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New Member-Interested in better understanding his meds

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Stevuke79

Greenlighter
Joined
May 23, 2014
Messages
11
Hi guys,

My main reason for being here is that I'm very interested in understanding my medication as well as I possibly can. I tend to be mainly interested in the actual chemistry and the specific structural differences between various drugs, both prescription and recreational. I've uncovered many gems and have learned a ton here even before becoming a member... though I also suspect I don't understand as much as I think I do.

Thanks for being around and I look forward to learning more.
 
Hiya Stevuke79 - and welcome to the Bluelight community.

Papaverium has given you some ace links. Neuroscience and Pharmacology Discussion sounds ideal. Would you be able to tell us more about the medication that you are taking? Of course you don't have to if you don't want to, but it may help us direct you to a sub-forum that may also help you. One of the largest attended focused forums is called Other Drugs (OD) and may be of use. Another sub-forum that focuses on basic drug knowledge is Basic Drug Discussion

Drugs FAQ is a sub-forum that has information on various medication but is for reading only and no longer open to know posts. There's information on medications such as benzos, antidepressants and so forth as well as information on associated reading materials for those medications.


You may also be interested in the following links;

- Adoption Programme (see first post for details)
- New Members Introductions (NMI) Social Thread (for all members of BL to come together and socialise)
- BLUA (Bluelight User Agreement) (the rules, which protect YOU as well as BL)
- Greenlighter's Guide (an extremely useful document, which in my opinion, is still useful to Bluelighter's and answers many questions about BL etc) BL also has a search facility, situated on the top, right of the screen - like Google, simply type in a word/phrase and a load of associated threads will appear.

I won't give out anymore links as I don't want to overwhelm you when you're first here. However, please feel free to ask any further directors or if you have any questions re the site.
 
Thanks guys!!! I really appreciate all the replies and the welcome. I am on a combination of Adderall IR and XR; 80mg/day total. Been on it for 5 years and this dose for about 4 and a half years.

I'm kind of intimidated by this technical expertise I see here .. so forgive me if I sound like an idiot who has tried and failed to know what he's talking about. I've been trying to self educate on the web... half of my info comes from this site. Thanks for asking what I want to know more about!! I was afraid of posting this question in the wrong spot,.. but now I have a perfect excuse to share the main question that's on my mind right now. (I ask this before checking out those links - which I will; just haven't gotten to it yet.)

I'm often in debates around the idea that Ritalin is prescription cocain and Adderall is prescription meth. I want to understand how cocain works better, particularly as compared to ritalin. I think I understand adderall as compared to meth and I'll start there to highlight where I'm lost. (or where I'm aware that I'm lost). Feel free to tell me if I'm way off in regards to amphetamine as well. I'd be eager to know that. :)

So amphetamine interacts with the receptor to influence two dopaminergic pathways.

1. Increased dopamine production - this is temporary and essentially a side effect.
2. Reuptake inhibitor - (is a highly tolerance resistant pathway, and the fundamentally desired affect of the drug)

Amphetamine is non lipophilic, but METH has an extra methyl group bonded to the nitrogen which makes it lipophilic (not sure why, I'm happy to take that one on faith) so it passes uninhibited through the blood brain barrier. This amplifies the increased dopamine production which is the source of the "high" and things like receptor bombardment, erosion and neurotoxicity. And that's why meth is meth. And more importantly, why adderall is NOT meth, and why taking adderall DOESNT feel like taking meth.

Ritalin is a similar reuptake inhibitor. I'm not so interested in how methylphenidate acts differently at the receptor, .. I'm happy to understand in my simple way that they are essentially both reuptake inhibitors. (though I'm not clear if Ritalin increases dopamine production.. no biggy). I know that cocain is different because it violates the principal of hydrophilic lipophilic balance which means it can 1. cross the blood brain barrier and 2. Stay there for a long time.

But my question is WHY?

(Just looking at the molecule, maybe it's the tropane structure in the place of the piperidine structure at the alpha carbon; not so much else is different. And a more general question are these the fundamental characteristics of tropane and piperidine alkaloids? I think with that one I may be attempting to WAY oversimplify how this stuff works.. hence my fear of sounding really dumb. And worse I would sound dumb while also sounding like I'm trying to sound smart - that's the worst kind of dumb!!!! Did I mention I'm comorbid OCD?? LOL!!)
 
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