How to Counter the Effects of Too Much Dopamine

Last updated March 11, 2024.
Edited and medically reviewed by Patrick Alban, DC. Written by Deane Alban.

A high dopamine level can lead to more risk-taking, addictive behaviors, and mental disorders. Learn about natural remedies and lifestyle changes that help.

It can make you aggressive, uncooperative, and less empathetic. 

When under the spell of too much dopamine, you are more likely to take risks and act impulsively. 

It can push your libido into hyperdrive and make you more prone to addictions of all kinds. 

Many of these disorders are treated with dopamine antagonists — prescription drugs that work by blocking dopamine receptors.

He contends that too much dopamine can push some people over that fine line between genius and madness.

But nowhere does excess dopamine play a more destructive role than with addictions.

The Link Between High Dopamine and Addictions

Dopamine is the “reward” neurotransmitter that tells your brain that you want more of something.

All potentially addictive substances and behaviors — including caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, stimulant drugs, sugar, shopping, video games, cell phone use, online porn, gambling, pursuit of power, and thrill-seeking — flood the brain with unnaturally high levels of dopamine. 

But dopamine receptors are relatively fragile and this bombardment can damage them or even stimulate them to death.

So, to protect dopamine receptors, a process known as downregulation occurs. 

Dopamine receptors become less responsive or even shut down.

This means you will need more and more of your addictive behavior or substance to get a similar buzz from it.

You are now stuck in a vicious cycle of addiction, dopamine production, and downregulation.

Robert Lustig, MD, states in his book The Hacking of the American Mind that as long as dopamine receptors are alive they can regenerate, but that it can take 12 months or more to return to their normal function.

Prescription Drugs That Can Cause Elevated Dopamine Levels

It’s not just illicit drugs that can cause high dopamine, so can prescription medications.

Many are dopamine agonists which means they work by activating dopamine receptors in the brain.

These drugs are usually prescribed for treating low-dopamine conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and restless legs syndrome. 

The popular antidepressant Wellbutrin works by increasing dopamine as do drugs commonly prescribed for ADHD like Ritalin.

Other Causes of High Dopamine Levels

There are a few other causes of high dopamine that are related to lifestyle.

Stress is tough on the brain in many ways, including negatively impacting its dopamine system. 

" Too much dopamine is often a result of poor lifestyle choices — too much stress, too little sleep, poor diet, partaking of addictive substances, and/or engaging in risky behaviors.

Lack of sleep is another highly detrimental lifestyle habit that can contribute to a rise in dopamine.

And when you don’t sleep well, it’s tempting to push through the day on caffeine and sugar, both of which further spike dopamine levels. 

There’s a neurochemical reason that sugar and caffeine-laden energy drinks are a favorite of extreme sports enthusiasts.

These substances give their brains the dopamine boost they crave.

Is There a Test for Excessive Dopamine?

You may wonder how to know for sure if you are dealing with a high dopamine level.

So far, there are no reliable tests for neurotransmitter imbalances, including excess dopamine.

How to Decrease Dopamine Naturally

Too much dopamine is often a result of poor lifestyle choices — too much stress, too little sleep, poor diet, using addictive substances, and/or engaging in risky behaviors.

Addressing these habits and behaviors responsibly is the key to changing excessive levels of dopamine in a lasting, meaningful way.

But while you are making these lifestyle changes, there are also a handful of nutritional supplements that can help.

Supplements That Lower High Dopamine Levels

Many prescription drugs are dopamine antagonists; they work by blocking dopamine receptors.

There are also several natural dopamine antagonists that safely normalize or reduce high levels of dopamine in mentally healthy people.

Note: If you have a dopamine-related mental disorder or take any medications that affect dopamine levels, talk to your doctor before taking any of these supplements.

1. Bacopa

Bacopa (Bacopa monnieri) is a very popular herb used in the Indian Ayurvedic tradition of medicine.

It’s often used as a brain-boosting supplement that enhances memory, learning, and concentration and is especially good for age-related mental decline.

It is also a mood enhancer that reduces both anxiety and depression.

Bacopa is considered an adaptogen, a substance that supports overall health by helping the body achieve a state of balance known as homeostasis.

Bacopa regulates levels of dopamine, serotonin, and GABA, dialing production up and down as needed. 

This ability makes bacopa a unique, excellent all-purpose herb for achieving and maintaining overall neurotransmitter balance.

3. 5-HTP

5-HTP is a popular supplement usually taken for insomnia, anxiety, and depression.

It is believed to work by increasing serotonin.

An unintended side effect of 5-HTP is that it lowers levels of dopamine.

4. Lemon Essential Oil

One of the simplest and most pleasant ways to normalize dopamine is with lemon essential oil (Citrus limon).

Inhaling lemon oil vapors offers significant anti-anxiety and antidepressant effects.

One known way that this works is by speeding up the turnover of dopamine in the hippocampus. 

5. Noni Fruit

Noni fruit (Morinda citrifolia) comes from a small evergreen tree that grows in volcanic soils of the South Pacific.

In traditional medicine, noni is considered a natural cure-all and is used to treat colds, flu, diabetes, and high blood pressure, as well as depression and anxiety. 

It’s undoubtedly a nutritional powerhouse that also happens to lower dopamine. 

You can buy bottled noni juice or take it in capsule form.

7. Licorice Root

Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is mostly known as a popular flavoring used in candy.

Its botanical name Glycyrrhiza literally means “sweet root.”

But it also has a long history of medicinal use by both traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine.

Licorice supplements are now used mainly to treat digestive disorders and ulcers.

Licorice contains many bioactive compounds including isoliquiritigenin which blocks the production of dopamine and is being studied as a possible antidote to cocaine abuse. 

The US Food and Drug Administration warns that foods containing licorice should be consumed in moderation.

Another compound found in licorice, glycyrrhizic acid, has the undesirable effects of decreasing testosterone while increasing the stress hormone cortisol. 

Licorice should not be mixed with certain medications.

Before taking this herbal remedy, we recommend checking the precautions and possible interactions with one of these online interaction checkers.

8. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

There’s evidence that an excess of dopamine can cause vitamin B6 deficiency. 

This makes sense when you consider that vitamin B6 is a cofactor required for the synthesis of dopamine and so stores get depleted. 

If you suspect that you have a high level of dopamine, consider vitamin B6 supplementation.

Dopamine-Lowering Supplements to Avoid

Some health websites promote herbal remedies for lowering dopamine that are not safe.

Hollowroot (Corydalis cava) and moonseed (Menispermum canadense) are two that should be avoided since they are poisonous. 

Also, make sure that you aren’t inadvertently taking supplements known to increase dopamine.

Avoid any amino acid formulations that are high in the amino acid tyrosine since it’s the main building block of dopamine.

Lower Excess Dopamine With a “Dopamine Fast”

There’s a growing, but controversial, trend emerging from Silicon Valley called “dopamine fasting.”

It appears that it has some merit.

To combat the effects of excessive dopamine caused by overstimulation, Silicon Valley biohackers are taking time off from electronic devices, drugs, and sex, and even embracing silence for 24-hour periods. 

According to Cameron Sepah, PhD, the Silicon Valley psychologist who popularized dopamine fasting, short-term periods of abstaining from social media and technology can help you rebalance your life.