Posted by linkadge on September 7, 2006, at 7:34:49
In reply to Re: I wonder about dopamine agonists, posted by Declan on September 7, 2006, at 3:36:57
When we consider 'stimulation' one must not attribute to dopamine what is really due to norepinephrine.
We don't really have any purely dopaminergic medications other than the dopamine agonists. Even when you take somthing like ritalin you are geting norepinephrine reuptake, and norepinephrine release. Tyrosine too, is the precursor to norepinephrine.
Norepinephrine is alerting while dopamine is more involved in motivation. A pure dopamine boost, may not affect energy as much as it increases interest. Increasing dopamine sometimes decreases locomotor activity. This is generally how ADHD medcations are thought to work.
Dopamine has both excitory and inhibitory actions. To confuse the matter, dopamine and norepinephrine are often released simultainiously.
Honestly, people become fixated on one particular neurotransmitter for no good reason. The number of people who come in here saying they have a dopamine problem is kindof silly. What is the basis for that, other than the idea that SSRI's don't work for them. Lack of SSRI efficacy is not really evidence of dopamine dysfunction. Some people who get a high from illegal drugs, conclude that they have a dopamine deficicancy. But that too is nonsensicle since everyone can get a high from illegal drugs, but not everbody has dopamine dysfuction. In essence, any drug that directly activates the pleasure centres of the brain, cannot really be used as a reliable indicator of biochemical workings.
Dopamine by itself is not the magic pleasure chemical. I've often thought that the combination of a dopamine agonist like mirapex, and a serotonin agonist like buspar, might be a good combination. People who take a dopamine agonist might simply be expecting the wrong thing. They may be expecting a buzz like what is provided by nicotine etc, but dopamine agonists do not directly activate reward circutry.
That being said, I knew a couple of people in school who did very well on dopamine agonists. They said it was not an energetic type of feeling at all, but that it increased interest. They basically said that they were able to sustain interest in things like reading or playing an instrument for a longer period of time.
Sorry for blithering
Linkadge
poster:linkadge
thread:683752
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060901/msgs/683902.html