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Why cant I get drunk?

B

bob123

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Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
398
I am benzo dependent, 1mg xanax 3 times/day for anxiety. I have only been truly drunk about twice. That was before benzo use. shortly after it started. I can feel the effects of alcohol now but it is nothing like my first couple experiences with booze. It also seems that unless I dont have benzos in my system I cant even feels anything. Once I drank a whole bottle of vodka and didn't even get buzzed. Now I can still get buzzed but not like It used to be where even if you try to think about your problems you can't, a complete wall from you and reality sort of. Can anybody help shed some light on this?
 
Chronic benzodiazepine usage causes downregulation of GABA receptors (the same receptor in which ethanol works a lot of its magic). Downregulation is the act of minimizing the expression of certain pieces of RNA that are the parents of a given enzymes/peptides in response to a changing environment, in an attempt to normalize the cell. Thus there are less of the active receptor on the cell for GABA or alcohol to impact.

http://www.ionchannels.org/showabstract.php?pmid=8818332
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downregulation
 
nuke said:
Chronic benzodiazepine usage causes downregulation of GABA receptors (the same receptor in which ethanol works a lot of its magic). Downregulation is the act of minimizing the expression of certain pieces of RNA that are the parents of a given enzymes/peptides in response to a changing environment, in an attempt to normalize the cell. Thus there are less of the active receptor on the cell for GABA or alcohol to impact.

http://www.ionchannels.org/showabstract.php?pmid=8818332
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downregulation
Click to expand...


Sounds a lot like tolerance? Is there a way to reverse it or a way for me to get drunk again>?
 
Yep, this is what causes most of tolerance.

Not really, you can try switching up different benzos and that may help a little (since they tend to bind a little differently). The best way would be to stop taking benzodiazepines altogether.
 
nuke said:
Yep, this is what causes most of tolerance.

Not really, you can try switching up different benzos and that may help a little (since they tend to bind a little differently). The best way would be to stop taking benzodiazepines altogether.
Click to expand...

wouldent switching benzos only affect how the benzo affected me, not booze?
 
No, because they both work on the same general receptor (ethanol binds to the GABA subunit and benzos to the benzodiazepine subunit). They both affect the influx of chloride ions in the same place.
 
nuke said:
Chronic benzodiazepine usage causes downregulation of GABA receptors (the same receptor in which ethanol works a lot of its magic). Downregulation is the act of minimizing the expression of certain pieces of RNA that are the parents of a given enzymes/peptides in response to a changing environment, in an attempt to normalize the cell. Thus there are less of the active receptor on the cell for GABA or alcohol to impact.

http://www.ionchannels.org/showabstract.php?pmid=8818332
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downregulation
Click to expand...


I dont understand why this would prevent me from getting drunk? Wouldent I simply need to drink more? Taking more benzos still has the same effect it used to (more or less) but not booze
 
Ham-milton said:
This is so not ADD material. I'd pretty obvious why.
Click to expand...

Aww, show some tolerance. Props for the awesomely super intelligent responses.

By the way to the op: Why do you want to get shitfaced drunk anyway? Hangovers are not fun at all, all that Acetaldehyde in your system...
 
Even with all the GABA activity of EtOH blocked i'd still expect him to feel all the other effects - EtOH has a rather wide spectrum of pharmacological action...
 
That's what makes me think this is a case of 'self delusion' more than anything.
 
Yeah, the benzos can kinda take over the whole experience, blotting out anything else..
 
makes drinking fun.. smoother, no hangover.. because you're passed out on the hangover (works same with weed i guess tho, but makes u more lethargic the next day)
 
Aren't there nutritional supplements that can increase GABA amounts?
Do they work?
 
In the bloodstream, yes. In the brain, no.

Unless you count phenibut, but I don't think that'll increase GABA levels.

how many versions of this thread are there?
 
Phenibut is good, quite sedating. Picamilon is better, imo, hypnotic but not sedating.
 
I have a friend who can drink a TON of liquor and not get drunk too. It has a lot to do with your metabolism (or so conventional wisdom goes)
 
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