all about dopamine:
Dopamine can be increased by many methods, the safest methods are behavioral (marked in bold)
from the Library:
http://neurohackers.com/index.php/en/me … -chemicals
(includes list of things -and behaviors- that increase dopamine)
From Tutorial 5:
http://www.neurohackers.com/index.php?o … mp;lang=en
Nicotine, increases dopamine, glutamate, norepinephrine, endorphins and acetylcholine (and if taken with fluoxetine, increases serotonin). Side effects are well known and largely due to oxidation; if you use nicotine you should use lots of antioxidants. It is actually safer to smoke nicotine with small amounts of cannabis than without!
Cannabis increases dopamine, anandamide, endorphins and acetylcholine, decreases GABA
Psychostimulants (speed, cocaine, ecstasy), Amphetamines and cocaine increase dopamine, glutamate, serotonin and norepinephrine.
Ecstasy (MDMA) increases serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and oxytocin. Side effects: Electrolyte balance needs to be carefully monitored to avoid dehydration or hyperhydration. When intake of the drug ceases, the excess turns into a shortage.
Opiates (morphine, heroin, codeine) increase dopamine and endorphins, decrease GABA.
Adderall, a stimulant composed of mixed amphetamine salts, (is commonly prescribed for ADHD). Increases dopamine and norepinephrine.
Provigil, known generically as modafinil, which was developed to treat narcolepsy, and Nuvigil, a longer-lasting variant of Provigil. Increases dopamine and norepinephrine, improves attention, concentration and alertness.
Ritalin (methylphenidate), commonly prescribed for ADHD. Increases dopamine and norepinephrine. Improves attention & focus.
Alcohol (ethanol) and Benzodiazepines decrease glutamate and increase GABA, norepinephrine and dopamine.
From Tutorial 8:
Selegiline (deprenyl) metabolises dopamine, phenylethylamines, and anandamide.
Sodium phenylbutyrate turns on a gene (DJ-1) that can protect dopamine neurons, and may be a good target for NH research into memory enhancement and longevity in the healthy.
Emotional arousal such as is caused in play, for example excitement, curiosity, exploration, eagerness to learn, provides the neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine) for the ‘stretch’ part of making memories or the learning cycle.
Finally, before increasing dopamine, it's a good idea to read up on neurotransmitters generally, because sometimes we may think we're short of dopamine when in fact we're short of Serotonin. A lot of crap os talked about dopamine in the popular press, who think it is the 'reward' chemical. It isn't. It's the 'desire' part of the pleasure cycle, Serotonin is the 'reward' part and we need both in healthy measures to feel good. A lack of Serotonin can make us manic or hyper as Dopamine & Norepinephrine rise out of balance.