Stimulants Do amphetamines burn up receptors in your brain?

[Levvytation]

I did quite a bit of methedrone early last year over a 4 month period, and I think its done some damage to my central nervous system

I've done plenty of trips, coke, speed over the years and methedrone has killed more brain cells than the rest put together. IMHO

 

[TheFDA]

Okay, so the following information I know for sure is correct, but there's a good chance that lots of the terminology & such I'm using isn't. So hopefully you'll be able to get the general idea of what I'm trying to say... You should be able to... I just don't want anyone bitching at me with comments like, "

Basically, all stimulants cause your brain to release more Dopamine. The stronger the stimulant, the more Dopamine is released. Your brain only creates a certain amount of Dopamine, so eventually when you end up going off Adderall or Meth or whatever, your brain is somewhat depleted of the Dopamine it has stored up. So, yes, it definitely fucks with your Dopamine receptors, which is why when people have been using Amphetamines in high dosages -- or even just a moderate dose of Adderall perhaps -- for a while & then stop, you get much more depressed & have much more energy & trouble functioning & all that.

However, unless you've been a hardcore user for a LONG time, like at the very least a decade, your brains Dopamine levels & receptors & shit WILL repair themselves & get back to normal.

I was a hardcore Meth user some time ago, but I had only been using for a year, & I went to one of the best rehabs in the country & they told me it would take me six months at the very longest being clean from Amphetamines for my brain's Dopamine receptors & all to get back to "normal"... They said it most likely wouldn't take that long though since I'd only been using for a year.

 

[amber_dawn]

hmm--
provoke, thanks for that info. i've had an adderall rx (for 20 mg daily) for about 11 years. I haven't taken it consistently, i've gone months at a time without taking it during the 11 years. Currently though i've been using it a lot, and I worry what kind of damage I'll do to myself. I have abused it, but never to the point of doing more than 40 mgs a day. I still feel quite buzzed off 20 mg! I would think that's a good sign i haven't fucked myself up to much? I do experience a bit of withdraw after extended periods of use, so obviously there is SOME damage.....but I'm hoping it's minimal.

Also, I think methedrone sounds kind of scary. It seems to be much more harcore than most stimulants, regular meth included.

 

[Provoke]

Okay, so the following information I know for sure is correct, but there's a good chance that lots of the terminology & such I'm using isn't. So hopefully you'll be able to get the general idea of what I'm trying to say... You should be able to... I just don't want anyone bitching at me with comments like, "

Basically, all stimulants cause your brain to release more Dopamine. The stronger the stimulant, the more Dopamine is released. Your brain only creates a certain amount of Dopamine, so eventually when you end up going off Adderall or Meth or whatever, your brain is somewhat depleted of the Dopamine it has stored up. So, yes, it definitely fucks with your Dopamine receptors, which is why when people have been using Amphetamines in high dosages -- or even just a moderate dose of Adderall perhaps -- for a while & then stop, you get much more depressed & have much more energy & trouble functioning & all that.

However, unless you've been a hardcore user for a LONG time, like at the very least a decade, your brains Dopamine levels & receptors & shit WILL repair themselves & get back to normal.

I was a hardcore Meth user some time ago, but I had only been using for a year, & I went to one of the best rehabs in the country & they told me it would take me six months at the very longest being clean from Amphetamines for my brain's Dopamine receptors & all to get back to "normal"... They said it most likely wouldn't take that long though since I'd only been using for a year.

I don't think it's the dopmine quantity that's the problem. I think the problem is in the message. When you get used to taking dex, the brain gets used to being stimulated so it just sits back and sais...I don't have to do much, amphetmaine does the job. ^_^ When you take away amphetamine, the brain thinks that amphetamine is still calling for dopamine so it sits down while in fact the dopamine is critically low. It takes a while for it to realize that it has to get ass up and start working...lol I see it that way.

 

[Cam520]

Does one's bodyweight/size effect the amounts in regards to neuro-toxicity?

I am a 260lb man (six three) and I have been prescribed 60mg daily of adderall (both in morning) for the past two years, and havent noticed anything detrimental yet anyway (Adderall was a godsend for me and my ADHD).....

I never take more than the prescribed amount, and have taken methamphetamine a few times recreationally when I wasnt taking adderall, but never got any type of euphoric high from it, just the alertness and normal effects similar to those of adderall (obviously a bit more pronounced)

 

[clay404]

my question is: how much damage does sporadic meth use do? say, a few times a year for no more than 2 days or so at a time? I'm really regretting falling back into some meth usage this year as I am aware of how neurotoxic this drug is. The good thing for me is, I usually start feeling so whack on day 2 of using that I quit and don't do it again for weeks.

