What is Serotonin and what does it have to do with liver disease? I’m going to dispel some myths and also point out some truths when it comes to Serotonin. It is a neurotransmitter, which means that it transmits messages in the neurological area of your brain and nervous system. Read more to find out how liver disease affects your mood and serotonin.
Remember when everyone started talking about tryptophan and how it causes you to relax? Turkey is high in tryptophan and everyone knows that a big relaxing nap is coming on after a Thanksgiving Day meal of turkey and dressing. What you might not know is that tryptophan is an amino acid and it is synthesized in every nerve cell in your body.
The Mood Regulator
Seratonin helps to regulate your mood, sleep, appetite, and other body functions. It’s what helps us to feel happy or relaxed. It does other things, like digestion and cardio health, but for today, we’re going to talk about feeling good.
Sometimes our bodies do not make enough serotonin, or their is a problems where the signals get interrupted. It’s been understood for years that anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems can stem from serotonin not communicating well. It’s like an interrupt between the brain chemicals and your body.
Supplementing Serotonin – Antidepressant or Mood Stabilizer?
Doctor’s often offer a medication that is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor. This blog won’t go into a lot of detail, but I want to point out that it’s important to find the right medication for you. Many antidepressants and anti anxiety meds are offered, and they work to level out moods. We’ve all seen that work.
I recently spoke to a reader who was dealing with depression and started going to a new doctor. They did some testing and it turns out that they were not low in serotonin. They needed a mood stabilizer. Once they got started on a new drug, it gave them a lot of relief from depression. It’s important to find a doctor who will really listen when you have concerns about anxiety or long tern sadness.
Most of us with liver disease have had some low mood days. Depression is real when you are having to modify your diet, get rid of a virus, or take medication for cirrhosis.
There is research that shows liver disease can affect serotonin levels in the body. The liver plays a key role in the metabolism and elimination of serotonin, and liver dysfunction can lead to changes in serotonin levels.
How Liver Disease Affects Your Mood and Serotonin
In some cases of liver disease, such as cirrhosis, there may be a reduction in the amount of serotonin in the blood, which can contribute to symptoms such as fatigue, depression, and symptoms that a lot like hepatic encephalopathy. On the flip side, I had total liver failure in 2010. From what I’ve read, there can be an increase in serotonin levels, which can kick start hepatic encephalopathy. Read more about the confused, drunken like stupor that is HE. It’s like a nightmare for the patient and their family.
Of course more studies are needed for HE and we know that it is hard to measure. Liver disease is so complex. I do believe that it’s a great conversation to have with your medical provider.
Reverse Sleep Patterns are Common with Liver Disease
When I look back at reverse sleep pattern with liver disease, it makes me wonder even more if it could have been due to serotonin levels. That is because serotonin is a precursor to melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that is part of the serotonin chain reaction. It is made in the pineal gland and basically is our body’s sleep regulator.
Doctor’s often recommend patients take melatonin for a period of time to “reset” their body clock if it gets out of rhythm. Again this is another conversation to have with your medical provider.
What is your experience?
I’m curious to hear about your experience with serotonin levels. Have they gone up and down with liver disease? Do you think it affects your sleep pattern? Looking back at life pre transplant, I can see SO many trends that pointed to high serotonin and low melatonin for myself.
I hope this helps you figure out some of the patterns in your own life. Xo Karen
Art work via Clearbrook Treatment Center
