Posted by Larry Hoover on July 2, 2007, at 10:22:22
In reply to Re: Confused about Mirapex and Campral, posted by Flame on July 1, 2007, at 16:49:26
> Maybe I am WAY off base with this. Please .. Anyone .. just pipe in and explain this to me. I really am wanting/needing to know.
>I shall try.
> "The Mirapex works by mimicking the effects of dopamine in the brain." From what I understand it is supposed to "up" that dopamine in the brain .. thus giving more of a "feel good" response.
It mimics dopamine. It does not stimulate natural dopamine in any way. Think of it as a forgery. Close enough to natural dopamine in structure that it tricks the dopamine receptors into acting as if they had actually come into contact with dopamine. More below.
> "Acamprosate (Campral) has a structure similar to chemical transmitters (neurotransmitters) in the brain e.g. gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA). These neurotransmitters act by sending inhibitory messages to the brain, and acamprostate is thought to act by enhancing their inhibitory effects. It is also thought to oppose the action of certain amino-acids that send excitatory messages to the brain. As a result, there is a reduction in the desire or craving to consume alcohol, and hence its use in alcohol dependence."
>
> The two paragraphs above (more or less) explain "how" the two medications work.
>
> To me .. what it is saying is that Mirapex gives an individual more of the "feel good" feeling by mimicking the effects of dopamine.
>
> The Campral actually "inhibits" the "excitatory" effects that a person will experience while drinking the alcohol. Thereby taking away the "feel good" feeling that the alcohol previously gave them.Campral mimics the calming effect of alcohol. Alcohol has complex actions. It would not be too much of an exaggeration to say that it distorts the effects of every neurotransmitter in the brain.
Overall, though, alcohol has a numbing effect. In some individuals, at some times, the numbing of inhibitory centres in the brain comes to the forefront, and you see exaggerated behaviour, a loss of control. But generally, it's an anaesthetic, a depressant. The brain can habituate to the numbing effect, and during times of abstinence, agitation grows. It grows so much that it exceeds the baseline level, called a rebound effect. Campral can provide some of the calming effect that an alcoholic's brain can no longer produce, giving it a chance to recover that capacity over time.
An example of the rebound effect is seen in people using nasal sprays (e.g. Dristan) to control a runny nose. If used for more than a couple of days, the tissues become dependent on the spray. If the person stops using it, their nose runs like a tap (the rebound phenomenon). If a person drinks to find calm, the rebound effect can leave them worse off than before they drank.....promoting further drinking. Campral mimics the calming effect of the drinking, without the intoxication.
Just as with Mirapex, though, the drug Campral acts as a forgery of existing neurotransmitters. Close enough in structure to trick the brain into thinking it's getting the real deal.
Now, the real neurotransmitter that Campral mimics is not GABA. It's taurine, a totally underappreciated neurotransmitter, IMHO. But it really doesn't matter.....if it works.
> I understand that Mirapex is a medication for Parkinson's and RLS .. but side effects caused by Mirapex have very definitely been proven to lead to compulsive tendencies. (Alcoholism as one of those?) The compulsive tendencies come on because of the increased dopamine that the Mirapex produces.Most certainly alcohol use can be induced by Mirapex. Gambling is also a known risk. Dopamine receptors come in different forms, and the specific dopamine receptors that are hit by Mirapex tend to be related to muscle control. But that's not really all that's affected. It's the cross-over to other dopamine receptors that likely underlies the adverse effects, which can include hallucinations, paranoia, and distorted thinking. It really could be thought of as drug-induced schizophrenia, sort of.
> Anyway, I'm not sure that I've explained any better what I am getting at. In my frustration, what I am thinking/feeling is that my husband has become an alcoholic because of the drugs his psychiatrist put him on. (Is it because of the Effexor OR Mirapex? .. I'm not sure. Doc doesn't agree with me.) But, now husband's doc has given him the Campral that appears to work by taking away some of what the Mirapex is doing for him.
>> Thanks,
> Flame
>
>In your other post you wondered if your husband had to quit drinking to obtain benefit from the Campral? Not literally. If it works, it works by lessening the craving that an alcoholic feels when he goes "dry". Hopefully, that gives the alcoholic longer periods of time of sobriety, and gives his brain a chance to recover. It's not enough to take drugs, though. There are some real psychological issues to be addressed, such as understanding the motivations for drinking in the first place, and how to find ways to manage those thoughts without resorting to a drink.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:767011
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070630/msgs/767156.html