I'm stopping again though because I don't want to risk losing any more mental capacity and I don't want to have to be told that the porn video booth is closing because it's 6 am and I'm wide awake.

 

[skoat]

my question is: how much damage does sporadic meth use do? say, a few times a year for no more than 2 days or so at a time?

And my answer is you should be fine. Thats not the kind of use that will cause much permanent damage whatsoever. If you're serious about not wanting to fall back on the 'gak', then remove yourself from situations where you know you can't say no.

You already sound like you've got the self control, just finish the job.

 

[clay404]

^ Thanks man. Yeah, I've already been deleting numbers and went on a multi-week vacation in order to sever ties with certain people. I don't feel any need to do the stuff, so that is good - however a schoolmate keeps tempting me with his vyvanse script (not really meth but I really need to distance myself from uppers so I don't start relying on them).

 

[jamesmartin]

Normal dose is 5 mg in the morning, 5 mg in the afternoon. 10mg in the morning and 5 mg in the afternoon is the maximum recommended dosage for therapeutic purposes.
Anything that goes over 40mg a day is considered recreational but even so the damage is minimal. To damage your receptors you would have to do 100+ a day for a few years.

^ do you have anything to back that up ?

 

[Provoke]

hmm--
provoke, thanks for that info. i've had an adderall rx (for 20 mg daily) for about 11 years. I haven't taken it consistently, i've gone months at a time without taking it during the 11 years. Currently though i've been using it a lot, and I worry what kind of damage I'll do to myself. I have abused it, but never to the point of doing more than 40 mgs a day. I still feel quite buzzed off 20 mg! I would think that's a good sign i haven't fucked myself up to much? I do experience a bit of withdraw after extended periods of use, so obviously there is SOME damage.....but I'm hoping it's minimal.

Nothing to worry about.

^ do you have anything to back that up ?

Lol we're in the same city. ^_^

I know for a fact that they never give more than 40mg daily for ADD/ADHD, like the other dude said, with 20mg you're pretty buzzed out, I can hardly imagine a person who would require more in order to pay attention in class.

 

[JustaJunkie]

Ok, I know for a fact Methamphetamine does. I had a relative that did Meth for many years and now that they are off it. This relative we will call K has psychotic episodes which she had never had ever in her life before even though she is off the Meth now. She did it recently and It does not make her feel good at all anymore. She gets super angry, super depressed/suicidal, or super paranoid or all of the above. This is after a few years of abuse almost everyday though. Now she never thinks like she used to and is just not as smart as she used to be. In my opinion, don't do Meth unless its recreational which is hard because It is very addictive to some people. To me, I don't see how anyone could get hooked on that shit. I'd rather have coke.

 

[soundsystem00]

Yes, long term amphetamine use can cause the brain to associate only it with pleasure.

The good news is that as long as you only use them for a couple nights of fun a month and give your brain time to fully recover before using them again, you should be fine. It is when you become dependent on them for everyday life and don't give yourself time to rebalance in between doses than your brain chemistry begins to change.

I've done a lot of amphetamines ( amongst other drugs) and my ability to feel pleasure from normal things isn't altered. I still feel happy when I score high on a test or am having a fun day at the beach with friends. Admittedly I do have more anxiety than I used to though.

I have been using a lot more meth than usualy lately, I'm usually more into downers but..

During my sober time, I am extremely paranoid.

 

[sir_thizzalot]

Nothing to worry about.



Lol we're in the same city. ^_^

I know for a fact that they never give more than 40mg daily for ADD/ADHD, like the other dude said, with 20mg you're pretty buzzed out, I can hardly imagine a person who would require more in order to pay attention in class.

You said that 40mg/day isn't damaging, that's what he asked if you could back up. I'm curious too and hope that's not just opinion, it will make me feel less guilty when using low doses of amphetamines. Hopefully some dexedrine comes floating by soon so I won't feel the need to replace it with low dose meth (since we know adderall doesn't have the same greatness as dex, and for me vyvanse only makes me feel good the first 1-2 hours, then feel like shit the rest of the time it's running me. Seriously it's like it releases a decent amount at once then releases so slowly that it's like taking one bigger dex dose followed by a bunch of small ones that don't hlep and make you tweaky. grrrr.

 

[Nexius]

From everything I've read and heard, damage from meth/amphetamine neurotoxicity isn't permanent. The brain does slowly repair itself over time.

It's called Neuroplasticity

 

[MikeySpeedy]

i think theyre a lil safer than schedule 1 stimulants and such, but they can probably have some negative side effects on your dopamine and norepinipherine receptors, it would seem.