Too much norepinephrine can cause unpleasant symptoms and lead to health complications over time. Read on to learn the possible causes and complications of this dysfunction and what factors restore the balance.<\/p>\n
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You may have just landed here from one of our previous articles<\/a> on the function and effects of norepinephrine. If so, then you know that norepinephrine is a catecholamine neurotransmitter involved in the fight or flight response. If not, you may want to brush up on the basics of norepinephrine before you read on.<\/p>\n Very high norepinephrine usually results from an underlying health problem. Rare tumors<\/b> may uncontrollably produce catecholamines, and norepinephrine can rise during the process of drug withdrawal<\/b>. Chronic kidney disease<\/b>, in which high blood pressure is very common, also presents with high norepinephrine [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n The list of symptoms below is not necessarily exhaustive, nor do they necessarily indicate high norepinephrine specifically. If you suffer from these symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.<\/b><\/p>\n High blood pressure is often the first sign of elevated norepinephrine. However, over time, extreme levels of this neurotransmitter can produce the following symptoms and complications:<\/p>\n Post-traumatic stress disorder<\/a>, or PTSD, is a mental disorder that develops when a person is exposed to extreme stress. People with PTSD appear to have a hyperactive norepinephrine system; their brains produce a fear response with relatively little prompting. Treatments for PTSD often focus on reducing norepinephrine [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Chronic stress\u2014or, stress that is maintained for a long period of time\u2014can cause extensive damage to many parts of the body.<\/p>\n Norepinephrine directs resources away from maintenance<\/b>, regeneration<\/b>, and reproduction<\/b> and toward systems that are required for active movement; as a result, many organ systems don\u2019t have the resources to stay healthy and functional if there\u2019s too much norepinephrine [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n The consequences can include slowing of growth (in children), sleeplessness, loss of libido, gastrointestinal problems, impaired disease resistance, slower rates of injury healing, anxiety, and increased vulnerability to addiction [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Norepinephrine is a stress hormone that helps activate the fight or flight response, so it\u2019s no surprise that it also increases anxiety<\/a>. Furthermore, these neurons exist primarily in the locus coeruleus<\/b>, a region of the brain that produces the panic response<\/b> [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n When neurons containing norepinephrine fire in the locus coeruleus, they promote anxious behavior in mice and rats. Some researchers have therefore suggested that this mechanism could be exaggerated in people with anxiety disorders<\/b> [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Norepinephrine increases wakefulness<\/b>, and too much of it is linked with poor sleep<\/b><\/a> quality and insomnia<\/b>. In fact, at specific points during a healthy sleep cycle, the neurons that produce norepinephrine do not release any of it at all [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n These norepinephrine neurons are <\/b>\u201csilent<\/b>\u201d during REM sleep<\/b>: periods of rapid eye movement (REM) during which the brain produces dreams. We don\u2019t fully understand the purpose and function of REM, but we know that it\u2019s important for high-quality and restful sleep [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\nHigh Levels of Norepinephrine<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
Symptoms<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
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PTSD<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
Potential Negatives of Norepinephrine<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
1) Anxiety<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
2) Poor Sleep<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n