Inflammation Hijacks Dopamine and Norepinephrine Production

What Are Neurotransmitters?

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that allow one neuron to communicate with another. Every thought, emotion, and memory involves millions of neurons working together. Without neurotransmitters, that communication would not happen. Dopamine and norepinephrine are neurotransmitters.

In the previous installment, it was demonstrated that inflammation can interfere with the production of serotonin. Inflammation also interferes with the production of dopamine and norepinepherine.

What Are Dopamine and Norepinephrine?

Norepinephrine is important for vigilance. It regulates your sleep-wake cycle, acting as the internal switch that wakes your brain up and maintains baseline daytime alertness. It is also necessary for your ability to concentrate, solve problems, and retain short-term information. Balanced levels promote smooth movement, emotional stability, and motivation, while depleted levels are strongly linked to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and depression.

Dopamine acts as a currency for motivation and reward. When you do something enjoyable—like eating delicious food, exercising, or achieving a goal—your brain releases a burst of dopamine. This burst not only makes you feel good but also reinforces the behavior, telling your brain to remember the experience and seek it out again.

Because dopamine reinforces rewarding behaviors, addictive substances (like drugs or alcohol) cause massive, unnatural surges of the chemical. This intense reward can overpower the brain’s natural systems and lead to addictive behavior.

What Happens When Inflammation Reduces Norepinephrine and Dopamine?

If you look at the infographic at the top of the page, you will notice the box in the upper right that mentions BH4, which are the enzymes that are necessary to produce these neurotransmitters from tyrosine. Inflammation interferes with the enzymes, reducing the production of norepinephrine and dopamine [1,2].

Low dopamine can lead to a lack of motivation, fatigue, and an inability to feel pleasure. Drastic dopamine deficiency is the primary cause of movement and coordination issues in Parkinson’s Disease. Irregular dopamine signaling is also linked to conditions like ADHD and schizophrenia.

Low norepinephrine can lead to brain fog, persistent fatigue, lack of motivation and trouble focusing. It makes the brain’s executive functions work poorly. It is linked to ADHD, depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

Addressing Low Dopamine or Low Norepinephrine

Medical approach: Doctors target these neurotransmitter pathways using different classes of medication based on symptoms. There are several prescription medications that are commonly used. NDRIs (Norepinephrine-Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitors). SNRIs (Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors). For ADHD, stimulants like methylphenidate (Ritalin) or amphetamine-based drugs (Adderall) significantly elevate dopamine and norepinephrine levels.

Natural Approach: We have seen that reducing inflammation can improve the body’s own ability to make these neurotransmitters. Something as simple as an anti-inflammatory diet (like the Roadmap to Health) can help. Taking either tyrosine or phenylalanine, which are converted into these neurotransmitters has shown promise [3,4]. Similarly, some supplements, like B6 and magnesium have been shown to act as chemical catalysts aiding the production of these neurotransmitters (more on supplements later).

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Click here for the next installment: Inflammation Depletes GABA: Why Anxiety Gets Worse [Part 5 of 11]