The effects of levetiracetam at ΔFosB expression

[Fourofakind]

The effects of levetiracetam were associated with changes in striatal expression of ΔFosB, phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (p-ERK1/2), and phosphorylated cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein of 32 kDa (p-DARPP-32).

Levetiracetam Ameliorates L-DOPA-Induced Dyskinesia in Hemiparkinsonian Rats Inducing Critical Molecular Changes in the Striatum

L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias (LID) remain a major problem of long-term therapy of Parkinson's disease. Levetiracetam, a new antiepileptic drug, has been shown to reduce LID, but the mechanisms underlying its effects are unknown. In this study, we assessed ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The study focus mainly on FosB, but only striatal expression.

The levetiracetam crosses easily BBB afaik.

There are not effects of the gen expression at more important areas related with the addiction, but, im not a professional and my relation with the neurosciences is not professional, but its a passion and a hobbie.

Recently, decided go to a psych, i have a daily meth habit from around 6 yrs ago, with few 3 months stops, mainly 5 of 6 last years using daily, i want to quit and have add threatment (im diagnosed and taked all meds available at mex, the only amph available is vyvvanse, expensive..., but rn the methamphetamine habit is much more expensive, at least the double or triple, if that wasnt a problem, i really maybe will not consider stop meth, and is hard to have a discipline with the doses, cuz the long half life, the redose rapid comes at my head if im doing nothing that needs my attention, and i have history of abuse smoking it, i have even thinked about low oral meth daily doses, but honestly i dobut cant control it, but cuz most medics at my city refuse to prescribe it and its really rare to find it at drug stores, im not totally discarding the option of TRY low meth dose... if not, IDK what i will do, but i need to stop to spend 70% of my money in meth... its awful).

I gone off topic, sorry, but, gotprescript 1000mg of levetiracetam 2times per day, sertraline100mg. and i already taking clonazepam2mg daily since 2 or 3 yrs ago.

Really impressed me that levetiracetam could reduce the FosB expression, but idk if this can help with more pros than cons, (there are not much side effects, but are) for a long term sustance use and dependence.

Will love to read your opinions, thank you.

 

[Skorpio]

I would be really surprised if lev has effects on deltafosb in the absence of stimuli that drive its expression. The context studied in this paper is of course direct increases in dopamine via L-dopa decarboxylation.

I would like to see papers dissecting this effect using different dopamine increasers (ie reuptake inhibitors or releasers), and more regional specificity than the whole striatum (I would especially be interested if this effect occurs in the VTA for example).

This paper focuses on deltafosb as a mediator/marker of tardive diskinesia (I would be more confident saying it drives tardive effects if they showed deltafosb knockouts are resistent to tardive diskinesia).

Best case scenario is that lev decreases the rate of tolerance buildup of dopaminergic stimulants. I am really interested in the effects you see adding on lev.

Final thing to note is that tolerance can't be reduced solely to deltafosb induction. Changes in second messenger protein phosphorylation and expression occur, as do changes in the density and function of dopamine receptors. Finally circuit level changes due to addiction definately contribute quite a large amount, and will not likely be changed by lev.

Good luck with regulating the meth though, it's a real beast, and quite tricky to achieve balance with.

 

[emkee_reinvented]

The side effect's of Lev were to much for me to handle. Btw I took it to prevent seizure"s. None the less, at half that dose I had the shit's daily and vivid dreams to the point that they interrupted my sleep.

So take that in account, everyone is different but ime its a nasty compound unlike Piracetam. At first thought you would assume they would have some resemblance. I am now on Valproic Acid with 2 250 mg doses of Lev. Way better, although I also disliked VPA, was on it before.

But with epilepsy I don't really have a choice. Maybe there is a better alternative to alter fosB, you could search on PubMed?
Good job on quittin' Meth as that seem's a nasty drug.

 

[plumbus-nine]

Oh fuck yeah let's start the age of dFosB antagonists. Next chapter in how to use the excess out of your CNS and getting away with.

I was interested in Levoracetam before given the relation to racetams but I tend to react poorly to anything increasing NMDA activity, tested prami and another one with bad results so didnt get levo.

 

[Fourofakind]

Its not like others racetams, and afaik doesnt increase NDMA activity, its supposed effects works via "synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2a", its generally used in epilepsy, and seizures, but i see when prescribed its not alone, not strong stuff, i got prescribed 1g. twice daily, i bought two bottles of 60 1000mg. tabs, take the prescription around 3 days. lowered dose, 3 days and stoped to take it becouse i never had any seizure even with my hardcore drug abuse (maybe i have seizure slept or in a overdose when i forgot all, i was so drunk too, but i have even abused tramadol for long times and never had any problem so dont want to mess it).
Any kind of opinion about this med and the dfosb is very welcome, im not a professional, just learning ^^

 

[emkee_reinvented]

Levetiracetam is imo garbage, 2 x 250 mg is the max i can tolerate.

 

[Anonymous Dissident]

I take 1000mg 2x/day with absolutely no negative effects. People's responses to keppra seem about as varied as I've seen in an Rx med...

Good find by the way, I had no idea about the ΔFosB modulation.

