How Does Alcohol Effect Neurotransmitters

[Frankdee20]

Yeah............ next question

 

[johnwester130]

Lol, let me chime in sir. Okay, booze effects many neurotransmitter systems. It is primarily an N Methyl D Aspartate receptor antagonist. You may be familiar with others like Ketamine, Magnesium, DXM, PCP, and who can forget Chloroform. It will not cause the strong dissasociative anesthetic effects like PCP, and Ketamine though.

Alcohol also has a degree of GABA receptor agonism, but unlike Benzodiazepines, has no direct binding site. When GABA increases a bit, many get anxiety relief. Perhaps, it’s where the liquid courage moniker stems from. Since GABA inhibits signaling, alcohol is therefore classified as a depressant. It slows us down, mentally and physically.

It also agonizes the 5ht3 receptor, and this is commonly associated with its negative hangover effects like nausea, vomiting, and seizure propensity. I always thought it elicits seizures in withdrawal via Glutaminergic rebound when NMDA receptors are no longer attenuated.

Lastly, rewarding effects of repeated ingestion are mediated via Dopamine 2 receptors, but I’m not sure how this works. It’s not direct agonism.

great explanation

 

[Frankdee20]

great explanation

Since using Naltrexone (MU opioid receptor antagonist) I have also learned, and can add to that prior explanation that the rewarding effects of alcohol are in fact mediated via the release of endorphins... I can take 25 mg of naltrexone, drink alcohol, and not feel any kind of buzz that would otherwise make me want more.... It’s definitely the most unique drug of abuse, due to the wide array of brain effects...