Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, sleep, appetite, memory, and muscle functions. Imbalances can cause depression, migraines, panic attacks, and sleep problems. Overproduction can lead to serotonin syndrome, with symptoms including agitation, confusion, sedation, and decreased sex drive.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter found in the digestive system and central nervous system. A neurotransmitter is a chemical substance that transmits or alters messages sent between neurons and cells in the body. Serotonin has many different effects: It helps regulate mood, sleep cycles, appetite, memory and some muscle functions. An imbalance of serotonin can offset any or all of these aspects of human vitality.
An imbalance can occur in a variety of ways, resulting in overproduction or underproduction of the neurotransmitter. In some cases, the brain simply doesn’t produce enough serotonin to meet the body’s needs. Some medications or supplements can also cause overproduction of this neurotransmitter. Another possibility is that the receptors that usually receive neural messages from it simply fail to receive the messages.
Serotonin imbalance has been specifically noted as a probable cause of many cases of depression due to the neurotransmitter’s strong influence on mood. Some believe that depression generally results from a serotonin deficiency. Most antidepressants are designed to increase its levels in the brain. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to measure precise levels of the neurotransmitter in the living brain, so it’s not entirely possible to confirm the theory.
Other problems arise when the imbalance tends towards overproduction. This is just a big deal at very high levels; large doses of serotonin can be very harmful or even deadly. It usually results from several drugs reacting together negatively or from a drug overdose. Recreational drug use can also cause a serotonin imbalance, but only when significant amounts of the drug are used. Problems resulting from extremely high levels of serotonin are usually grouped together and referred to as “serotonin syndrome.”
An imbalance usually brings with it a variety of recognizable symptoms. When there is too little serotonin, an individual can suffer from depression, migraines, panic attacks and carbohydrate cravings. This can also lead to serious problems with sleep, as serotonin is essential for moderating the normal sleep cycle of humans. Elevated levels of the neurotransmitter can lead to symptoms such as agitation, confusion, sedation, and decreased sex drive. This type of imbalance can also involve some neuromuscular hyperactivity in the form of restlessness, tremors, and other unusual or out of place movements.
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