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dopamine - what does it regulate? What is its natural purpose?

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NoodleGurl

Bluelighter
Joined
Feb 20, 2001
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I understand it's the seratonin that makes us feel good when it floods the brain, and is a neurochemical responsible for mood, hunger, sleep, and a variety of other things.
But what exactly does dopamine do when it's released? What is its purpose? What does it regulat in the brain? And are any drugs out there responsible for its release (like amphetamines)?
Sorry if my understanding is skewed, I'm just very curious on how it works. Could someone give me a brief and fairly basic rundown?
 
Your thoughts are right on about serotonin etc.
Dopamine regulates the reward pathways in your noggin. So chemically heightend levels make you feel fufilled at a basic level without actually doing anything. Cocaine blocks the uptake and subsequent destruction of excess dopamine and the amphetamines cause a release much like MDMA does for 5-HT(serotonin) amphetamines also block reuptake of the released dopamine extending the effects for hours. This is why drugs like cocaine and the amphetamines are so addictive. You feel perfectly at peace and fufilled to the point that nothing (like food etc) matters.
Unfortunately these drugs also release adrenaline and nor-adrenaline(epinephrine and nor-ep.) close chemical relatives of dopamine. These neurotransmitters keep your body at a red alert crisis level. And the length of the crisis level is very abnormal. The abnormallity of this adrenaline rush causes your brain to kick in it's failsafe systems. Your dopamine drops drastically with prolonged abuse and you develop a psychosis. Actually indistingushable from paranoid schitzophrenia. Yes I have experienced this, it's not fun at all and although they say it's reversible you will be left with a reminder for the rest of your life. I never was addicted but it doesn't take much to "sketch out"
later,
ketone
 
It's my understanding that amphetamines (e.g. speed) release dopamine, and the energetic, buzzy feeling of speed is caused by dopamine release. If you take a lot of MDMA in the course of a night, your brain will not be able to release more serotonin, and will then release dopamine instead (not to be recommended as this increases the risk of neurotoxicity).
However, I ain't a doctor. You might want to try asking this in Medical Q&A as well. You'll get some good answers there.
 
Basically 3-4 hrs into your E experience (of MDMA), your serotonin starts to monoamine oxidase (MAO) as serotonin is a monoamine. This will eventually 'eat up' the rest of your serotonin and leave dopamine as dopamine replenishes a lot more faster than serotonin can. You start to feel the come down feeling mainly because most of the serotonin is gone by now. Dopamine can then jump where your serotonin was working previously and this is thought when neutoxicity starts to occur. Basically dopamine is around when serotonin can't do 'its job' because its all been depleted for the night and takes too long to replinish itself.
 
ketone, you answered my question perfectly.
I understand how dopamine works regarding mdma, how the seratonin gets more or less used up and dopamine instead takes its place, causing the speedy effect. I went through the slideshow a few times on dancesafe over the course of the year, each time understanding more.
I thought I'd read about amphetamines working with the dopamine system, and I understood that dopamine caused the speedy effects when you roll, esp when you roll too much. I just didn't know what dopamine did, or why it was released. Thanks for the answers, maybe I will post this in Medical. I just wanted the laymen's terms for what it does. If anybody has any more to contribute tho, I'll be glad to hear it.
[ 08 January 2002: Message edited by: NoodleGurl ]
 
NoodleGurl: sorry if I came across as patronising or anything....I get so used to reading posts by absolute newbies that I automatically assumed (without looking at who had posted) that you didn't know anything bout BL or MDMA....
Good question, anyway.
 
Nah, that's fine Simon. I know there's a lot of people on here who don't know and who are new, so I understand the reasoning for you posting what you did. I've been cruising these boards on and off for about a year :) I just find it interesting that serotonin is talked about so much, yet I rarely see anything regarding dopamine, even though both play an important role in MDMA. Perhaps I will have to start cruising the other drugs forum, even though I don't do any other drugs (unless you count the couple ephedra I popped today because I was so tired).
As for MDA, does it release dopamine only? Dopamine and Seratonin? I'm really only familiar with how MDMA works, and not other drugs, or even the other variants of drugs that are often passed off as ecstacy and/or MDMA. I'd go to erowid or lycaeum, but they're both down? :(
 
MDA primarly triggers the release of serotonin just as MDMA, but it does release alot more of the catecholamine(dopamine group) neurotransmitters than does MDMA. This creates a longer more speedy high that still has (diminished) empathogenic qualities.
 
I know how to pre and post load so E wont be AS toxic, and I know 5-Htp and Turkey are great things to build serotonin back up.....BUT
what helps restore (or build up) Dopamine?
peace
sweetillusionz69
 
I know L-Tyrosine (available in the US in any old drug or larger grocery store) helps replenish the dopamine.
ketone, thanks.
 
