Low dopamine

[Toocrazy!!]

Ok. Another question from me- 

I’ve been researching ADHD a lot for my son( old post I got a lot of help on here with)  he did schedule a full neuropsych appt, so hopefully we’ll start being able to get him some answers soon. But in our research some of his issues are my issues- apathy, low energy, lack of motivation. He has others that I don’t. But these overlap and made me think we’d both feel better if this was addressed some way. 
 

is there a way to test? Has anyone experienced this and found a workable solution. 
I know exercise is key for me. I’m a different person if I walk in the morning and exercise regularly. 

Any other tips or information? 

[PeterPan]

L-tyrosine is a precursor and of course any stimulant like your Diet Coke or coffee. Are you open to ADHD meds?

Edited October 11, 2021 by PeterPan

[GoVanGogh]

Parkinson’s is low dopamine, so - there is low dopamine and then there is low dopamine, if you follow. And that can only truly be tested at autopsy. With Parkinson’s, they can do a test run of meds to see if that helps. But general low dopamine? Anything that can give you a “high,” like runner’s high or caffeine. I have young onset Parkinson’s and the low dopamine is crushing. Insanely crushing. 
For general, I would have labs run, specifically vitamin D and Bs. I would look for any healthy habits that can push endorphins. I would also look at sleep issues and maybe have a sleep study done. 

[gardenmom5]

My dd was recently telling me about the relationship between dopamine and ADD.  And the imbalance in brain function of left vs right when it is out of balance.  She also found studies suggesting low dopamine  triggers sugar cravings . . .  

she's currently trying something with a therapist in Australia. . .  (she was resistant to Rx, but finally tried them and is thrilled with how much better she feels and functions.)

she has so much more time since she's been working from home . . .

[PeterPan]

1 hour ago, Toocrazy!! said:

apathy, low energy, lack of motivation.

Have you done any reading about EF=executive function?

There are cognitive therapies you can do as well, things that bump working memory to try to support the processes. He may have processing speed affected, which you'll see with evals. So if you're slow (relative to IQ) and having a hard time pulling it together (EF) and having a hard time remembering all the pieces (working memory) than it's a triple whammy. 

So getting a person more *functional* means looking at all the pieces and trying to strengthen where you can, sometimes compensating for one with another. Not everyone with ADHD likes how they feel on meds, but most end up needing strategies. Body scanning is a great way to activate that front part of the brain and is considered to give a 30% bump in EF. Won't raise dopamine but costs nothing and can improve function, much like the exercise.

Daily exercise is something a psych will typically recommend, yes. It can backfire if the person also has low muscle tone or mitochondrial issues.

https://www.therapro.com/Executive-Functions-Training-Elementary.html

https://www.therapro.com/Browse-Category/Executive-Function/