Tag Archives: GABA

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Neurotransmitters effects

January 26, 2017
Neurotransmitters effects

Neurotransmitters effects alongside the proteins, minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, and fats are the essential nutrients that make up your body.

Neurotransmitters effects: Available support supplement

Proteins, minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, and fats are the essential nutrients that make up your body. Proteins are the essential components of muscle tissue, organs, blood, enzymes, antibodies, and neurotransmitters in the brain. Your brain needs the proper nutrients every day in order to manufacture proper levels of the neurotransmitters that regulate your mood. The following are some of the neurotransmitters effects as denoted by the experts from the AWAREmed health and wellness resource center under the leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury MD:

  • Control the appetite center of the brain.
  • Stimulates Corticotrophin Releasing Factor, Adrenocorticotropic Hormone, & Cortisol.
  • Regulate male and female sex hormone.
  • Regulates sleep.
  • Modulate mood and thought processes.
  • Controls ability to focus, concentrate, and remember things.
  • The Mind Body Connection.
  • The chemistry of our bodies can alter, and be altered by our every thought and feeling. Our bodies and our minds are truly interconnected; the health of one depends on the health of the other.

There are many biochemical neurotransmitter imbalances that result in mental health symptoms such as:

  • Adrenal dysfunction
  • Blood sugar imbalance
  • Food and Chemical allergy
  • Heavy Metal Toxicity
  • Hormone imbalance
  • Nutritional Deficiency
  • Serotonin/Dopamine/Noradrenalin imbalance
  • Stimulant and drug intoxication
  • Under or overactive thyroid

Neurotransmitters effects: Neurotransmitter Imbalances

Disrupted communication between the brain and the body can have serious effects on one’s health both physically and mentally. Depression, anxiety and other mood disorders are thought to be directly related to imbalances with neurotransmitters. The four major neurotransmitters that regulate mood are Serotonin, Dopamine, GABA and Norepinephrine.

The Inhibitory System

This is the brain’s braking system, it prevents the signal from continuing. The inhibitory system slows things down. Serotonin and GABA are examples of inhibitory neurotransmitters.

GABA (Gamma amino butyric acid)

GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. It helps the neurons recover after transmission, reduces anxiety and stress. It regulates norepinephrine, adrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin; it is a significant mood modulator.

Serotonin imbalance

This is one of the most common contributors to mood problems. Some feel it is a virtual epidemic in the United States. Serotonin is key to our feelings of happiness and very important for our emotions because it helps defend against both anxiety and depression. You may have a shortage of serotonin if you have a sad depressed mood, anxiety, panic attacks, low energy, migraines, sleeping problems, obsession or compulsions, feel tense and irritable, crave sweets, and have a reduced interest in sex.

Additionally, your hormones and Estrogen levels can affect serotonin levels and this may explain why some women have premenstrual and menopausal mood problems. Moreover, daily stress can greatly reduce your serotonin supplies.

The Excitatory Neurotransmitter System

This can be related to your car’s accelerator. It allows the signal to go. When the excitatory neurotransmitter system is in drive your system gets all raved up for action. Without a functioning inhibitory system to put on the brakes, things (like your mood) can get out of control. Among other things, the following should be in place to restore neurotransmitters in an attempt to achieve weight loss:

  • Epinephrine
  • Dopamine
  • Glutamate
  • Neurotransmitter Levels

Finally, we will be looking at the four in details in our next article but in the meantime, we want to appeal to you to stay on the link and learn more. However for any immediate concerns, you can always call on doctor Akoury with all your questions and they will be addressed professionally.

Neurotransmitters effects: Available support supplement

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Dopamine Rush

Neurochemical foundation of addiction

January 13, 2017
Neurochemical foundation

Neurochemical foundation of addiction treatment solutions begins with diagnosis and tests for accuracy in treatment delivery

Neurochemical foundation of addiction: The exhausted GABA

In order to understand the neurochemical foundation of addiction, it is important that we first understand how GABA operates. And to do so, we are going to speaking to doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President, and founder of the AWAREmed health and wellness resource center. And her submission she brakes the understanding as follows.