Interestingly (or at least I think so), in normal circumstances serotonin has an inhibitory effect on dopamine release (ie: more serotonin =less dopamine release).
What dopaime (DA) does depends on which part of the brain:
There are four dopamine pathways in the brain
1) the nigrostriatal DA pathway - controls movements
2) mesolimbic DA pathway - involved in behaviours inc. pleasurable sensations, stimulant drug effects, and hallucinations and delusions in people with psychosis
3) mesocortical DA pathway - also possibly implicated in psychotic symptoms
4) tuberoinfundibular DA pathway - controls prolactin secretion (a hormone) (SOURCE: Psychopharmacology of anti-psychotics, Stephen M Stahl)
You may find mention of the dopamine theory of schizophrenia, that states that too much dopamine =schizophrenia. However, it is now realised that this is an over-simplification, and that it is likely that many neurotransmitters may be involved.
Many prescription drugs influence release of DA, either directly or indirectly, including anti-psychotics, anti-nausea drugs (all decreasing DA release), drugs for Parkinson's disease, stimulants used in ADD (by increasing DA release). It is also considered possible that drugs that increase serotonin like SSRI's may decrease dopamine release, due to the inhibitory effects of serotonin mentioned earlier.
Finally, dopamine is a precursor for another neurotransmitter, norepinephrine/noradrenaline.
 
babydoc: anything anyone says about neurological disorders is an oversimplification.
levo-dopa(l-dopa) is to dopamine as
5-HTP is to serotonin
Unfortunately l-dopa is a perscription drug used to treat parkinsons disease(a deficiency in dopamine function)
Anyways it is best to try and keep your DA levels low as to avoid toxicity, yeah it hasn't been proven that this is the mechanism yet but all roads lead.....
babydoc are you a doctor? in med school? If all goes as planned I'll be there soon as well.
 
i have taken E twice and 1 point of speed recently, i was told by someone on the night, that speed is way worse for you than E, and meth is 10 times worse.
i really loved the feeling of speed and want to try meth but i am a bit paranoid that it might fuck me up.
what is the safest way to have meth and speed? like is there anything i can take that will keep my da levels low, and my seratonin levels high?
i heard that bananas work well, and also chocolate for your seratonin levels?
also, if i had speed and and then speed after i started coming down, or feeling it wear off, and then i dropped an E would that be really bad? because i wouldnt have any dopamine or seratonin?
please help?
 
Speed(amphetamine) and meth(methamphetamine) are for any practical purpose identical. Meth merly has less systemic effects (less pupil dialation and other side effects) a slightly longer effect and lower dosages. So it is more addictive. It is less neurotoxic than MDMA, but because it prone to heavy abuse it is more dangerous. It also affects a different system.
Amphetamines do not release any serotonin so there is no worry about running it down by doing speed. Chocolate and bananas don't do anything for your serotonin levels. Anything with protein in it will have tryptophan in it however it is too small a dose to really help. You need 5-HTP.
Do not however do E and then do a bunch of speed this will be decidedly more neurotoxic, I've done it and I don't reccomend it(did it before I educated myself).
Dropping your e at the end of a speed burn is theoretically a good idea ecept for the fact that you will be pretty worn out by then, and you shouldn't strain your body too much.
The safest way to take amphetamines is to eat them next is snorting. Be warned they are highly addictive I never was addicted per se but I used fairly often and for some time after I quit my mind didn't think the same as always, slight residual psychosis. If you do try it promise yourself to stop if you ever do it while you aren't with friends or at a party or if you do it too often, set limits before you start.
 
ketone:check my profile, all will be revealed! Good luck with getting into med school. And this
anything anyone says about neurological disorders is an oversimplification is so true
SouL^ReapeR :The answer to
what is the safest way to have meth and speed?
would be to leave it in the bag it came in! (sorry, I couldn't resist!) I wouldn't be so bold as to say that speed is worse than MDxx - how negative the effects of one versus another depends on many factors. Ultimately, Dr's around the world give out amphetamines to young people with ADD every day. This doesn't mean it is "safe" or right, but it happens.
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Awesome. Thanks guys, you were really helpful. I'm just trying to fill in all the pieces about what goes on in my head. I've got the big ones, but there are still little gaps. I have so many more questions, but they don't belong in this thread, and I doubt they could be easily answered anyway.
It's really good to have some of you knowledgable guys on board. Thanks for answering a non med-student's questions :)
 
thanx a lot for the answers guys.
i am stilla a little confused. like i have read shit loads, but it is all too much i think.
so amphetamines lower the level of dopamine in your head. and ecstasy lowers the level of seratonin in your head.
if you have high levels of dopamine you may suffer neurotoxicity, and if you have high levels of seratonin, you may suffer hypothermia.
low levels of seratonin will make you suffer depression, and low levels of dopamine will make you suffer loss of the buzzy/rushing feeling, but your body will start to use your seratonin as a reserv if your dopamine runs out...while you are under the influence of amphetamines, correct?
i am 17, been to 4 raves, dropped E twice (1 pill once, half the nex) and taken 1 point of speed once. i take about every 3 months or so. do i need to worry about post and past loading. id so, is it best to do it before, during and after?
thanx.
 
This may be a bit off topic, but maybe not... I've always wondered how alcohol and marijuana work on your brain? I mean, what is it that actually makes you feel drunk/ high? Do they affect dopamine or other neurotransmitters as well?
 
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