focus. - Page 2

[Theloose]

I'm going to take out the 'uncomplicated' instructions in the OP... There's no keeping this uncomplicated!

http://www.find-health-articles.com/...eorienting.htm
"The present results suggest that dopamine modulates involuntary attention shifting to task-irrelevant deviant events. It appears that dopamine may disrupt the subsequent re-orienting efforts to the relevant task after distraction."

So for me, low dopamine means I'm stuck oriented on detox pathways, and cannot be distracted. In a similar vein, I've never been able to get anything done if the TV is on - I get sucked in and can't break away. At ALL. Even if it's in the other room. (We no longer have a TV.) Could that be related?

[blinders]

Dopamine normally inhibits prolactin in a non-lactating/nonpregnant woman, in pregnancy it is estrogen that stimulates prolactin, and after birth it is the suckling. I appreciate what you're saying about low dopamine levels. What I am having a hard time with is how can you assess your dopamine levels when you are breastfeeding? Maybe you have excess milk b/c you are simply breastfeeding a lot.

And lack of libido can have a million and one causes, and dopamine would not be my first one that I would think of when I think of that.

I have been doing a ton of reading on B12/folate pathways, and I agree with you WhoMe that there is a connection here, because it was B12 and Mag alone that brought me out of my pregnancy funk. I used to think it was b/c I am vegetarian, but I think that is less likely that, and the pathway issues that WhoMe is talking about.

btw, I do enjoy your posts WhoMe. I am avid reader, just don't get a chance to post much.

[kjbrown92]

Originally Posted by momofmine

I would say that my focus is very spotty. Right now, I feel overwhelmed at everything that needs to get done, so I don't start. And I procrastinate and wait until the last minute, then stay up late to cram it all in. When I have a deadline, I am focused and energized by getting it done in time. But I focus better when there is some sort of external structure (like a deadline, or other people involved in a project). I tend to have lots and lots of ideas and a hard time implementing them because I want to do them all, all at the same time.
I also have always had major oversupply of milk.

Does that description point to low dopamine?

This is so me. And my dopamine was fine 170.3 (optimal range: 110-175)
DH says he's always amazed I get anything done because I do everything at once. I'll start unloading the laundry, put the towels away in the middle of it, then realize the linen closet needs organizing, then I'll walk past the laundry room and realize I haven't finished unloading the laundry, then I'll pick up a couple things in my room, but get distracted and forget to make the bed. But when we're having people over, I get all the cleaning done in 2 hours and the house is spotless. We just need to have people over more often.

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

DH says he's always amazed I get anything done because I do everything at once. I'll start unloading the laundry, put the towels away in the middle of it, then realize the linen closet needs organizing, then I'll walk past the laundry room and realize I haven't finished unloading the laundry, then I'll pick up a couple things in my room, but get distracted and forget to make the bed.

<-- This is me... ^___ This is me on drugs.
Seriously, though, that's how I am when I'm manic... which, unless I'm being medicated, I only get "hypomanic" rather than manic, so in a way that really IS me on drugs.

[momofmine]

Originally Posted by blinders

Dopamine normally inhibits prolactin in a non-lactating/nonpregnant woman, in pregnancy it is estrogen that stimulates prolactin, and after birth it is the suckling. I appreciate what you're saying about low dopamine levels. What I am having a hard time with is how can you assess your dopamine levels when you are breastfeeding? Maybe you have excess milk b/c you are simply breastfeeding a lot.

Maybe, but that just can't be the whole story. Because there are plenty of women who nurse around the clock, yet for some reason they have low supply and are having trouble. At the same time, there are women whose babies nurse what you'd say is average, yet they have an oversupply.

My first baby nursed constantly, and I definitely had TONS of milk. So, you could say that was because he nursed so frequently, was constantly attached to my breast. But my second baby fell into his own schedule just naturally, something my first child never did, and he did not seem to need to do as much comfort suckling, and he really only nursed about every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Yet, I had the exact same thing, tons of milk, dripping out of the other breast constantly, etc. Even dripping milk from the other breast at 2 years old (not all the time, just occasionally by then, but it always amazed me that was still happening, even infrequently. I'm just saying that I had both scenarios, yet I had an over supply both times. So I don't think it's just a matter of baby nursing more.