  • The neurons
  • The central nervous system (CNS)
  • Inhibitory neurotransmitters
  • Excitatory neurotransmitters

Having discussed the first two previously, we are going to progress with the remaining as follows:

Neurochemical foundation of addiction: Inhibitory Neurotransmitters

  • Some neurotransmitters act like a brake on a car.
  • They inhibit or slow down the actions of the neurons.
  • These are called inhibitory neurotransmitters.
  • Other neurotransmitters act like an accelerator.
  • They increase the speed of the actions of the neurons. These are called excitatory neurotransmitters.
  • GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.

Neurochemical foundation of addiction: Excitatory Neurotransmitters

  • Excitatory neurotransmitters are vital to:
    • Help us stay alert
    • Maintain our normal memory functions
    • Maintain our co-ordination
    • Maintain normal emotional responses
    • Maintain our heart rate
    • Maintain our blood pressure
  • Glutamate (a common amino acid) is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain.

Which neurotransmitters are released?

  • If there is something that creates:
    • Anxiety
    • A feeling of panic
    • Other stress
  • Excitatory neurotransmitters are released and a person can feel:
    • Restlessness
    • Higher than normal irritability
    • Rapid heartbeats
    • High blood pressure
    • Insomnia
    • Even seizures.

The role of GABA in the brain

  • Glutamate speeds things up and when they are going too fast, GABA slows them back down.
  • If there is a problem with the GABA in our brains, the neurons fire more and more, increasing the speed of the processes in the brain?

Neurochemical foundation of addiction: How GABA works

When GABA binds to a nerve cell receptor, it opens the nerve cell so that chloride ions present in the brain are allowed to move into the nerve cell to slow the activity of the cell, and the person normally experiences a calming feeling. For example, if our brain produces more excitatory neurotransmitters like norepinephrine or epinephrine (adrenaline) than normal, we can become anxious or have more stress than normal. And when the brain is working normally, it will produce more GABA thereby slowing down the actions in the brain and thus have a calming and relaxing effect on us.

Finally, this article will go a long way in helping you do the right thing with your life. In doing so certain professional decisions will have to be made and to do this, seeking for the expert opinion will be necessary. And that is where doctor Dalal Akoury and her team of experts come in. the lever of professionalism at this facility (AWAREmed health center) speaks for itself since doctor Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. This is what you need and calling her on telephone number 843 213 1480 should be your starting point for the total life transformation.

Neurochemical foundation of addiction: The exhausted GABA

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neurotransmitters-and-mood-symptoms

Neurochemical basis of addiction

January 13, 2017
Neurochemical basis

Neurochemical basis of addiction and addiction treatment systems

Neurochemical basis of addiction: The depleted GABA

For a long time, various forms of addictions have been taken to be just as a result of social problems and sometimes even decisions or choices we make in life. Yes, this may be true but we need to take a moment and look into this problem more critically to find facts about the neurochemical basis of addiction. Doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President, and founder of the AWAREmed health and wellness resource center says that it’s good that modern addiction medicine now recognizes that substance dependency of any kind is a disease process of the brain that features lowered dopamine and glutamate neurotransmitter levels. Importantly, as more legitimate research is done in this field of addiction medicine whose experimental basis is beginning to gain ground, models of neurochemical bases of addiction in the future may also feature lowered levels of GABA as the disease progresses. To understand this neurotransmitter (GABA) it will be necessary that we try to define some of the terms associated with it and appreciate the roles and functions of GABA in totality.

The use of GABA

Because of our unique DNA and the way that each of us metabolizes drugs, each of us may have different amounts of GABA in the brain but we are still considered to be operating “normally.” Unfortunately, there are no accepted medical tests to determine if we have too much or too little GABA activity. It appears that people who are nutritionally deficit and dehydrated often have problems with the operation of GABA in their brains. Since almost all of our patients are nutritionally deficient and dehydrated when they arrive at our facility, we have always implemented the addition of GABA to the IV therapy given to patients. The purpose is to provide a more natural boost to the GABA in the brain and to allow the calming effect of GABA to make the detoxification process more comfortable. Let us now understand how GABA operates by defining these terms.

Neurochemical basis of addiction: The neuron

  • A neuron is another name for a nerve cell.
  • Nerve cells float in the fluid.
  • Each neuron has an axon a thread-like part of the cell that sends signals from the cell body and a dendrite a part of the cell that receives signals from other neurons.
  • The neurons are not touching and the space between the cells is called the synapse.
  • Electrical signals are sent through the synapse to a receptor, a place on a cell that can produce a certain effect like the production of adrenaline if someone is frightened.

