx'd with having a deficiency in dopamine.
Besides exercise, what are other means of getting the levels back up?
Vitamins??
And whatever other suggestions you know of.
I'm clueless!

mdma pills. ie ecstasy
or heroin
both of which i dont reccomend.
well the ecstasy is fun but it is illegal and shouldnt be used very much at all
or weed will also do the trick.

all are illegal

If addicts use other kinds of drugs to get dopamine into their system,why isnt making a pure form of dopamine?, If drug addicts use other kinds of drugs(Meth, Heroine, Cocaine)to get dopamine into their system, why isnt manufacturing a pure form of dopamine? A pure form of Dopamine would be healthier and could sound like doctors could use it to benefit people with chronic depression.

They would, but dopamine does not cross the blood-brain barrier.

Are there vitamins that can help build dopamine?, I need to find a way to build up dopamine without taking antidepressants. Are there any vitamins I can take for this? If so, where would I get them?

no, dopamine is a chemical your body produces...it cannot be found in any herbal or vitamin treatments. Antidepressants are the only thing that can help if there truly is a chemical imbalance. is there a reason you do not wish to take them? If it's side effects, talk to your doc - there are many different antidepressants and a lot of the newer ones have fewer side effects.

What are the opposite chemicals of serotonin and dopamine for making you sad?, If dopamine & serotonin are brain chemicals responsible for making you happy then what chemicals are responsible for making you sad?

theirs got to be a chemical responsible for dysphoria or extreme pain.

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