Note: this is only for my body/brain, could be different for you.

If i understand correctly, when you exercise your brain releases doparmine after the workout. Ive also read that music increases dopamine levels.

source:
http://altmedicine.about.com/od/therapiesfromrtoz/a/quit_smoking.htm

Now ive been diagnosed with add since i was 10yrs old(my dad also has it), did ritalin for a while, stopped in high school because i did not like it. Now im currently looking for a new add med in which i could talk to my doctor about.

1st point:
I have noticed after a strenous workout session(heavy olympic weight lifting) when i get home i want to do stuff, i.e. clean etc... You would think you would be tired and worn out right? Not me, I have a ton of energy and have motivation to complete tasks. Now this effect only lasts about 1.5 hours, then im back to the same ole add self.

2nd point:
Over my college career(currently senior in mech engineering) i have found that i can only study or concentrate if im listening to music. Music has helped my concentration IMENSLEY. For some reason i find complex music(i.e. many different rythms/beats happening at once with multiple instruments playing at once. i.e. Radiohead or Tool, two of my best study partners) to be the best.

Now these two points coupled with the source i mentioned before lead me to believe that i may have a dopamine deficiency or the collector(reputake??) of dopamine is not accepting the levels of dopamine a "normal" person would have.

So basically, the primary question i am asking is, what ADD medications deal with the dopamine producers and/or recievers?

I believe the primary action of methylphenidate (Concerta, Ritalin, Metadate, etc) is to block the reuptake of dopamine. It may have other actions, but that's the main one. Amphetamine (Adderall, Dexedrine) reverses the reuptake pumps that take in dopamine (and norepinephrine), which inhibits reuptake as well. Amphetamine will also enter where the dopamine and norepinephrine is stored and displace it, thus forcing it out, increasing the excretion of those two chemicals.

ok, let me ask you this(if you could tell me in list form):

Which medications actively change the reuptake of dopamine?
(Concerta, Ritalin, Metadate, etc) *block reuptake* - gathered from above reply
(Adderall, Dexedrine) *reverse reuptake* - gathered from above reply

And which medications unnaturally raise the production of dopamine?
Maybe amphetamines?(from above reply)
(fill in blank)

Here's a link that might help you better understand amphetamines molecular action on dopamine. Hope it helps.

http://exploration.vanderbilt.edu/news/news_galli.htm

So you're looking for a drug that produces dopamine? I thought that's what adderall did. Because I was under the impression that everyone has dopamine, there just is not enough in the frontal lobe region and that's why we are the way we are.. that was my impression

like, the dopamine is in you, its just not in the right place (enough of it) and not a case of "my brain doesnt produce dopamine"

and so I thought that if adderall doesn't work, it's just simply because everyone's body chemistry is different and that's why.... not becuase your brain doesn't have dopamine to begin with

??????? maybe im wrong

I've never read anything anywhere about people not having dopamine to begin with and that's why they are add....

I understood it like we all have it, its just not in the right place (enough of it), so we are add because of that and the drug will increase the concentration of dopamine IN THE FRONTAL LOBE REGION either by adderall (reversing) or blocking (ritalin)

dunno if its true or not, just a mildly-educated theory i have...

Well, almost all ADHD medications work on dopamine and its close cousing norepinephrine. Dopamine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and epinephrine (adrenaline) are all belong to a class of neurotransmitters called catecholamines.

I don't know of any evidence that persons with ADHD do not produce enough dopamine inside their neurons, but there is good evidence that not enough of it is excreted into the synapse in key areas. Some studies* have shown that ADHD persons may have an excess density of dopamine transporters (membrane protein responsible for uptake) in certain regions of their brains. This would result in excess uptake of dopamine out of the synapse. As ADHD medications generally inhibit dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake (methylphenidate, atomoxetine) or reverse uptake (amphetamines), this would make sense.

I think that the main issue that is confusing you is the difference between vesicular dopamine levels, and synaptic dopamine levels. When dopamine is produced inside a cell, it is packaged into little bubbles called vesicles, and these vesicles are then locked and loaded in the axon terminal, to be fired into the synapse. So the levels of vesicular dopamine is a measurement of how much dopamine is available for use. As I said earlier, there isn't much evidence that ADDers have a deficiency of vesicular dopamine. Once the dopamine is fired out of the axon terminal into the synapse, it triggers receptors on a nearby neuron's dendrite. The levels of dopamine is the synapse, or synaptic dopamine levels could be thought of as dopamine that is actually being used. You could also think of it as being the strength of the signal from one neuron to another. ADHD appears to involve lower levels of dopamine in the synapses of certain regions, which could be explained by excess reuptake, although it is also possible that there are other factors involved, or that different factors may play a role in different regions of the brain. Norepinephrine also plays a role in ADHD, and may be especially important for the hyperactive component, although that's rather speculative.

The main problem with ADHD is that things that increase dopamine levels without affecting dopamine uptake (nicotine, opioids, L-DOPA, sex) don't seem to be very effective at treating ADHD. On the other hand, just about every medication that is effective at treating ADHD affects dopamine and/or norepinephrine uptake. To put it metaphorically, adding more water to a leaky bucket isn't very effective unless you patch up the leaks.




*http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=14624805&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum

Hi there Hyperion;

Your posts are always so helpful and informative!

I have a question regarding what is being discussed here, and especially your response. How exactly are dopamine and norepinephrine related? For example, I'm told that Strattera is a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, but that it has effects on dopamine as well. How does this work? How are they linked?

I found Strattera very helpful (VERY!) until it stopped working a few months later. I've heard that the stimulants work mainly (methylphenidate - only?) on dopamine. If Strattera worked so well on ALL my cognitive problems, then wouldn't another drug that worked on NE be best, as opposed to a drug that works mainly on dopamine?

If i may pose another question(s):

What meds are generally used for ADD?

What meds are generally used for ADHD?

If i may pose another question(s):

What meds are generally used for ADD?

What meds are generally used for ADHD?All of us have ADHD according to the DSM-IV and are differentiated by type. Type has no correlation to which med will work best; the same process of trial and error applies regardless of type.

welp, this thread pretty much answered all my questions

http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22200&page=3&pp=15&highlight=increase+dopamine+production