Neurochemical effects of tricyclic (Amitriptyline) on pre/post MDMA ?

[neilios]

anyone know neurochemical effects of tricyclic (Amitriptyline) on pre/post MDMA dose?

Hi, was just on post in basic discussion about this trycyclic (http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?t=256311), but thought might get answer here.

My main question is what kind of an effect this drug will have on MDMA in terms of 5-HT levels or just generally. This comes from the idea of taking SSRI's to help post MDMA 5-HT levels/ prevent 5-HT synaptic damage.

I wondered if Amitriptyline would have any kind of potentiating/preventing low levels of 5-HT for MDMA. My brain chemistry knowledge is pretty weak, although i realise that they do have a different action to SSRI's. I cannot find a direct answer to this question anywhere else.

Note that I am not actually taking Amitriptyline on a regular basis as I do not suffer from depression.
Any help/ideas/answers greatly apreciated

 

[Mussoman_Beast]

Well TCAs work on both the serotonin and noradrenaline transporters, and amitriptyline has approximately the same affinity for both of these transporters...Theoretically, I would assume that it would work ok as far as the 5HT part goes, but I'm not too sure about the effect on NA...potentially it could increase the levels which are already high due to the MDMA (and even higher if your pill has amphetamine/meth in it)

The other thing to be concerned about is that overdose with TCAs occurs at quite low dosages, and amitriptyline and MDMA are both substrates for CYP3A4...this could lead to some nasty consequences.

And I also remember reading somewhere that the whole MDMA neurotoxicity being reversed by prozac thing was wrong anyway....although I can't provide a source at the moment.

All this is just theoretical and I haven't really looked too deeply into it, although there is a trip report on erowid of someone who took MDMA and amitriptyline and survived, if that gives you hope

So anyway, I'm not saying don't do it, I'm just saying wait until someone who knows more than me comes along

 

[neilios]

Lovely, thanks for your respsonse.
Just wondered what transporters are? I know that for instance MAO is an enzyme which breaks down 5-HT in the synaptic cleft and that SSRI's stop the the reuptake of 5-HT by the presynaptic synapses(?) But what are transporters?

Sorry, I know this forum isn't entitled 'Q n A for extremely basic neurobiology questions for idioticies' ...

thanks very much for your reply, information is great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is interesting to hear that the prozac thing might not be true as many information sources I find seem to believe this is the case...

sweet

 

[BilZ0r]

In regards to, "taking SSRIs might not actually be that helpful", the information can essentially be found here:

http://www.thedea.org/neurotoxicity.html#prozac

Transporters are large proteins imbedded in the plasma membrane of neurons, just outside the synapse.

Here's a couple of images to give you some idea

 

[Mussoman_Beast]

Yeah, that's the link I was talking about, thanks Bilz0r

And I think MAO is actually in the nerve terminal, not in the synaptic cleft, just to be annoying

Did you have a read through the sticky thread posted at the top of this forum? That might help with some of your questions

And feel free to ask if there's anything else you want to know, although I can't promise I will be able to answer it

 

[BilZ0r]

^ Actually, I think there is evidence for extracellular MAO as well...

 

[neilios]

cheers people, thanks for help

Gonna look into anti-oxidants for dealing with MDMA harm reduction, and maybe try not to get so hot

- That link very helpful BilZ0r, ta.

Have a wicked weekend all, finish my degree final exams 2m, hence looking into having a more 'safe' weekend of partying sweet,