Posted by linkadge on June 11, 2006, at 15:52:57
In reply to Re: Euphoria inducing Med Combinations » linkadge, posted by SLS on June 11, 2006, at 7:45:15
Well, most people know that pleasure comes in gradients. You get a little bit, and you generally just want more.
I don't know a whole lot about it, but I do know that it works to constantly reset itself. I know of a few mechanisms such as the fact that people who abuse DAT inhibitors generally have long term compensatory changes in DAT expression. Drug free cocaine users generally have much higher DAT expression for a long period after drug sobriety. The same can actually be said for mice raised on methylphenidate. Adaptational changes to receptor expression also happens within the neucleus accumbens. I know that repeated nicotine exposure generally changes levels of d3 receptors in the neucleus accumbens. I've also read about how when you take certain stimulants, there are compensatory increases in cholinergic mechanisms to try and counteract it. I read a study that suggested that mice raised on certain stimulants and antidepressants had compensatory changes in acetycholinsterase, that lasted long after drug discontinuation.
I think it comes more down to glutamate release in the region than anything. A neurotransmitter may be responsible for intiating release, but you can only release so much at one point before the cells need to take breaks to recharge.
On the frontpage of www.biopsychiatry.com there is a lot of talk about how just about every drug we have in our collection falls short of the ability to produce perpetual euphoria.
It is coded within our genes for us to think that we have the ability to find everlasting happiness. Thats what keeps us going. Though, it is also within our genes that we never find everlasting happiness, since that too keeps us going.
Linkadge
poster:linkadge
thread:655310
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060610/msgs/655552.html