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Re: Long-term dopamine depletion from meds possible?

Posted by MarkinBoston on January 24, 2001, at 15:44:35

In reply to Long-term dopamine depletion from meds possible?, posted by PhoenixGirl on January 24, 2001, at 14:41:28

> Drugs that increase the effect of serotonin apparently decrease dopamine. If these drugs are taken for years, can dopamine depletion continue even after they are stopped?
> I've heard that drugs that increase dopamine, like amphetamines, will in the long term deplete dopamine (or something like that). Do scientists even know about long-term dopamine depletion from serotonergic and dopaminergic drugs?

A great question I'd like to know the answer to also! Generally dopamine output naturally declines with age. Kids run around like crazy, everything is a major crisis for a teen, Spring Break and keg parties are a blast for college kids, and later on, you're watching Masterpiece Theatre on PBS.

The bad news is when you've lost most of your dopamine production capacity. Its called Parkinson's disease and continues to get worse. Many of the interesting drugs that augment dopamine levels are listed for treatment of narcolepsy and/or Parkinson's. One drug, now illegal that helps both of these diseases is GHB. When taken at bedtime, it antagonizes dopamine neurotransmitters while you sleep, and after its worn off, there is more dopamine produced during the day. The patented, legal version under review by the FDA for Parkinson's is called Sodium Oxybate. If GHB conserves dopamine, and other drugs turn it up, perhaps there may be a burn out effect. Does Richard Prior have MS because he freebased so much (dopamine agonizing) cocaine?

There's also a brain anti-oxident school of thought where certain drugs help clean up waste products in the brain. See www.lef.org for some of that and their like of deprnyl.


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poster:MarkinBoston thread:52430
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010122/msgs/52440.html