299 | id == 299
299 | category_id == 19
299 | category_order == 16
299 | category_name == Pain
299 | category_color == #C47AC0
299 | slug == adra1a-pain
299 | title == The Role of the Fight or Flight System in Fibromyalgia Pain (ADRA1A)
299 | meta_description == ADRA1A is a receptor that helps manage the fight or flight response. What is its role in pain perception and fibromyalgia?
299 | summary == <p><strong>ADRA1A is a receptor that helps manage the fight or flight response. What is its role in pain perception and fibromyalgia? Read on to find out.</strong></p>
299 | overall_score_text == Fibromyalgia Score (Based on ADRA1A)
299 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/ADRA1A--Pain-Fibromyalgia-Risk--Severity.jpg
299 | author_id == 1
299 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
299 | author_title == BSc, BEd
299 | author_order == 36
299 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
299 | author_intro == <p><strong>Jasmine received her BS from McGill University and her BEd from Vancouver Island University.</strong></p>    <p>Jasmine loves helping people understand their brains and bodies, a passion that grew out of her dual background in biology and education. From the chem lab to the classroom, everyone has the right to learn and make informed decisions about their health.</p>
299 | reviewer == None
299 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
299 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
299 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
299 | publish_date == 2020
299 | publish_date == 8
299 | publish_date == 31
299 | avg_rating == 5.0
299 | tags_id == 670
299 | tags_name == ADRA1A Gene
299 | tags_id == 671
299 | tags_name == Adrenergic System
299 | tags_id == 510
299 | tags_name == Caffeine
299 | tags_id == 53
299 | tags_name == Epinephrine
299 | tags_id == 7
299 | tags_name == Fibromyalgia
299 | tags_id == 71
299 | tags_name == Pain
299 | tags_id == 50
299 | tags_name == Stress
299 | permissions_favorite == False
299 | permissions_rate == False
299 | content_article == <ul> <li><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ADRA1A</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene encodes an epinephrine receptor that is part of something called the adrenergic system.</span></span></li> <li><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Variations in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ADRA1A</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene have been associated with fibromyalgia, a chronic </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/pain-management/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">pain</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> disorder.</span></span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Careful lifestyle, diet, and supplement choices can help your body produce healthy levels of epinephrine and keep your adrenergic system in balance.</span></li> </ul> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ADRA1A </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gene in Fibromyalgia</span></h2> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ADRA1A</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene encodes a receptor for epinephrine (adrenaline) [</span><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/art.24655"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Epinephrine is one of the major signals responsible for the fight or flight response [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3056281/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Patients with fibromyalgia, a chronic pain disorder, may have an abnormal epinephrine response to stress [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2990568/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/art.24655"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Drugs that increase the activity of adrenergic receptors (like ADRA1A) have helped some people with fibromyalgia [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2990568/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Learn More About the Adrenergic Response</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To learn more about epinephrine and the fight or flight response, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/epinephrine/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">check out this post</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Once epinephrine has been used, it is broken down by MAOA and </span><a href="../../article/boost-your-cognitive-ability-with-comt-22"><span style="font-weight: 400;">COMT</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Check out our </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/about-mao-a-and-what-to-do-if-you-have-the-warrior-gene/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">SelfHacked post on MAOA</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and our </span><a href="https://get.selfdecode.com/comt/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">new COMT gene report</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for more about how to keep these important enzymes in balance.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/dopamine/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">dopamine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> beta-hydroxylase (DBH) enzyme converts dopamine into norepinephrine, an important step in the production of epinephrine. For more about the role of DBH in pain, </span><a href="../../article/dbh-migraine-286/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">check out this post</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4846438/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your genes for these three enzymes can help you make an informed decision about your adrenergic system, including </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ADRA1A</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ADRA1A </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Results for Fibromyalgia</span></h2> <p>*1331031376801128*</p> <p><strong>ADRA1A </strong><a href="../../../snp/rs1048101/"><strong>rs1048101</strong></a></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Not associated with abnormal response to epinephrine; not associated with fibromyalgia</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Associated with increased disability in fibromyalgia</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele may promote the feeling of pain by reducing adrenergic receptor activity [</span><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/art.24655"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>ADRA1A </strong><a href="../../../snp/rs1383914/"><strong>rs1383914</strong></a></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Not associated with abnormal response to epinephrine; not associated with