Neurochemical basis of addiction: The central nervous system (CNS)

  • The CNS is composed of the brain and the spinal cord.
  • The CNS transmits signals to the rest of the body using chemical messengers called neurotransmitters.
  • Neurotransmitters are stored in vesicles—hollow sac-like structures inside the cells.
  • These neurotransmitters carry a message from a neuron to receptors on another neuron.
  • The action of the neurotransmitters on the receptors has been likened to a key being inserted in a lock.
  • When the key is turned the lock opens and the neurotransmitters activate the receptors which in turn create an effect in the body.
  • Then many of the neurotransmitters return to the releasing vesicles to be used again.

Finally, you can always talk to us by calling doctor Akoury on telephone number 843 213 1480 to help you with any concerns you may have.

Neurochemical basis of addiction: The depleted GABA

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Addicted brain

Central nervous system depressants

June 7, 2016
Central nervous system depressants

Central nervous system depressants. All depressant when used wrongly can have serious effects on the brain

Central nervous system depressants: What are depressant?

What is there in a name? It is amazing how drugs of abuse often has so many names. Depressants as drugs are also not left out they are also known as central nervous system depressant besides other street names like barbs, reds, red birds, phennies, tooies, yellows, or yellow jackets, candy, downers, sleeping pills, or tranks, A-minus, or zombie pills. Central nervous system tranquilizers derails the normal activities of the brain and even that of the spinal cord say doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center which is a health facility founded with soul objective of offering addiction solution to the suffering communities and the globe at large.

From her experience of over two decades in this profession, doctor Akoury agrees that medical doctors often prescribe depressants to people who are anxious or are just struggling getting quality sleep. This is a common practice and nothing is wrong with that. Depressant when taken religiously as prescribed by the doctor are beneficial to patients. However when central nervous system depressants are abuse or used wrongly, the consequences can be very severe. Doctor Akoury reiterates that when depressants are misused, dependence and addiction are inevitable risks. As individual users continues abusing these prescription drugs either by taking someone else medication or just taking your own inappropriately to get high, all the other chronic health conditions that are associated with drug addiction can easily attack such users.

As we continue exploring on the effects of depressants, it is important to note that, these drugs can be divided into three primary groups: barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and sleep medications. Each of these groups will equally cause harm if not used appropriately. Careful attention needs to be taken in ensuring that the right prescription is used and the doctors instructions followed religiously. In the meantime if for whatever reason you did not follow instructions well and you’re now suffering from its addiction, all is not lost. You can still get your life back if only you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today for professional guidance.

Central nervous system depressants: How are depressant abused?

Depressants usually come either in pill or capsule form. They can be abused in different ways including some of the following:

  • Taking someone else’s prescription depressant medication.
  • Taking a depressant medication in total disregard of the doctor’s advice.
  • Experimenting with or taking depressants just for fun or to get high.
  • Taking a depressant while under the influence of other drugs.

Central nervous system depressants: How do depressants affects the brain?

Most depressants affect the brain by increasing the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a chemical in the brain that sends messages between cells. The increased GABA activity in turn slows down brain activity. This causes a relaxing effect that is helpful to people with anxiety or sleep problems. And like with other drugs, taking too much of GABA activity can be very harmful. Finally you can avoid all these harmful effects by seeking for help from the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center today and you will not regret having done so.

Central nervous system depressants: What are depressant?

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Effects of Benzodiazepine

October 4, 2014

Sedative and Euphoric Effects of Benzodiazepine

BenzodiazepineBenzodiazepines are drugs that have been used in hospitals to curb pain, as anti-anxiety and for sedation. However these drugs are can be abused as they are rewarding in higher doses. For this reason many people have used these drugs for all the wrong reasons. What happens when you take these drugs depends on the dosage. When used as prescribed the work as anti-anxiety and for sedation but when abused they result in even more grave side effects.

Benzodiazepines are glycoproteins with an affinity for benzodiazepine receptors which act as specific binding sites for gamma aminobutyric acid shortly known as GABA. The GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS. Many scientists have proposed various action mechanisms but despite all these proposed action mechanisms, the exact sites and mechanisms of actions of these drugs is still a mystery unraveled.