 

[Fourofakind]

yep, i taken 1000mg 2x/day too without any side effect, but i stopped becouse i dont have epilepsy or convulsion problems, the psych said that prescripted me as a mood stabilizer, but i guess my already clonazepam prescription is much more "mood stabilizer" than any antiepileptic drug, so i stopped, i will not tell him, becouse then i will be the bad person that dont follow the instructions of the wise super professional doctor, and i will have the fault of their prescription "dont worked", just dont want to discuss with a loggerhead, im paying for prescription and recomendations, thats all, when a psych starts thinking im lying or any shit to get prescriptions, even when they know that i have in my family drs. that abuse of drugs and give me any prescription i want, i have even a block of prescription orders signed and i can fill them with the date and med i want lol but i have only used to get buprenorphine IV few times years ago... well. when they denies to alternatives that i have been successfull for me before, i just search another dr that will love to get my money, medics that are arrogant are the most and are even a pain for the society, but they feel superb. I have never found a psych with real humility, they all love the money and the social prestige more than the relationship with the patient, so i just use them when i want advice of any situation related with my mind and substance abuse.

Lev was really insignificant in effects for me at 1g. 2x daily, no good or side efects, like take a sugar pill, but thats just me.

Blessings!

 

[Anonymous Dissident]

yep, i taken 1000mg 2x/day too without any side effect, but i stopped becouse i dont have epilepsy or convulsion problems, the psych said that prescripted me as a mood stabilizer, but i guess my already clonazepam prescription is much more "mood stabilizer" than any antiepileptic drug, so i stopped, i will not tell him, becouse then i will be the bad person that dont follow the instructions of the wise super professional doctor, and i will have the fault of their prescription "dont worked", just dont want to discuss with a loggerhead, im paying for prescription and recomendations, thats all, when a psych starts thinking im lying or any shit to get prescriptions, even when they know that i have in my family drs. that abuse of drugs and give me any prescription i want, i have even a block of prescription orders signed and i can fill them with the date and med i want lol but i have only used to get buprenorphine IV few times years ago... well. when they denies to alternatives that i have been successfull for me before, i just search another dr that will love to get my money, medics that are arrogant are the most and are even a pain for the society, but they feel superb. I have never found a psych with real humility, they all love the money and the social prestige more than the relationship with the patient, so i just use them when i want advice of any situation related with my mind and substance abuse.

Lev was really insignificant in effects for me at 1g. 2x daily, no good or side efects, like take a sugar pill, but thats just me.

Blessings!

Like a sugar pill indeed, I just simply don't have seizures at any regular interval as long as I take it.

 

[Fourofakind]

I know when something puts me desinhibited, agressive (this is rare, maybe alcohol when was younger), sightly depressed, very worried, anxious, uncomfortable (anxiety), frustration, rage.

Of the thousands of drugs i have used and abused, really no one induced agressive or rage behaivour on me, with the exception of alcohol around and before age of 18, and maaaybe ritalin maked me even more antisocial and prone to discuss bs at the comedowns, thats the effect i disliked more and i hate methylphenidate.

To me doesnt induced any emotional or behaivour noticeable change, for me or other ones, becouse i have ppl that i see daily and they express when they see something "different", all knows about my lifetime drug use and actual dependence to methamp (will try soon to change it to modafinil and phenylpiracetam, plus other meds i take already and weed, if is possible to get the benefits of the amphetamine use at least to be noticeable, i would love it, im tried of years in stimulants, and cuz i never had free days until this months that im lowering dose, my tolerance was, and is very high... basically i dont feel anything anymore from pure meth use, im using only to be functional and awake, around 100mg daily, and i easily fall asleep just 3 hrs after last dose, but i want to give myself a rest from amphetamines, im managing a business 6 days of the week, its really hard to do all that in-time work, organization, do the works at time, specially starting doing them... with the stimulants i feel more flat and can do the things, if im hearing an audio book or any thing that distract my mind if the work doesnt demand focus, if it demand focus, its easy to focus if im not overstimulated, no very common)

IME lev had absolute zero effects in my mood, at least in a noticeable way, for me or others, i even was aware of that reviews about mood changes, and was waiting to be, idk, like in a light comedown of stims idk, but nah, nothing, just like i was taking sugar pills, my personal reaction, im taking daily SSRI, benzo, amph and weed, i know that each one in a different way and level modifies my mood, the less noticeable are SSRI and the most, weed, but im sure lev didnt give me any problem at 2000mg daily for few days.

Now thinking about phenylpiracetam + modafinil, if that dont works directly, then i will change from meth to lysdexamp, then if possible a non amph combo that help me 50% amphs do, but without the potencial addiction, cuz i have abused of everything psychoactive i have touched, and i want to stabilize in the therapeutic drug daily use, but still meth is the most helpfull and most undesirable.

Idk why the psych prescribed me lev... if it is a "mood stabilizer" should be a very weak one, and if by mood stabilization we are talking about antiepileptic Ca channel blockers, gabapentinoids, etc... the mood stabilizing effects are much more effective with clonazepam that i take already.

i gone off topic, but if you can recommend me any agent or activity that will contribute significatly in the wellbeing at my situation i would love to read what do u think, just not very obvious things like food and sleep, im ok with that.

I will see a new psych in 4 days, lets see whats him opinion and what he recommends to me,

Sorry for the big off topic, im smoking something and obviously divagued a ton, im just leaving to the work or i will get stuck here...

Nice day for you all!