Can you run out of neurotransmitters? (serotonin, dopamine and the like)?

I posted this same question in the addicton/substance abuse community (I'm having depression/anxiety issues after alcohol abuse) but maybe someone here might also know something about this.


I know no one here knows this for sure, and maybe I'm looking in the wrong place on here but thought I would put it out there. I am just wondering if anyone here has ever asked their doctor or qualified professional if it is possible to run out of neurotransmitters whether it be naturally or from substance abuse. I'm a young male (24) and abused alcoholfor 5-6 years. I've havent drank in over a year and still just don't feel right. I went through terrible initial withdrawals, and now my problem is I feel like I am really emotionally numb to everything. I've tried many different meds  with no success. I got a few doctors that I have been working with, but recently feel like I'm giving up. One of the questions however I have never asked any of them, is it really possible to run out of certain brain chemicals (serotonin, dopamine, etc...)? Or are they always available? I've tried to look this up myself around the net but didn't find much of anything that was credible. Any info. or ideas at all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[xanweaner]

I was informed by my psychiatrist that there are centers in the brain that are irreparably damaged by long-term cocaine usage, but I'm not aware of long-term affects from alcohol abuse. It's actually an interesting question, and I just might do some searching around on some psychiatric sites to see if I can uncover anything.

I'm always reading up on the brain, as I'm quite fascinated about how it works.

Does AA offer any insight into this area?

[Hensley258]

There is a lot of research and evedence that supports the connection between long term Alcohol abuse and Bio-Chemical Depression.

Here is a very informative artical about the subject. If you read the entire report it will give you ways to identify if your Depression is related to Neurephinepherine or Serotonin bio-chemical depletion.

It then gives you a list and dosage of specific Amino acids that you will need to take to correct the problem. Although I also suffer from  Bio-chemical related depression, mine is not caused by alcohol abuse. It is much more common among individuals that have suffered long term alcoholism.

http://www.trans4mind.com/nutrition/depression.html

[xanweaner]

After doing some checking, I thought this article would be of most value to you, since it does contain some promising information about brain cell development during abstinence from chronic alcohol consumption.

"From UNC News Release
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by Steven Gans, MD

New Cells Can Develop For Years After Quitting
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill scientists have reported - for the first time - a burst in new brain cell development during abstinence from chronic alcohol consumption.

The UNC findings, from research at UNC's Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, were based on an animal model of chronic alcohol dependence, in which adult rats were given alcohol over four days in amounts that produced alcohol dependency. The study is in the Nov. 3 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

In 2002, Dr. Fulton T. Crews, Bowles Center director, and Bowles Center research associate Dr. Kim Nixon were the first to report that alcohol, during intoxication, has a detrimental effect on the formation of new neurons in the adult rat hippocampus. This brain region is important for learning and memory - in animals and humans - and is linked to psychiatric disorders, particularly depression.

"When used in excess, alcohol damages brain structure and function.

In the new study, senior co-author Crews and co-author Nixon found inhibition of neurogenesis, or brain cell development, during alcohol dependency, followed by a pronounced increase in new neuron formation in the hippocampus within four-to-five weeks of abstinence. This included a twofold burst in brain cell proliferation at day seven of abstinence.

"We looked at dividing cells after our four-day binge model of alcohol dependency and confirmed what we previously observed: When the animals were intoxicated, the measure of dividing cells decreases," said Nixon. "And after abstinence for one week, we saw a huge burst in the number of new cells being born."

Brain Grows, Spaces Shrink
Nixon said the findings were confirmed by use of several biological markers, including bromodeoxyuridine, BrdU. Animals were injected with BrdU, which labels dividing cells. BrdU inserts itself into the DNA of a cell during cell division, so that it's found only in cells that have divided during the two hours that the substance is in the animals' system.

Imaging studies report shrinkage in brain ventricles - the fluid-filled spaces within the brain - indicating that the brain is growing as the spaces shrink as alcoholics recover from alcohol dependence.

"And when they stop drinking, you can show in a period of weeks, months, years, the brain grows back, there's a return of metabolic activity, and cognitive tests show a return of function," Crews said.

The findings may have significant implications for treatment of alcoholism during recovery. The discovery of regeneration of neurons in recovery opens up new avenues of therapies aimed at regeneration of brain cells. "When animals learn, they make more neurons. When animals exercise, they make more neurons and learn faster, as well," Crews said.

Physical Activity Helps
"Pharmacological agents such as antidepressants and behaviors such as running, increased physical activity and learning experiences apparently help regulate the process of neurogenesis," he added. "Our research suggests they could be considered in the treatment of chronic alcohol dependency."

In their report, Nixon and Crews also said that their findings for the first time provide a neuronal regeneration mechanism that may underlie the return of normal cognitive function and brain volume associated with recovery from addiction during abstinence from alcohol.

"This is really the first biological measure of a major change in neuronal structure consistent with changes that are known to occur when individuals are able to stop drinking," said Crews.

Number of Brain Cells Not Fixed
For decades, neuroscientists believed the number of new cells, or neurons, in the adult brain was fixed early in life. Adaptive processes such as learning, memory and mood were thought tied to changes in synapses, connections between neurons.

More recently, studies have shown that the adult human brain is capable of producing new brain cells throughout life, a neurogenesis resulting in formation of hundreds of thousands of new neurons each month. "Prior to our work, everyone merely assumed that glia, the supporting cells of the brain, regenerated or that existing brain cells altered their connections," said Nixon. "We have shown a burst in new cell birth that may be part of the brain's recovery after the cessation of alcohol."

Chronic alcoholism, a disease affecting more than 8 percent of the adult U.S. population, or more than 17 million Americans, produces cognitive impairments and decreased brain volumes, both of which are partially reversed during abstinence."
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You'll note that there are good recommendations re: increasing your physical activity, such as running, and the benefits. I hope that you find it of value.

Good luck...
xan

[Rkk71]

Hey guys thanks a ton for the good information, I deeply appreciate it. Good luck to both of you too.

[xanweaner]

Let us know how you're doing...and what steps you're taking in your recovery.

And, also, great job in quitting your abuse!! Now, it's time to start building your life instead of trying to destroy it...(I hope you don't think that's too harsh...)

All my best to you!