fibromyalgia</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with increased incidence of fibromyalgia</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele may promote the feeling of pain by reducing the amount of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ADRA1A</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene expression [</span><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/art.24655"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>ADRA1A </strong><a href="../../../snp/rs574584/"><strong>rs574584</strong></a></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Not associated with abnormal response to epinephrine; not associated with fibromyalgia</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Associated with increased disability and pain in fibromyalgia patients</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele may promote the feeling of pain by reducing the amount of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ADRA1A</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene expression [</span><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/art.24655"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p>*7219198931224868*</p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Recommendations for Reducing Pain</span></h2> <p>*3137002263776847*</p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lifestyle</span></h3> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Intense Experiences</span></h4> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Epinephrine and norepinephrine, the &ldquo;fight or flight&rdquo; signals, increase in response to stress and fear. However, they also come into play during intense positive experiences!</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Animal and human studies have confirmed that powerful emotions of all kinds can trigger an adrenergic response [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2516177/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://molecularbrain.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1756-6606-3-15"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">That means that any experience that makes you feel strongly (and requires a lot of brain power to process) may increase adrenergic activity.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">People with fibromyalgia may have a reduced adrenergic response to </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-14-proven-health-benefits-exercise-references-mechanisms/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">exercise</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, low blood sugar, and other physical stressors, so your results may vary if you have a fibromyalgia diagnosis [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2700184/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">You may want to seek out intense experiences (like roller coasters or scary movies) to see whether you feel any change.</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Intense experiences&mdash;both good and bad&mdash;stimulate the adrenergic response.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Diet</span></h3> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">High Protein Foods</span></h4> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your body uses the amino acids </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/9-health-benefits-phenylalanine/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">phenylalanine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/8-proven-health-benefits-tyrosine/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">tyrosine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to make epinephrine [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17513421"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Basically, any food rich in protein (meat, fish, cheese, nuts, etc.) will provide phenylalanine and tyrosine for your body to make epinephrine [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17513421"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4705437/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9814366"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">High protein diets may also help fibromyalgia patients manage pain. According to one study, patients with higher protein intake had a higher pain threshold than those who ate less protein [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7141322/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">High-protein foods supply the buildings blocks for producing epinephrine, which stimulates ADRA1A receptors.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Supplements</span></h3> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Caffeine</span></h4> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/caffeine-benefits/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Caffeine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> stimulates the adrenergic system and causes epinephrine levels to rise. One study found that coffee elevates epinephrine levels in the urine by 32% [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12140349"><span style="font-weight: 400;">90</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to multiple studies, the addition of caffeine to painkillers (most often ibuprofen and Tylenol) slightly but significantly improves their effectiveness for acute pain [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6485506/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20624245/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6485702/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11999141/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For pain, caffeine works much better in combination with other painkillers than it does by itself [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6485506/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20624245/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6485702/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11999141/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Caffeine works in part by stimulating the adrenergic system, including ADRA1A.</span></p>
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299 | content_learn_more_7219198931224868_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your ADRA1A gene is associated with relatively lower adrenergic activity and higher rates of fibromyalgia. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall pain sensitivity, just one gene related to it. Intense experiences, high protein foods, and caffeine may help. Keep reading to learn more.
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rsIDs = rs1048101,rs1383914,rs574584
rsStatus = rs1048101,ADRA1A,chr8,26770511,A,C,G,T,43,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs1383914,ADRA1A,chr8,26865532,T,C,,,16,16,HET
rsStatus = rs574584,ADRA1A,chr8,26866167,C,G,T,,44,0,Normal
