• Neuroscience & Pharmacology Discussion Welcome Guest
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
    Recent Journal Articles Chemistry Mega-Thread
    FREE Chemistry Databases! Self-Education Guide

  • N&PD Moderators: Skorpio | someguyontheinternet

Interested but needs help...

s3v3r3d&s7on3d

s3v3r3d&s7on3d

Bluelighter
Joined
Sep 26, 2003
Messages
353
Location
North Carolina
I have recently become very interested in how drugs effect the brain and human body, how drugs are chemically built and how the body changes those drugs chemical structure upon enetering the body. Now I no absolutely nothing involving chemistry, pharmacology and all those other fields that involve these things. So what I'm asking is if anyone knows where I could find a thread, guide, book, text, post, etc... for the absolute beginner on this subject. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
Lol. Well s3v3r3d&s7on3d we're working on a textbook just for people like you. It's not finished, but some important chapters are done. It can be found here.

I'm personally not awear of any good texts for begingers, on the neuropharmacology of drugs, When it comes to basic pharmacology, the best is Rang Dale and Ritter: Pharmacology.
 
Thanks BilZ0r, I'll check that out. As for other people in this room, please allow your too get in a horrible car wreck on your way home from work. It's not very intelligent too assume what someone's level of intelligence is because they requested information too help me learn some things.
 
Erowid has a wide variety of articles meant for all levels of readers, from experts in the field to people who know absolutely nothing, and is probably one of the best places to start.

If you're interested in psychedelic drugs, Alexander and Ann Shulgin's two books: "PiHKAL" and "TiHKAL" are wonderful. They are written from the perspective of a chemist with years of experience (Alexander), and a novice who only discovered psychedelic drugs late in life (Ann), so are fairly easy to understand regardless of your educational experience. Plus, they're written in narrative form, more a story than a textbook, so they're both a lot of fun to read.

Any high-school or college level biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, or psychology textbooks would probably also have some useful information.
 
>>Thanks BilZ0r, I'll check that out. As for other people in this room, please allow your too get in a horrible car wreck on your way home from work. It's not very intelligent too assume what someone's level of intelligence is because they requested information too help me learn some things.>>

heh...im not that mean...not necessarily well-educated enough to valuably contribute to this forum either though. Luckily, I don't drive. :)

ebola
 
I wasn't talking about you ebola! I was actually talking about DNICEONER who hopefully did get in a horrible car wreck, that is if he work or drives.
 
jeez guys, and somethgn like that on Santa's great day . . .

just chill. :D

the problem is clearly djniceoner's and not anyone else's. why wish him a car crash on top of his hangups? :\
 
I will try and help you. Firstly I want you to tell me what drugs interest you. I will try and break it down into a list fo you:

1. Hallucinogens
2. Stimulants
3. Hallucinogenic stimulants
4. Serotonergics
5. Serotonergic stimulants
6. Cannabinoids
7. Opiates/oids
8. Dissociatives
9. Sleeping medicine
10. Benzos / Other sedatives
 
I would have broken it down by:

Psychedelics:
Tryptamines
Phenethylamines (those that are 5-HT agonists)
Dissociatives
MD-amphetamines

Stimulants:
non-serotonergic amphetamines
cocaines
piperazines
non-amphetamine DA/NA reuptake inhibitors

Depressants:
opiates/opioids (including piperidines)
benzodiazepines
muscle relaxants
"drowsy" antihistamines
barbiturates

Cannabinoids

SSRIs

Odd drugs out:
mytraginine (tryptamine structure, opiate and adrenergic agonist by action)
thebaine (opiate by structure, stimulant by action)


I'm going more by a cladistic or phylogenic grouping, with broad groups like stimulants or depressants being narrowed to smaller sub-groups based on their differences.

This is by no means a final list, just sort of an off-the-top-of-my-head grouping.
 
Yes I was thinking in satellite mode. If he responds to this post then I will move in to dissect it into sub-catagories.
 
The way the body gets rid of drugs is typically by chemically modifying them and making them more polar. Some drugs leave the body unchanged (such as methamphetamine) to some degree.

Anyway, look up P450 on google. P450s are the enzymes responsible for metabolism. I'm a student in pharmacology and I can't even recommend a good textbook- we just read lecture notes and journal articles. I would go with a google search. Uh, I think they are also called CYPs- If I'm not mistaken (which I may be) CYP3A is one of the P450s responsible for breaking down drugs. Maybe it is 2A?

Why the interest?
 
CYP1A2, 2C9 and 19, 2D6, 2E1, 3A4 and 5

Yup, those are the important ones.
 
Sorry, notes not online. There is probably plenty of basic info if you google.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top