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by momofmine

Maybe, but that just can't be the whole story. Because there are plenty of women who nurse around the clock, yet for some reason they have low supply and are having trouble. At the same time, there are women whose babies nurse what you'd say is average, yet they have an oversupply.

My first baby nursed constantly, and I definitely had TONS of milk. So, you could say that was because he nursed so frequently, was constantly attached to my breast. But my second baby fell into his own schedule just naturally, something my first child never did, and he did not seem to need to do as much comfort suckling, and he really only nursed about every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Yet, I had the exact same thing, tons of milk, dripping out of the other breast constantly, etc. Even dripping milk from the other breast at 2 years old (not all the time, just occasionally by then, but it always amazed me that was still happening, even infrequently. I'm just saying that I had both scenarios, yet I had an over supply both times. So I don't think it's just a matter of baby nursing more.

I nursed constantly and wish I had that problem... Although I did to begin with... Then my thyroid tanked. What's up with that? Why does your supply suddenly go pllbbt when your thyroid does?

[Theloose]

Originally Posted by blinders

Dopamine normally inhibits prolactin in a non-lactating/nonpregnant woman, in pregnancy it is estrogen that stimulates prolactin, and after birth it is the suckling. I appreciate what you're saying about low dopamine levels. What I am having a hard time with is how can you assess your dopamine levels when you are breastfeeding? Maybe you have excess milk b/c you are simply breastfeeding a lot.

And lack of libido can have a million and one causes, and dopamine would not be my first one that I would think of when I think of that.

I have been doing a ton of reading on B12/folate pathways, and I agree with you WhoMe that there is a connection here, because it was B12 and Mag alone that brought me out of my pregnancy funk. I used to think it was b/c I am vegetarian, but I think that is less likely that, and the pathway issues that WhoMe is talking about.

btw, I do enjoy your posts WhoMe. I am avid reader, just don't get a chance to post much.

This is where it gets fuzzy, and the art part comes in. Sure, there are a lot of variables at work, but if someone shows a whole collection of symptoms that are all somewhat related to one specific pathway that is a likely candidate to be out of balance, and the treatment is as benign as eating lentils (or whatever), then I see that as an easy, safe test. If there's a huge difference, then bingo, you've found something. If there's little or no change, start looking elsewhere.

Originally Posted by JacquelineR

I nursed constantly and wish I had that problem... Although I did to begin with... Then my thyroid tanked. What's up with that? Why does your supply suddenly go pllbbt when your thyroid does?

I'd have to check (NAK) but I'm pretty sure the reason Pottenger's cats didn't survive more than a couple of generations on the wrong diet was because they went hypothyroid and couldn't produce milk anymore. Something there is closely related, but I can't remember the details of how it works.

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by whoMe

I'd have to check (NAK) but I'm pretty sure the reason Pottenger's cats didn't survive more than a couple of generations on the wrong diet was because they went hypothyroid and couldn't produce milk anymore. Something there is closely related, but I can't remember the details of how it works.

I wonder, after reading a little about Pottenger's cats, which I'd never heard of before (thanks ), if it wasn't because of a lack of taurine.. Isn't taurine related to thyroxine production?
Makes me wonder, too, if mice are high in taurine. And I wonder if mouse tastes like rabbit?

[Theloose]

Originally Posted by JacquelineR

I wonder, after reading a little about Pottenger's cats, which I'd never heard of before (thanks ), if it wasn't because of a lack of taurine.. Isn't taurine related to thyroxine production?
Makes me wonder, too, if mice are high in taurine. And I wonder if mouse tastes like rabbit?

where did that come from!? Is there a thread I'm missing?

I'm not an expert in thyroid hormones, but I know tyrosine is involved, at least in some. Pottenger is mostly used as an argument for a raw diet, but I think the explanation was found a few years after he died, that cat's can't make one specific amino acid that is heat liable. Humans can. I don't remember which amino acid - could be taurine.

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by whoMe

where did that come from!? Is there a thread I'm missing?

Welcome to the dark recesses of my mind.
I tend to lose the self-editing feature I usually have when I'm stressed.

[WuWei]

Bit obsessed, so want to reread this.


Pat