seratonin and what exactly is it?

[aravisalice]

Thank you VERY much for your quick response to my previous (and first!) question- on your wellfounded advice my mother in law is filing a restraining order, and coming down to our home as a safe house for the time being. Thank you!! I'm actually so excited by your insightful and quick response, I now feel comfortable posting a more personal, and confusing, question. I've been diagnosed with the following- panic attack disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and chronic depression. These have been ongoing issues for as long as I can remember, but were clinically noted when I turned 16 (also when I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and mitral valve prolapse) 10 years ago. Since being put on a lengthy list of multiple meds, the thyroid settled down (no longer on synthroid) on it's own accord, and I have learned to cope with all the others through stress relieving techniques, structured daily routines, and diet. However, something has been driving me crazy and I can't find a definitive answer- through all my research, I keep coming across seratonin as the probable root to all which ails me- the meds are supposed to boost it, it causes depression, etc. I've read that chocolate can actually boost seratonin levels. Here's my thought- it's a family joke that when I was 6 weeks old, my grandfather (too lazy to get my bottle and seriously lacking in discernment) gave me a KitKat bar to suck the chocolate off of to pacify my crying. As time passed, I was allowed to binge on however much chocolate I wanted on a daily basis (i.e- eating 8 packages of brownies with a half gallon of chocolate milk at one sitting). Recently, I've come across all the news articles on the drug Ecstasy and the effects on seratonin it has- I believe it said that it sometimes boosts it to such levels that when not on the drug, it is difficult to achieve an elevated level of happiness. Now, here's the outlandish part- is it somehow possible that there is a connection in all of this? I realize chocolate and Ecstasy are far from being the same thing, but at a constant pace from an extremely young 6 weeks old when everything was still formative, wouldn't it stand to reason that I could have fried my seratonin receptors, or what have you? I feel very little in terms of sustained happiness, even in sexual situations. But I deperately crave chocolate, and even feel extreme and time released happiness upon consumption. Is this just a gratification of habit and desire, or is it possible I could have damaged my young mind/hormones/neurotransmitters through a prolonged, albeit inconsequential, chemical addiction. (and on the grand scale, I'm aware of what a trivial little question this is. But I would just like to know if it's possible so I can stop obsessing over the theory of it.) Thank you very much for your time.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

Thank you for your kind words.  I don't if anybody has ever studied the question you are now asking so all you can get is an opinion.   Yes, I think the craving of chocolate may be related to getting whatever high the chocolate can provide chemically, but I don't think it is related to serotonin.  This is based on some ideas of the quantities involved  when serotonin is produced in the body as compared to coming from outside.

When antidepressants are used, they don't stimulate the serotonin, they decrease the rate at which it is destroyed in the brain so more is circulating.   You might consult a psychopharmacologist and see about a trial on antidepressants,and see what happens.

[peas]

THE [alleged] BENEFITS OF CHOCOLATE ;)

http://www.pastrywiz.com/archive/whatis.htm

The pharmaco-dynamic substances (those whose action is similar to medications)  found in chocolate are responsible for its reputation concerning its abilities.  

Four of these such substances can be found in chocolate: theobromine,  caffeine, phenylethylamine, and serotonin. They appear in a negligible  quantity, but each in infinitely small quantities plays an important role.  

Theobromine stimulates the central nervous system, facilitates muscular  efforts, as well as having diuretic and cardiotonic action. It is an orexigan  (appetite stimulator). Caffeine increases resistance towards fatigue, favorises intellectual  activity, and increases watchfulness. Concerning phenylethylamine, it has a chemical structure similar to amphetamines and therefore contains psycho-stimulating properties. Serotonin, on the other hand, is a neurotransmitter (substance freed by the nerve endings) in the cerebral cortex--its quantity is often found to be lower during certain nervous depression states. The serotonin found in chocolate helps correct its initial loss. Likewise, the caffeine and saccharose stimulate the body's stimulation of serotonin. Finally, due to the pleasure it offers, chocolate stimulates endorphin secretion thus procuring naturally the same effects as opium. With this description of chocolate's chemical composition, it's never-ending list of virtues are easily explained...."

ON THE OTHER HAND... While the pharmacologically active ingredients of chocolate in the following site do list serotonin, there's a bit of a dispute as to which component affects what:

http://www.chemsoc.org/chembytes/ezine/1997/chockie.htm