Serotonin & digestive motility

[Guest guest]

Several of you have asked about serotonin and its role in digestion. Serotonin is a biochemical/neurotransmitter involved in brain function that is used in the gut to help regulate digestive functions; also helps us sleep, modulates anger and aggression, body temperature, mood, appetite, metabolism, controls vomiting to some degree....

An interesting fact that 80-90% of the body's serotonin is found in the human GI tract, in the enterochromaffin cells located there.

I'm still trying to understand how the body synthesizes serotonin, and how the neurotransmitter works. If you've heard of 5-HTP and/or tryptophan, then you're talking about serotonin.

Wikipedia has a good, basic article on serotonin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin

I did a lot of reading on it just after diagnosis 5 years ago, but didn't bookmark any websites at the time. You can Google the words -- serotonin digestion -- and find a lot of helpful websites in the first two pages. One of the interesting ones is:

http://neuromolecular.wordpress.com/category/digestion/

I work in a library, so have access to medical references in addition to several databases of medical journals. I looked for books on the neurological aspect to digestion, but didn't find much in my local library system. However, I did come across a very helpful book mentioned in many articles, and borrowed it through my library's Interlibrary loan process.

It's an excellent book. The Second brain, by Gershon. I don't think it's in print any longer. I want to read it again, so I'm looking for a used copy to purchase. Lots of good information, although some of it is very technical. At the time I had difficulties with the neurological terminology, but I've learned a lot since then and need to reread the book.

The gist of many experts is that altered neurotransmitters and biochemicals, in particular serotonin, may be the cause of many digestive disorders and dysfunctions. Unfortunately this is an area of medicine that hasn't been studied enough yet, so doctors are having to guess and try different approaches.

I'll be having another conversation on serotonin with my gastroenterologist when I see him next month, as I'm not doing too well with the occasional dose of Zelnorm. I'm hoping he'll suggest some other options for increasing my serotonin levels. If I learn anything more on this issue, I'll post an update.

Kim M.

SCD 5 years

Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, GP, IBS-C 5+ years

neurological deterioration 2+ years