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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2005 >> tyrosine and triptans can you mix
        
(Message started by: jckgales on Feb 6^th, 2005, 2:28pm)

Title: tyrosine and triptans can you mix
Post by jckgales on Feb 6^th, 2005, 2:28pm

Does any one take supplements of tyrosine or any other dietary supplement for clusters and if so is it ok to mix with triptans (zomig)?
jckgales11@charter.com [smiley=huh.gif]

Title: Re: tyrosine and triptans can you mix
Post by floridian on Feb 7^th, 2005, 1:41pm

Tyrosine is a precursor (building block) for the neurotransmitters epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine. Tyrosine is also necessary for thyroid hormone production (It helps my wife when her thyroid levels drop and she gets coldish). I don't think tyrosine affects serotonin directly.

For treating migraine, dopamine ANTAGONISTS are sometimes used - if tyrosine increases dopamine, and dopamine can increase migraines, there is a chance that dopamine triggers clusters.

According to this snippet, tyrosine might reduce the effectiveness of triptans:

Quote:

There is limited evidence that dopaminergic antagonists may benefit the migraineur by relieving migraine pain and associated symptoms. The exact mechanism of action in migraine is unknown. The postulated action is the inhibition of dopaminergic overactivity. A dopaminergic antagonist, metoclopramide, may improve the efficacy of a 5-HT1B/1D agonist, sumatriptan.

http://tinyurl.com/3qrto

http://web.indstate.edu/thcme/mwking/catecholaminesynthesis.jpg

Title: Re: tyrosine and triptans can you mix
Post by jckgales on Feb 7^th, 2005, 9:25pm

flordian

thanks for info, you seem to know lots on ch. i had my first ha 16 mo ago and they havent stopped. im lookin for any info i can get and just about willing to try anything to stop them.

thanks again, jckgales

Title: Re: tyrosine and triptans can you mix
Post by floridian on Feb 8^th, 2005, 9:54am

You might be interested in Gabapentin - it is a special form of the amino acid GABA. The problem with regular GABA is that it gets absorbed into the blood, but doesn't get into the brain very well. Gabapentin is a prescription med that does get the GABA into the brain. Most doctors think of it as an epilepsy medicine, but it also has been shown to be of use in migraine, clusters, and trigeminal neuralgia.

An alternative to gabapentin is glutamic acid - but this could be a problem as it can be converted to glutamate. For some of us, glutamate is a trigger. Vitamin B-6 helps detoxify glutamate back into glutamic acid:

Quote:

The flavor-enhancing substance monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid and can produce a condition called "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" which is associated with muscle cramping, abdominal spasms, and gastric distress. Generally, Caucasians are more susceptible to this condition in that they are unable to convert glutamate to glutamine as efficiently as Orientals. Higher levels of vitamin B-6 intake have been found useful for preventing "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" due to enhanced conversion of glutamate to glutamine in those who are susceptible to this problem.

http://tinyurl.com/45p29

Scroll down in this page to see how glutamic acid is converted to GABA: http://tinyurl.com/6xs38

Not sure how gabapentin or glutamic acid interacts with triptans, though.