Posted by Racer on May 5, 2005, at 22:52:45
In reply to Re: Overwhelmed by # of Meds Prescribed/Combos, posted by stargazer on May 5, 2005, at 21:53:49
> I think it will still be too complicated for me to understand all of the chemical interactions occuring in the brain and which drug affect which
> symptoms. Between agonists, GABA, dopamine, 5HT1A (what the hell is that?)I feel totally baffled.
>The ONLY thing I can answer here is that 5HT1A refers to serotonin:
5HT -- sorry, not gonna look up what the HT means, it's a chemical description -- is serontonin. There are numerous serotonin receptors. This one is serotonin 1 sub A. Just like, oh, French vanilla rather than plain vanilla. A little different, but basically the same flavor.
And an agonist basically means that something holds the ion channel open on a cell, rather than having it close and open. The channels are ligand gated, which means that each channel is a little like a tiny sphincter, which can be propped open for neurochemicals to move into the cell. Or out of the cell, I suppose, but we usually worry more about getting stuff in...
I hope this helps. I find it fascinating, but don't understand it much myself...
poster:Racer
thread:492932
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050504/msgs/494285.html