Posted by psychobot5000 on May 19, 2012, at 19:03:44
In reply to Low D2 receptor count, posted by johnb123 on May 10, 2012, at 7:18:09
> Hi.
>
> I want to share a theory with you so I can get some good input.
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> Since about since i was 15 (24 now) I have been having trouble with concentration and often "zoning out". However when there is a subject i really like then my concentration is "superior" however I get like into some bubble and can only think about this subject.
>
> About a year ago I did a DNA-test with 23andMe and it turns out I have "http://www.snpedia.com/index.php/Rs1800497" , "This allele (rs1800497(T)) is associated with a reduced number of dopamine binding sites in the brain". And this acutally makes alot of sense.
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> Before the test I was very depressed and I unfortunetaly tried amphetamine which, at the time, felt like the best thing ever.
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> However after that , even if it was just one time, i have an even harder time to concentrate , have fatigue, and think that things i thought was funny before ain't funny anymore.
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> Downregulation?
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> I also now get angry and anxious easier with minimal stress.
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> After that I tried Lexapro which helped abit in the beginning but after about a month I was fatigued etc again but the anxiousness had gone away.
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> The theory I came up with (without any real knowledge about this, please tell me if this can be correct) is that because I have a low D2 receptor count then, of course, my brain is taking up less of the dopamine i have, AND (my theory) more dopamine is converted to norepinehrine and thus contributing to the anger and anxiety.
>
> Does it work like this? ;) Is this related to ADHD/ADD?
>I'm sorry to hear of your troubles. To answer your question, as best I can--not being a professional--no, it probably doesn't work like this. The human brain, or even just its system of dopamine pathways, is immensely complex, and an allele associated with few D2 receptors is just one piece of the puzzle. That said, a lower concentration of this type of receptor (I wish we knew whether the allele was associated with lower numbers of 'D2-like' receptors, i.e. D3 (which seem to be more associated with reinforcement and reward than D2) and several others) is unlikely to change the overall numbers of dopamine vs norepinephrine.
> Maybe the reason the SSRI worked good in the beginning was because it hijacked (i read that somewhere) the dopamine signaling.
>It's true that SSRIs can have indirect effects on dopamine pathways, but it's hard to trace exactly what effect this will have on mood, anxiety, etc. Psychiatric research is at too crude a stage. Humanity--even researchers whose careers are devoted to this and who know much, much more than I do--doesn't really know, at this time, how SSRIs or other antidepressants 'work.'
> If so,
>
> 1. What would be the best way to upregulate the D2 receptors
>Hard to say. The best guess would be a D2 blocker, like an antipsychotic, but that would not serve your purposes, since the only way you'd cause upregulation (if it would even do that...and it likely wouldn't) would be by making the problem worse in the first place.
> 2. Is there any medication (preferebly non narcotic in single dose) that can confirm my theory?
No, probably not, especially not in a single dose.
Should it be something that blocks DAT?
>No. Blocking the dopamine transporter is difficult, and would have different and broader effects than just affecting D2 receptors.
However, I do have a couple of suggestions. It's possibly not that likely that a low D2 receptor count is responsible for most or all of your troubles. That said, if you want to act on that system, your best bet is probably a D2 agonist, like requip/ropinirole, or mirapex/pramipexole (the latter might be better). However, they're unpredictable drugs, used mostly for Parkinson's, that often have many side-effects, including, possibly (but possibly not), further cognitive dysfunction. If you do find a way to try one, remember, in order to avoid side-effects, to start low (in dose), and go slow (in increasin that dose).
Options more likely to help include drugs with a known effect on concentration, including amphetamines like adderall and dexedrine (though you've had a negative experience with those), and methylphenidate/ritalin/concerta, or (more likely to be prescribed) provigil/modafinil. Drugs acting on the noradrenaline system that can also help a good deal include wellbutrin, norpramine/desipramine, and vivactil/protriptyline (the spelling could be wrong on that last one). I'm not convinced that Straterra works beyond the first few weeks.
I'd treat the symptom--poor focus/concentration--rather than obsessing over the D2 receptors (though your theory could well be right. Most likely we will never know).
Hope that's helpful,
PB5000>
> Thank you :)
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poster:psychobot5000
thread:1017618
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20120508/msgs/1018259.html