Mu Opioid receptor

[asdfdoc]

Hi guys,

I am having some success with ssri (lexapro) in managing my pois case. For me lexapro 10mg improves my pois about 80%. Along with ritalin as needed gives me enough energy to overcome pois.

anyway, I've been thinking about pois. When one orgasms, bunch of hormones come out including dopamine, some serotonin and lots of endorphins. I haven't personally tried heroin but I heard it feels like orgasm? Would it be possible for pois symptoms to happen because of spike in endorphins flooding mu receptors? I've had some good symptom management with tramadol a while back. It was accidental but it worked and I was amazed. tramadol works on opioid receptor and it is a mild ssri. i mean opioid receptor stimulation can generally make one less prone to pain and reduce irritability in general but i feel like this is one area to look into. we got lots of opiod drugs in market, ie. vicodin, norco, tyrenol 3, percoset, codeine, tramadol.

[bjameshill]

I have tried all those opiates due to disc problems in my back.  Tramadol is unique, as it is a synthetic opiate and partial opiate agonist of the Mu Opioid receptor.  While other pure opiates affect all receptors on your body, Tramadol only acts on some of them.  It is a novel chemical. 

Couple other notes on Tramadol:  it is usually prescribed, especially in the US, as a first line pain med because it isn't scheduled, addiction profile is lower than other opiates (but addiction is possible!), and is typically well tolerated in user groups.  Tramodol, as you mentioned, is also a mild SSRI, inhibiting Seratonin reuptake. 

I have taken Tramadol off and on for years, it works well for me, but here is the interesting thing.  For most pain management patients, Tramadol has a short usage life.  It doesn't help them for long and not enough for sever pain.  I have often wondered why it works so well for me and did some research a while back.

Two "side effects" of Tramadol:  Vasodilation and it enlarges the prostate.  Both bad things in most men.  However, any vasodilation med (caffeine, nicotine, some nose sprays, decongestants) improve my symptoms.  Because it clears Histimine from the body.  And I suspect the enlarged prostate may mediate some of my Pois related symptoms.  Semen production is different when I am on Tramadol, urinination is different.  It's an interesting chemical.

I feel like I need to discuss the downsides:  can cause addiction, not everyone tolerates it well, can cause jitteriness, you can't take it with other SSRIs or it can cause Serotonin syndrome and most importantly, it has a huge drug interaction profile. 

http://www.webmd.com/drugs/mono-5239-TRAMADOL+-+ORAL.aspx?drugid=4398&drugname=Tramadol+Oral&source=0

Please understand, I am not recommending its usage. Just want to share my experience and research. 

[Vincent M]

Things that work positively on opioid receptors are central nervous system depressants to some extent, correct? I know with me cns depressants like alcohol and klonopin reduce anxiety a lot, indirectly improving my health/energy and also allow me to get more and better quality sleep further improving my health/energy. In addition both will often immediately raise my mood after dosing, but I'm not sure if this is done indirectly by reducing stress and physical pain or directly from the substance.

Due to what some people have said about tramadol I suspect it has more opioid or cns depressant activity than most scientists/doctors suspect at this point, which leads me to believe that it's also a lot more addictive than most currently believe. Be careful with it.

[bjameshill]

You are right, Vincent.  A pain reliever cant be a long term solution.  I am curious about the "prostate" side effect of Tramadol.  I wonder if anyone else on the board has tried other meds that affect the prostate and what the experience was? 

Also, alcohol.  I used to drink a lot.  I always felt better, mind clearer / less fatigue, after a night of drinking.  Which is a little odd.  I think it was due to the fact that alcohol dehydrates you.  Dehydration causes vasodilation, which clears histamine again.  Which, for me, points to the allergy-side of the POIS equation. 

[Vincent M]

I don't see how something that causes prostate enlargement would be beneficial to POIS. In fact myself and another member I know have found some POIS relief from saw palmetto, which is known to be able to prevent prostate enlargement to some degree.

I usually feel better the day after drinking a moderate amount of alcohol, perhaps due to better quality sleep and stress relief. Most of our members don't seem to tolerate alcohol well however.

[bjameshill]

Thanks for your insight.  I have a lot of theories my foggy brain has cooked up over the years based on my experiences.  I have never had a forum to discuss before.