12 Signs That Someone Has a Norepinephrine Deficiency

Power of positivity
May 02, 2021

You have chemicals in your brain that are responsible for controlling your mental well-being. You’ve probably heard a lot about dopamine and serotonin, but have you heard about norepinephrine?

Sometimes it is called noradrenaline since it is released by the sympathetic nerve fibers, which control and regulate the contractions of the heart.

This chemical is a vital part of your body’s defense system in times of threat. It is essential to the fight or flight sensations you feel during moments of duress. This brain chemical is often mistaken for epinephrine, a different chemical produced in the adrenal system.

The purpose of this transmitter is to transfer messages from the brain to the body and it also has some functions of a hormone. Ulf von Euler, a Swedish psychologist who first identified this vital brain chemical in the mid-1940s, even received a Nobel Peace Prize for his pioneering work in this area during 1970.

What Causes a Norepinephrine Deficiency?

The chemicals in your brain can get out of balance when your neurotransmitters are high or low. These natural chemicals are responsible for the communication that occurs in the nerve cells of your body. For decades, the medical community has used these theories to treat people suffering from anxiety, depression, or even Bipolar disorder.

However, it was found that having an imbalance of these chemicals can also affect pain or disease levels within the body. For example, a person who has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia may benefit from treatments that increase chemical levels in the brain and help provide much-needed relief. Of all the brain chemicals, norepinephrine is the most targeted to aid in pain therapy.

Still, there is much controversy that pain is a brain problem, and the complexity of the situation divides the medical community. Also, it’s worth mentioning that some people undergo therapy to boost or balance brain chemicals for their depression and anxiety, but this treatment method doesn’t help everyone. Many people find no relief from using risky medications or experimental methods.

This destroys the theory that transmitters like serotonin and dopamine are the only factors in mental illness. The brain is an extraordinarily complex system that is more intriguing than any wiring system you can find. When things don’t skyrocket the way they should, it can throw your entire body off balance.

Another interesting theory that has recently come to light is the connection between the gut and the brain. Is it possible that what you are eating is eating you? Some experts believe that this is the key to stopping anxiety and depression.

Where does the brain-gut connection fit in mental health?

The use of the theory that only brain chemicals cause depression and anxiety is largely disproved as more information becomes available. Have you ever had a great presentation for work and got really excited about it? Some people may experience digestive upset, nausea, or even diarrhea due to exhausted nerves.

How did a situation that started as anxiety affect your stomach? The only possible way for these issues to affect each other is that they are linked. Millions of nerves run from your gut to your brain, and the vagus nerve is the most prominent.

Is it possible that what you are eating affects your mental health and the vital neurotransmitters in your brain? Consider the ketogenic diet and its effects on mental health. Why is it that when people start this restrictive lifestyle of cutting out carbohydrates and sugar, does their mental health increase?

According to Perfect keto, the diet was created in the 1920s to help those with epilepsy. By balancing the connection between the gut and the brain, people saw a change in this horrible medical condition. The diet was a great success and began to be used for other purposes.

Those individuals suffering from mental confusion, lack of productivity, or poor mental performance saw a difference within the first two weeks. Could your diet have something to do with norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin? According to RM Wilders, creator of the ketogenic diet, he believed so.

Signs of norepinephrine deficiency

When your brain chemicals are out of control, you can experience somatic symptoms. Now, how can you tell if your symptoms are simply related to stress or caused by chemicals that are out of balance in the brain? The problem is, you don’t know, and there is no definitive evidence at this time that can prove or debunk this theory.

However, since norepinephrine is so involved with pain levels in the body, you may see some signs of a deficiency that warrant further investigation. These are the most common symptoms of a brain chemical deficiency.

1. Headaches

There are 101 things that can cause headaches, but they can also be due to a chemical imbalance in the brain. If you’ve tried everything to get rid of these painful events and nothing works, then balancing your neurotransmitters may be the key.

2. Back and neck pain

Back and neck pain is a common occurrence. It can happen during times of intense stress or after an accident. You can also inherit a lousy back from your parents. However, it can also be an important sign that brain chemicals are deficient.

3. Jaw pain

For whatever reason, jaw pain can be directly associated with many things that happen in the body. Have you ever heard of someone who had pain in this place just before a heart attack? It can also be a problem when the brain is deficient in these chemical transmitters.

4. Symptoms of fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a generalized pain condition that affects the entire body. It can range from mild to paralyzing, and many have found help not in pain relief remedies but in balancing neurotransmitters.

5. Irritable bowel syndrome

IBS affects between 25 and 45 million people in this country or about 10 to 15 percent of the population. This comes from a study you refer to About IBS. Again, this has parallels between the gut-brain connection like when you are anxious. You often have problems with diarrhea.

6. Anxiety

Panic is closely related to anxiety. When anxiety reaches high levels, a person can have a complete rest known as panic attack. These attacks can last from 10 to 20 minutes and their severity ranges from mild to paralyzing.

8. Generalized joint pain

Generalized joint pain looks a lot like fibromyalgia. However, you can have body aches without having a meaningful diagnosis like this. When hormone levels in the body are low and brain chemicals don’t send the right signals, you can suffer greatly.

9. Low blood pressure

Since norepinephrine is responsible for heart function, it stands to reason that you may have problems with your blood pressure as well. When this hormonal level is not correct, it can affect your heart in many ways, but blood pressure is one of the most noticeable pathways.

10. Reduced muscle tone

Your muscle tone can also fail when you have problems with your brain chemicals. You may notice things like droopy eyelids or stiff muscles. Are there people who think they have something more serious that needs a boost in their neurotransmitters to make them feel better?

11. Symptoms of ADHD

ADHD is a neurological disorder, but an imbalance of brain chemicals can make it worse. Even those who have never had a problem with ADHD can have symptoms when their neurotransmitters are turned off. This is why so many doctors encourage people to follow a restrictive diet as the first line of defense against this condition.

12. Mind fog

Brain fog is a problem that makes you feel like you don’t see things. The world around you is hazy and you feel bad. The chemicals in your brain can have a lot to do with this, or it can be caused by other problems as well.

Final thoughts on brain chemical deficiencies

In many cases, a little trial and error is warranted to find what works for you and makes you feel better. However, you can never go wrong with increasing your exercise and lowering your stress levels, in addition to having a healthy diet.