The mechanism of action of these drugs is often based on this belief that these drugs affect CNS by interacting with a macromolecular protein complex in the neuronal membrane which includes GABAa receptors, high-affinity benzodiazepine receptors and chloride channels. The scientists are still working to find more about the mechanisms of action of benzodiazepines in the CNS but until now we can dwell more on their effects in the body and how to safely use them.

Occupation of the benzodiazepine receptor increases the affinity of the GABAa receptor for GABA. GABA potentiates the direct opening of the chloride ion channel, allowing an increased influx of chloride into the neuron. The inward shift of chloride ions hyperpolarizes and stabilizes the membrane, resulting in a net inhibitory effect on neuronal firing. Benzodiazepines alone have little effect on chloride ion channel permeability and depend upon the presence of GABA in the synapse for their actions.

Some of benzodiazepines are very similar in their chemical structures but their potency differs greatly and so is the rate of absorption and other pharmacological parameters. The potency of a benzodiazepine is correlated with its affinity for its binding site, the benzodiazepine receptor. In therapeutic use, the benzodiazepines, while differing in potency, have similar pharmacologic profiles.

It is believed that there are different types of benzodiazepine receptors in different areas of the CNS which produce the various pharmacological actions of the drugs. As the dose of benzodiazepine is increased, anxiolytic effects are first produced, followed by anticonvulsant effects, a reduction in muscle tonus, and finally sedation and hypnosis.

Clinically, benzodiazepines are used in the management of anxiety disorders, insomnia, seizure disorders, skeletal muscle spasticity, alcohol withdrawal, panic disorder and as premedicants prior to surgical or diagnostic procedures. Benzodiazepines have also been used in the management of nausea and vomiting associated with emetogenic cancer chemotherapy.

When taken benzodiazepines get widely spread in the body and accumulate preferentially in lipid rich areas such as the CNS and adipose tissue. The more lipophilic agents have the fastest rates of absorption and onset of clinical effects. Benzodiazepines and their metabolites are highly bound to plasma proteins. Steady state plasma concentrations of benzodiazepines and their metabolites are reached after about 5 elimination half-lives, typically, a few days to 2 weeks after initiation of therapy. The higher the concentrations of benzodiazepines   in the plasma the higher their sedative and euphoric effects. For sedative purposes the concentrations of benzodiazepine in the plasma are much lower than the concentrations of benzodiazepine in plasma that would evoke euphoric effects. This shows that that a person may have euphoric feelings after using higher doses of benzodiazepine than the doses needed for sedative purposes. However, the higher the doses of benzodiazepines the danger it beckons for higher doses may result in intoxication or even delirium which is characterized by ataxia, amnesia, stupor, impaired consciousness, nystagmus.

Mortality hazards of the use of Benzodiazepine

The benzodiazepines are clinically useful but that does not mean that they are free from any side effects. The use of benzodiazepines within the prescribed doses foe sedation and sleeping disorders may give relief and a reason to celebrate but as I have written earlier, these drugs are prone to abuse and as commonly abuse of any drug will always give rise to undesired effects. Though it has not been perceived to be as dangerous as other drugs of abuse such as opioids and ‘bath salts’ that can cause death instantly due to overdose, the side effects of benzodiazepine can lead to death in one way or another. These side effects include; dependency, withdrawal, rebound symptoms, daytime sedation, confusion, cognitive deficits, ataxia, dysarthria, diplopia, and vertigo. The use of benzodiazepines have been linked to motor vehicle accidents especially in the elderly. Benzodiazepines are often used in patients undergoing dialysis for their sedation effects. However a study done in japan where these drugs were used widely in dialysis patients showed that benzodiazepine use may be associated with an increased mortality risk.

Benzodiazepine increased rise of falls in Elderly

BenzodiazepineBenzodiazepine has also been found to increase falls in the elderly leading major fractures. The long term use of these drugs is also associated with nocturnal falls and still the elderly still fall victims. Rise in falls is one of the problems that can be linked to the effects of the drug on the elderly.

Finally, you need more information to stay away from dependence on alcohol and drugs as these have crippled societies and that is why here at AWAREmed we are dedicated to finding the best solutions to addiction and dependence on substances. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is always in the mood of helping any patient to be addiction free. Do not hesitate to call on her for help in managing any sort of chronic pain or any type of addiction as well as other diseases.

Sedative and Euphoric Effects of Benzodiazepine

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