Opioids opiod antagonists/partial agonists block endorphins?

[mygreenbic]

I've been on suboxone for years and I've received conflicting results to the question "do opioid antagonists (naloxone, naltrexone) or partial agonists (buprenorphine, suboxone, subutex) block the endorphins (endogenous morphines)?

A psychiatrist of mine told me something along the lines of "in the event of severe trauma, your mainstream endorphins will release and ..) .. well I forget his quote but I would like some scientific evidence on this as I might get off of subs if that's the case.

 

[pasha]

Homeless -> Other Drugs

 

[Vieno]

It's a complex topic. Opioid antagonists block most mu-receptors and therefore diminish endorphins' effects. Indeed as far as I know, opioid antagonists do make people more sensitive to pain though it's nothing remarkable. What's interesting is that the brain has very small sites where opioids have much more pronounced effects than in other parts of the brain or body. For example, in some tiny spots the mu receptors actually decrease pleasure when activated! In some others on the other hand, when the receptors were blocked (in rats) natural pleasure didn't occur anymore.

http://www.lsa.umich.edu/psych/research&labs/berridge/publications/preprints/smith%20mahler%20pecina%20&%20berridge%20-%20pleasure%20chapter%20proofs.doc.pdf

But we know that systemic administrations of opioid antagonists do NOT block natural pleasure, so what the hell? Apparently systemic administrations of drugs do not enter every part of brain, or something like that. This is a mystery to me. Could someone tell how does this work?

 

[Chauncey_GARDENer]

I have had 3 vivitrol shots (naltrexone? Naloxone? Polystyrex?) Anyways... it is an antagonist IM shot that lasts about a month... during which you can't get high.

I never noticed any sort of anhedonia or inability to feel pleasure... for a day or so after getting my first shot, I actually felt somewhat euphoric. It makes me wonder what type of roll endorphin plays in day to day experience... perhaps mostly just to moderate pain?

 

[wantstobefree95]

I have had 3 vivitrol shots (naltrexone? Naloxone? Polystyrex?) Anyways... it is an antagonist IM shot that lasts about a month... during which you can't get high.

I never noticed any sort of anhedonia or inability to feel pleasure... for a day or so after getting my first shot, I actually felt somewhat euphoric. It makes me wonder what type of roll endorphin plays in day to day experience... perhaps mostly just to moderate pain?

how did the vivitrol work for you

 

[pinpoint]

Bump for interest

 

[Vieno]

I have had 3 vivitrol shots (naltrexone? Naloxone? Polystyrex?) Anyways... it is an antagonist IM shot that lasts about a month... during which you can't get high.

I never noticed any sort of anhedonia or inability to feel pleasure... for a day or so after getting my first shot, I actually felt somewhat euphoric. It makes me wonder what type of roll endorphin plays in day to day experience... perhaps mostly just to moderate pain?

Or perhaps endorphins released in some specific loci are central to pleasure. The mu receptors in certain loci seem to be central and are there other ligands for them than endorphins? Not to my knowledge. The whole topic is so puzzling. I am certain that the opiod system is absolutely central or at least very closely relates to pleasure generation, but how exactly - shit, no idea.

 

[Chauncey_GARDENer]

how did the vivitrol work for you

Worked great till I stopped taking it!! Still fiended but I knew I couldnt get lifted with the shot so, hell ya it helped, no matter what anybody says. All my recovery friends seem to be against it,,, but those same people never gave it a chance. I never once tried drinking or any type of opiate with it. It honestly sounds like addict talk, but I really havnt had a problem doing heroin about once a week since being clean for that year... Still havnt gotten dope sick yet, fingers crossed, but to be fair I dont spend much time in my lil home town cuz its so easy to get there.