Posted by Questionmark on February 19, 2005, at 18:32:15
In reply to Re: drug of choice » alexandra_k, posted by thinkfast on December 7, 2004, at 19:52:33
> OK...hallucinogens effect serotonin
>
> speed efx dopamine
>
> pot efx serotonin & ?
>
> nicotine efx dopamine
>
> They should go on this crap when they try and pick out ur meds! Do the pdocs use any of your drug abuse past factor into what drugs they try on u? It kinda sux that if you have an amphetamine abuse past that they don't give you any of that, but in most cases I would say this is a good idea. But, what if it were something you 'needed'? Although, this all seems like just a replacement for the prior chemical. That in itself makes me feel weak or something. Seems the only way to get away completely is to quit it all and go through hell for a while to get over it.
>
Sorry, i don't mean to be too critical or anything, but what you said is really far too much of a generalization.
Some hallucinogens (e.g., mescaline-- i'm pretty sure) bind with norepinephrine (and/or other?) receptors and do not directly affect serotonin at all. And even the serotonergic psychedelics (e.g. LSD & psilocin) act much much differently than serotonergic medications like the SSRIs or what have you.
Speed & amphetamines (& cocaine) do have potent effects on dopamine, but most also generally affect norepinephrine quite strongly as well-- as well as even serotonin to some degree. i also disagree with the theory (which someone else brought up) that someone can tell if they have ADHD based on how they react to stimulants. They may be able to give you some slight idea of an indication, but i doubt anymore than that. You hear that kind of thing all the time from "lay people," but if it were that accurate it seems like professionals would have derived some kind of diagnostic method using this theory/ & these drugs.
Nicotine does have an indirect effect on dopamine release, but just about all if not all addictive drugs have a significant effect on dopamine transmission. Nicotine also only (or nearly only) binds to cholinergic nicotinic receptors, which alters the release of at least a few different neurotransmitters, not just dopamine.
So, as you can see, thinkfast's/your idea was a good one, and is a really good point in the purpose that it serves (e.g. if someone reacts very well overall to speed or cocaine then maybe s/he would do well on a pharmaceutical stimulant, or something), but is not really that practical at all on the level you were suggesting.
i hope this post was useful to at all otherwise i just typed way too much for way too long for no purpose.
poster:Questionmark
thread:424554
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/subs/20050129/msgs/460524.html