• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Help me understand Receptor Agonism

Prefect

Senior Member
Messages
307
Location
Canada
I'd like to understand Receptor Agonism.

Say, when you agonize dopamine receptors, you're not actually increasing dopamine amounts - what are you doing. I still don't quite grasp this concept. Are you:

Increasing the susceptibility and responsiveness of of existing receptors to your usual dopamine level?

Increasing the number of receptors?

I've recognized a considerable resolution of my symptoms during those dopamine moments that last only a few seconds (euphoria, feeling giddy because I accomplished something, a John Lennon song that suddenly makes me break down - most of his do). You know, those moments that give you a happy mushy lump in your throat.

And sexual activity.

And once I exit the POTS exasperating effect of alcohol by strictly pacing myself and keeping at it until I enter its euphoric dopaminergic stage. Doesn't last long though.

So I've been thinking about dopamine agonists, or even Abilify (especially since I read HIP mention somewhere here it can help with sensory gating).

I'm on 150 mg Zoloft, a dosage at which it's supposed to begin acting as a dopamine reuptake inhibitor, but it doesn't do anything, so I doubt the answer is reuptake inhibition, but rather receptor agonism. Otherwise they'd give Ritalin to Parkingsons patients.

But I don't quite grasp the concept.

Cheers,
 

drob31

Senior Member
Messages
1,487
I'd like to understand Receptor Agonism.

Say, when you agonize dopamine receptors, you're not actually increasing dopamine amounts - what are you doing. I still don't quite grasp this concept. Are you:

Increasing the susceptibility and responsiveness of of existing receptors to your usual dopamine level?

Increasing the number of receptors?

I've recognized a considerable resolution of my symptoms during those dopamine moments that last only a few seconds (euphoria, feeling giddy because I accomplished something, a John Lennon song that suddenly makes me break down - most of his do). You know, those moments that give you a happy mushy lump in your throat.

And sexual activity.

And once I exit the POTS exasperating effect of alcohol by strictly pacing myself and keeping at it until I enter its euphoric dopaminergic stage. Doesn't last long though.

So I've been thinking about dopamine agonists, or even Abilify (especially since I read HIP mention somewhere here it can help with sensory gating).

I'm on 150 mg Zoloft, a dosage at which it's supposed to begin acting as a dopamine reuptake inhibitor, but it doesn't do anything, so I doubt the answer is reuptake inhibition, but rather receptor agonism. Otherwise they'd give Ritalin to Parkingsons patients.

But I don't quite grasp the concept.

Cheers,


Dopamine also has a strong effect for me.

Taking tyrosine on an empty stomach, and high doses of b6 (which lowers prolactin which increases dopamine) has a strong affect from me.

As does avoiding things like PMO, certain types of exersize, and caffeine.
 

alicec

Senior Member
Messages
1,572
Location
Australia
Receptor agonists bind to the receptor and activate the same intracellular signalling mechanism as the natural receptor ligand. It is the signalling cascade triggered by binding to receptor that results in the physiological effect of the ligand.

So agonists act in the same way as the natural ligand. In effect it is like having more of the ligand (though there could be some subtle differences).

An antagonist binds to the receptor but doesn't activate the signalling mechanism. It has none of the effects of the natural ligand but in effect blocks the action of this ligand by occupying the receptor.