Dopamine / Prolactin Problem?

[visionquest99]

I was reading about the role of dopamine in inciting sexual desire. Came across some useful information. I apologize if it is well known or self evident to you.

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Dopamine is behind a lot of the desire we associate with eating and sexual intercourse. Similarly, all addictive drugs trigger dopamine (the “craving neurochemical”) to stimulate the pleasure/reward center. So do gambling, shopping, overeating and other, seemingly unrelated, activities. Go shopping: dopamine. Smoke a cigarette: dopamine. Computer games: dopamine. Heroin: dopamine. Orgasm: dopamine. They all work somewhat differently on the brain, but all raise your dopamine.

You get a bigger blast of dopamine eating high-calorie, high-fat foods than eating low-calorie vegetables. You may believe that you love ice cream, but you really love your blast of dopamine. You’re genetically programmed to seek out high-calorie foods over others. Similarly, dopamine drives you to have sex over most other activities. With dopamine as the driving force, biology has designed you to engage in fertilization behavior to make more babies, and urges you to move on to new partners to create greater genetic variety among your offspring.

Your primitive brain accomplishes these goals of more progeny and promiscuity by manipulating your brain chemistry, and thus your desires and thoughts. High levels of dopamine increase sexual desire, encouraging you to behave recklessly. The thrill of a new affair and the rush from using pornography are examples of high dopamine. Unfortunately, consistently high levels of dopamine lead to erratic behavior and compulsions that are not conducive to survival. (See the “EXCESS” column in the chart below.) Most mammals, therefore, evolved with defined estrus periods when they “go into heat.” The rest of the time they are more or less neutral about sex.

Humans, however, don’t have a period of “heat” followed by a long period of indifference to sex. Unlike all other mammals, we have the potential for on-going, dopamine-driven sexual desire. Yet we, too, self-regulate. An “off switch” kicks in after too much passion.

Two events happen simultaneously. Dopamine plummets and prolactin soars. Dopamine is “go get it!” and prolactin is “whoa!” This mechanism shifts your attention elsewhere: to hunting and gathering, taking care of babies, building shelters, and so forth. Without this natural, protective shutdown, you would pursue sex to the exclusion of all other activities. When rats were wired so that they could push a lever in their cages to stimulate the nerve cells on which dopamine acts, they just kept hitting the lever until they dropped—not even pausing to eat or investigate potential mates. Dopamine is highly addictive; the rise in prolactin puts the brakes on.

This event (drop in dopamine and rise in prolactin) is the cause of the emotional separation that so often follows in the days or weeks after a passionate encounter.

[b]

SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH EXCESS PROLACTIN [/b]

For further reading, click here.

[Enden]

Prolactin and dopamine are involved, yes. You have a problem with prolactin if your refraction period has increased. Estrogen increases prolactin, and my prolactin level was twice as high as normal range, after use of Propecia. My sexual function improved after treatment with Dostinex. 0.25 mg twice a week will deplete the prolactin level within a month. Doing so has no negative consequence.

Increased libido is a common side effect of Dostinex in both men and women. The drug is available through hwprescriptionservice.com / assetchemist.co.uk.

[martinM]

Orgasms cause increase in prolactin levels. This can explain why orgasms totally destroy me. Need to add this to the testing list…

[visionquest99]

The excess prolactin level symptoms resemble PFS.

Enden, I had a hard time finding dostinex. Do those sites deliver to Canada? Looks like one needs to get a RX before getting the meds.

[Enden]

Yes, they deliver worldwide. You need a prescription. That’s what [CENSORED] is for. Find Dostinex in their catalogue, and request a prescription. Tell the doctor what you need it for, and how you’re going to use it. I recommend that you state that you’ve been using Propecia, and that things didn’t return to normal after you quit. You recently did a blood test which revealed a prolactin level a bit over the normal range (state number and range). You’re not going to use more than 0.25 mg twice a week, and you’re going to do another blood test in a month. You get the idea. Use your own words of course. It’ll get approved. It usually takes a day, and they’ll forward your prescription to [CENSORED].

Symptoms of excessive prolactin; increased refraction period, decreased sensation during orgasm.
Prolactin above the normal range, is defined as hyperprolactinaemia.

[visionquest99]

Thanks Enden. Very helpful!

[joetz]

Has anyone tried Dostinex? If so, what kind of results did you get?

[Oscar]

@Enden

Prolactin above the normal range, is defined as hyperprolactinaemia.

Which almost noone has - so it isnt this.

Also, a diagnosis hyperprolacinaemia is usually prolactin far, far out of range. Do some research before taking any medication…

[Enden]

The diagnosis is often used in relation to prolactinomas, but prolactin above normal range is still defined as hyperprolactinaemia. If you’ve had a problem with estrogen, prolactin has been affected too. Prolactin can be in range, but still cause problems. It depends on your baseline value, which most of us don’t know. If your refraction period has increased, you have a problem with prolactin. Also, someone here who used a generic product (finasteride), e-mailed the manufacturer and asked about the persistent side effects. They claimed that the sexual problems was related to prolactin, so I suggest that YOU do some research. I noticed improvement after treatment with Dostinex; 0.25 mg twice a week for a month, so don’t tell me that it isn’t a part of the problem.

[Mens_Rea]

Prolactin is nothing but a side issue in 99.999% of PFS sufferers.

I’ve reduced my prolactin using dostinex twice. I’ve seen bodybuilders do it to a point that their bloods take prolactin down to zero, too. It’s a good drug and i suppose can help somewhat if you’ve got very high prolactin but im not convinced that many actually do on here in the first place.

[Enden]

Dostinex will increase libido in normal men and women as well.