somewhat scientific question for those who may know

[[On...]]

Is it possible to deplete neurotransmitters (through stress and pushing it)?  The more I have pushed it in withdrawal, the less I  have been able to do.  Over the past 21 months I have gone from being fairly functional the first few months off to mostly nonfunctional now and can't even handle the tv.  At the same time a lot of my intense symptoms early on have gone away or lessened a lot but my brain just feels like it can't handle anything anymore, like it has been depleted because of the toll of all the stress, fear, and panic from the the whole process. 

 

Early on, I turned fear into excitement and wonder if I depleted dopamine, as I crashed soon after.  Then, later on, I watched feel good movies round the clock and wonder if I depleted serotonin because I crashed soon after that. 

 

So, does anyone know if you can deplete neurotransmitters? 

 

Also, are there gaba receptors all over the body?  And I just really wish I knew the science behind all this...  It seems there is a lot more chemically going on in my brain and body than just downregulated gaba receptors.

[[pr...]]

i can only answer the last question and still don't know everything myself. but i am pretty sure there is GABA receptor's throughout the whole body and i think there are many more in the gut.

 

i also think that there is definitely other things going on besides down regulation of the GABA recepter's -- what i don't know? but i do know that the AMPA receptor's are also down regulated in this process.

 

about 2o months out i felt i depleted everything inside my brain and like it would just shut down. i had no idea how i survived those 4 days, i thought for sure it would be the end of my life. my brain just felt so exhausted and like it would just shut down any moment.

 

i think that feeling could also be the excess glutamate activity.  it will change for you.

[[Be...]]

Welcome back Onelove24,  where have you been?  I think too much glutamate running around the body and not enough GABA doing its job is the problem.  Messed up neuron receptors like Prof. Ashton says.  GABA isn't hooking into the messed up GABA receptors and maybe upregulated glutamate receptors.  Too many of them now.  IMO. 

[[On...]]

I definitely think there is extra glutamate receptors etc., but it seems to me like it throws all the neurotransmitters out of whack is more the problem.  Like serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, etc.

 

Prettydaisys...did you get your brain back on line after 20 months? 

 

Becks...hope you are doing well.  I have been off for a while because I have trouble handling screens as mentioned in this post.

[[pr...]]

oh yeah, i'm sure that it throws off all the neurotransmitters just like it throws off the whole HPA axix which is in control of all the hormones. i'm sure the hypothalamus, pituitary and pineal gland are also involved.

 

Prettydaisys...did you get your brain back on line after 20 months?

 

well, it's still in process of coming back. but during that horrible wave i was in there were 4 days when i thought my brain would just shut down. i was so scared. it just felt so exhausted and i couldn't imagine it ever coming back to where i felt like i wasn't going to die. but thank God, that only lasted 4 days and i started to feel better and like i would make it.

[Guest [Lu...]]

I've actually talked about this with my therapist, and I do believe glutamate depletes the other monoamines like dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, etc. Glutamate is the chief excitatory neurotransmitter, and it fires off all the other smaller NT's. That's kinda why in the beginning of this, a lot of people have euphoria & excitement (high serotonin), paranoia, fear, and auditory hallucinations (high dopamine) and lots of high norepinephrine (adrenaline) problems. Once those are all burnt out, you're tired, depressed and have no pleasure in life.

[[Na...]]

Is it possible to deplete neurotransmitters (through stress and pushing it)?  The more I have pushed it in withdrawal, the less I  have been able to do.  Over the past 21 months I have gone from being fairly functional the first few months off to mostly nonfunctional now and can't even handle the tv.  At the same time a lot of my intense symptoms early on have gone away or lessened a lot but my brain just feels like it can't handle anything anymore, like it has been depleted because of the toll of all the stress, fear, and panic from the the whole process. 

 

Early on, I turned fear into excitement and wonder if I depleted dopamine, as I crashed soon after.  Then, later on, I watched feel good movies round the clock and wonder if I depleted serotonin because I crashed soon after that. 

 

So, does anyone know if you can deplete neurotransmitters? 

 

Also, are there gaba receptors all over the body?  And I just really wish I knew the science behind all this...  It seems there is a lot more chemically going on in my brain and body than just downregulated gaba receptors.

 

Hello Onelove.

 

Your symptoms are actually pretty common.

 

Whenever you are "pushing it" whether it is emotionally ( by watching movies that stir up your emotions) or physically with exercise or any physical activity that puts strain in your body you are producing more cortisol. Cortisol is an allosteric GABA A receptor agonist and will down regulate your GABAergic neurons wherever they are and whatever they are doing for you. The end result is what you are experiencing.

 

That's is what I have come up with from my research.

 

So it is important to "avoid pushing it" in any way, shape or form to allow for continuous gains in your healing, less cortisol production, and increased GABA receptor density. The brain takes a while to heal it seems and it is susceptible to excess production of stress hormones which can set us back temporarily. There is probably a whole lot more that goes on that we do not know about as well.

 

Hope you can continue to relax and continuously improve from now on going forward.

[[Be...]]

Luigithepug, that makes so alot of sense what you posted. 

 

I wish so badly I could keep my stress level down.  My phone went dead two days ago and I had to act like a madwoman trying to get the phone company to get out here and fix it.  I can't get rid of the stress in my life, it just keeps showing up to deplete me of all my energy and health, making me so ill. 

[Guest [Lu...]]

Luigithepug, that makes so alot of sense what you posted. 

 

I wish so badly I could keep my stress level down.  My phone went dead two days ago and I had to act like a madwoman trying to get the phone company to get out here and fix it.  I can't get rid of the stress in my life, it just keeps showing up to deplete me of all my energy and health, making me so ill.

 

I hear ya. Stress makes an already horrible process even worse. I've been doing some research on foods that help replenish serotonin and dopamine and I've been having some decent results. Potatoes have a lot of serotonin and I've noticed I do feel happier after I eat them. Also Brussel Sprouts are good for dopamine. You just have to be careful caus alot of the foods that boost serotonin and dopamine have excess glutamate in them.

[[Be...]]

I've got so much crap to deal with here at home, I just can't deal with the food.  I'm never hungry and can't shop for myself now.  Just thinking about food repulses me so much.  I used to be a big eater and loved food, now I have to force it down.

[Guest [Lu...]]

Same here. Eating is a hassle when it used to give me genuine pleasure.

[[Be...]]

Eating and drinking anything repulses me and makes me want to vomit.  I used to eat like a horse and was overweight.  Now I have to force down every meal.  Have dementia now from the benzo's and can hardly cook dinner without burning it. 

[[be...]]

i can only answer the last question and still don't know everything myself. but i am pretty sure there is GABA receptor's throughout the whole body and i think there are many more in the gut.

 

i also think that there is definitely other things going on besides down regulation of the GABA recepter's -- what i don't know? but i do know that the AMPA receptor's are also down regulated in this process.

 

about 2o months out i felt i depleted everything inside my brain and like it would just shut down. i had no idea how i survived those 4 days, i thought for sure it would be the end of my life. my brain just felt so exhausted and like it would just shut down any moment.

 

i think that feeling could also be the excess glutamate activity.  it will change for you.

 

GABA is everywhere. Some people say we have two brains. One in the head and the other one in the stomach. ~~ Bets

[[Be...]]

I wonder if everywhere you get the vibrating is where the GABA/glutamate receptors are?  Certainly in my gut and brain and all over my body.