Pathophysiology Of Drug Essay

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Recommended: Alcohol and the central nervous system

1. For alcohol, the neurotransmitter that is affected in the brain is GABA; an inhibitory neurotransmitter. The action of the GABA is increased when alcohol is consumed. With heroin, it binds to receptors that are originally meant for endorphins. Endorphins are naturally occurring neurotransmitters that kill pain. With continued use of heroin, the body’s ability to produce endorphins decreases, and the user needs to keep taking more and more of the drug to prevent withdrawal, because the body develops a tolerance to the drug. Methamphetamine affects the dopamine neurotransmitter in the brain, as well as the norepinephrine neurotransmitter. It affects the dopamine neurotransmitter by stopping dopamine when it is release and pumping it back to the neuron that released it.
2. Alcohol acts as a depressant. This can lead the drinker to a feeling of realization, lowered …show more content…

The medication treatment for heroin addiction are synthetic opiate compounds such as methadone, buprenorphine, and naloxone. These medications decrease the symptoms of withdrawal and help to block heroin’s effects. Although, methadone can be an addictive drug as well. For methamphetamine, there are currently no medications that counteract its effects. There is a drug being developed called AV411 that suppressed neuroinflammatory actions and has been shown to inhibit methamphetamine administration in the body. There is also an experiment where the user is injected with antimethamphetamine antibodies that stimulate the body to make its own antibodies against the methamphetamines. For alcohol treatment, there are a variety of drugs. There is antianxiety medicines and seizure medicines which help with withdrawal symptoms. Then there are medicines that help you stay sober such as Disulfiram which makes you sick when you drink, Naltrexone which interferes with pleasure that comes from drinking, Acamprosate which can help reduce cravings for alcohol, and Topiramate which can help treat alcohol

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