Fibrmyalgia Syndrome and Serotonin Levels

Fibromyalgia Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Epstein-Barr, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Chronic Lyme are often associated with low serotonin levels. Serotonin helps regulate sleep, appetite, and mood. Depression and anxiety are often caused by a serotonin deficiency and popular antidepressant drugs are prescribed for the purpose of increasing serotonin levels in the body.

The amino acid 5-HTP, which can be taken in supplement form, improves your body’s ability to manufacture serotonin. However, if you eat carbohydrate-rich meals or snacks at night, which causes your blood sugar to rise and then drop while you are sleeping, the 5-HTP will not be effective. In contrast, eating a high-protein snack several hours before bed can provide L-tryptophan, another amino acid, which your body uses to produce serotonin.

Note: It can be dangerous to take 5-HTP in conjunctions with prescription medications for anxiety and depression because you can increase serotonin to unsafe levels.

A dietary choice that can naturally increase serotonin levels is consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids. According to a study published in the American Medical Association’s Archives of General Psychiatry, Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil increase the level of serotonin in a way similar to prescription anti-depressants. Other supplements, which may be helpful, include Ginkgo biloba, DHEA, Acetyl-L carnitine, St. John’s Wort, vitamin B-6, mangosteen, and SAM-e (S-adenosyl-L-methionine). Additionally, the aromatic oil frankincense may be beneficial.

Note: For me, St. John’s Wort was effective, but had the same unpleasant side effects as prescription antidepressants. However, others have used St. John’s Wort with few or no negative side effects.

Quality sleep is crucial to healthy serotonin levels. Sufficient sunshine is needed to allow the body’s internal clock to keep on its normal rhythm. WebMD suggests that you increase your exposure to sunlight or bright light to one or two hours every day.

For many people that live in northern latitudes, the sun’s rays are not intense enough to regulate serotonin or melatonin levels. (Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland that causes you to fall asleep.) In the wintertime, this can result in Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a form of depression. This inability to regulate melatonin levels can be corrected by “light boxes.” These boxes use what is called full spectrum lighting, which mimic the sun’s rays. Your doctor can write a prescription for full spectrum lighting or it can be purchased over the internet.

Note: At night, you should sleep in complete darkness. Any light in the room can disrupt your pineal gland’s production of melatonin and serotonin.

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