Oct 05 2008
Dopamine Levels and Amino Acid Therapy
Question:
Are you familiar with http://www.neuroassist.com/ and the
neurotransmitter protocols recommended by Dr. Marty Hinz?
If so, what is your experience with people who have tried
these methods?
Rivka
Response:
Yes, I am very familiar with his work and find his approach
to be intuitively fascinating. The treatment emphasis with Marty
Hinz’s approach uses amino acid therapy. It is novel
approach used in clinics throughout the US for addressing the
symptoms of Parkinson’s. Nothing in itself “cures,” but
amino acid therapy appears to be helping people.
Levodopa raises the level of dopamine sky high relative to the
level of serotonin in the body. When a person who takes Levodopa
eats protein, they ingest tirosines. Tirosines increase dopamine.
The key to health is to maintain the proper balance between
serotonin and dopamine. Pumping more dopamine into the body
can create a persistent imbalance that aggravates the
symptoms. Amino acid therapy appears helps to balance the
hormones.
I have planned interviews with the doctors using this approach
with Parkinson’s patients, so we will all know more about
his therapy in the new future.
I invite anyone with personal experiences using the clinic’s
protocol to tell us more about your experience by posting
a comment here.
Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery
© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery


I have been taking Tyrosine in small amounts (500mgs) twice a day for starters. I took 1000mg today in the morning. I have read about large doses 6-7 grams and am thinking of big increases in consultation with my doctor. I have a sence of being stronger with this nutrient, perhaps due to the balance you are suggesting.
I hope you interview someone in this field soon. It looks very interesting, however I am a little leary of it because I looked up 5HTP (one of the mentioned substances) and found that when combined with carbidopa it can cause serious damage. I also know I cant quit sinemet cold turkey and their protocol looks like a very rapid cessation of the drug. I was looking for published studies for this therapy and couldnt find any pertaining to P.D. on PubMed. Couldnt find any published articles by Dr Hinz either. I am wondering how long one would be on this, would I ever be able to stop once I started and is endogenous production diminished?
My goal is to get off sinemet because eventually it will not work and I will need more drugs, I hate the side effects.
Will you ask these questions for me and others? I appreciate what you are doing SO MUCH!
with thanks, Bonnie
My mom has Parkinsons with Lewy Bodies. she hallucinates daily and cries for help. I am so dissatisfied with her treatment. will amino acids help or bioidentical hormone replacement therapy…mom is 75.
There are dozens of therapies that are helping people just like your Mom get sustained relief from their symptoms. The ones you list may very well provide relief. It does sound like there is a serious hormone imbalance in her body that merits attention.
I note in passing that you are writing this question in, not her. It is important for the motivation to recover to originate from the person who has the symptoms.
Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery
Would love to network with others using amino acids along with Mucuna pruriens and/or Sinemet for movement disorder support. We have almost two years’ experience with NeuroAssist now. Testing by lab has not gone well but the protocol has been quite beneficial. It is also extremely challenging to regulate, given ups and downs of blood pressure.
Hi Dr Rodgers! I am happy to have found this website! I have an uncle who had PD and my Step Father does too. He is my “Papa Bear” and is the only Father I have ever known since mine died b4 I was born. I have been researching alot of different potential helps for his many symptoms. I am researching right now about Dr. Hinz’ treatment. I don’t know how to converse on these sites, so I will ask you to plz let Bonnie(April 11,’09) that I have found Dr. Hinz’ published articles on Pubmed, 6 to 8 at least. I also, know from what I read thru another Dr., Shallenberger, who was reporting on Dr. Hinz’ treatment that the problems that the normal Ldopa containg drugs, that are given to PD patients, is that they don’t work for too long and the higher the levels of Ldopa(a precursor for dopamine) the worse the side effects get. L-Tyrosine is a precursor for dopamine too so if you are taking both, this will increase the dopamine level but it reduces the amount of all the other neurotransmittors, esp, serotonin. this imbalance is how the side effects are caused. The key to his treatment is establishing homeostasis with the correct number of precursors and beneficial nutrients to make the correct amount of each of the neurotransmittors necessary for each person’s body. This takes 4 to 6mths., he says. I read that these precursors use the same enzymes and transporters and this is where the competition comes in. Plz tell me if by adding these extra nutrients & amino acids to make the correct # of all the neurotransmittors will these also make the extra enzymes& transporters necessary to do the work?? The woman who wrote on Aug. 5, 2011 say she has used the neuroassist protocol and has had good results but has had problems with the labs and also with hi&lo blood pressure. Plz ask her to give us more detail. plz describe the benefits obtained. Thank you very much! Patricia
It would be awesome to hear from others who have experienced this therapeutic protocol. I put out a call in 2008 for people to tell us about their experience, but have not heard anything back so far!
Robert Rodgers, Ph,D,
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
http://www.parkinsonsdisease.me