Health - dopamine receptors

[xenon27]

It has been made clear that meth can potentially kill dopamine receptors. Will these receptors eventually regenerate or are they forever ruined. Also is this the source of addiction. Would something like l-theanine help to reduce potential addiction and depression during a comedown?

[staples]

Originally Posted by xenon27

It has been made clear that meth can potentially kill dopamine receptors. Will these receptors eventually regenerate or are they forever ruined. Also is this the source of addiction. Would something like l-theanine help to reduce potential addiction and depression during a comedown?

I don't think "kill" is the right word, the brain will adjust sensitivity and density of dopamine receptors according to how much they are exposed to dopamine in order to try and maintain a level of homeostasis. This is not necessarily why the substance is addictive, but why it causes dependence (removing a drug may cause a dangerous drop in the neurotransmitter levels which it raises).

Addiction is a little more complicated but has a lot to do with dopamine. Dopamine serves as a predictor of a reward and it motivates behavior to achieve that reward. For example: When you eat, the brain releases a burst of dopamine. The next day, when you sit down at the table, the brain recognizes a similar stimulus and release the burst of dopamine before actually eating, this motivates you to eat again (a sense of "wanting"). Endorphins are released after achieving the reward and produce a sense of "liking".

So a drug which produces strong dopaminergic release tells the brain "whoa this is really beneficial for me and my survival/reproduction", and thus can easily lead to addiction.

I'm not sure about l-theanine

[theWasp]

Swim has used between about a quarter and a half gram (smoked or snorted) nearly every day since he started using about a month ago. He is worried that he likes meth too much, and has done it on some days when he previously promised himself he wouldn't (a bad sign, I know). Aside from the comedown, swim hasn't really noticed that he's depressed when sober. Swim was just wondering how long before he notices depression caused by damage to his dopamine receptors?

[kcfleecr]

SWIM wonders how you have had enough time to catch up on sleep and then make a well-rested, objective (or as much as possible ) assessment of your current psychological state if you have used nearly every day since starting. Breaks are good for everyone - and should be used as often as you can force yourself into them. Take four days off, eat and take multivitamins, catch up on your sleep - and THEN see what you think about your situation.

As to your question about the length of time before damage to the receptors - from SWIM's understanding, it varies greatly depending on mode of delivery, quality of product, frequency of use, as well as the use of multivitamins (which SWIM >>>HIGHLY<<< recommends for prevention and recovery from anything affecting the body adversely). Honestly, SWIM doubts that there is even a very good "guess range" on the subject but if a number was necessary then SWIM would answer that with average dope, and normally increasing use over the period of time with the normal almost zero break time, then he would answer with six months before damage exists. Probably somewhere in the year mark before damage is noticeable.

Like anything involving your body, getting yourself out of the equation and letting pysiology and homeostasis do its thing will lead to a drasticly less amount of damage - and decrease the amount of time necessary for recovery. SWIM advises frequent breaks, intelligent use (re: food, sleep, vitamins, method of delivery and safety, and fellow users), and good old fashioned personal accountability. SWIM has never seen meth use be anywhere NEAR the realm of functional without all of these being near absolutes.