Question about GABA and tolerance etc

Sorry if I place this thread in the wrong forum, and for my bad English grammar.

As Im recovering from benzos Im interested in how these drugs actually work. What happens when you take it and when you stop taking it. I know that benzo, just as Alcohol, binds to the GABA-receptors. But what exacly happens in the brain when you take it, does it increase/lower GABA, Serotonin etc, basically what makes us calm? And if you take it for long time, what happens with these neurotransmitters when you stop? Are there any other medication you can take to increase/lower the things benzos affect? What happens in the brain when you get tolerance, and what has to happen to lower it?

Basically after you stop taking benzo when you have taken it for a long period of time, what part of the brain/neurotransmitters is it that need to be recovered?

I would like to know this because I want to heal my brain as best as possible. I know its mostly a question of time, but Ive read for example that SSRI's can boost the GABA-levels(again, I dont know if this is the "problem" benzo cause). Im thinking about trying antidepressents against my depression.

I feel that on this site everyone blames every single symptom people report, on the drug(withdrawal) itself. There is a reason you start taking benzos in the first place and of course these things will come back when you stop, thats the scariest part for me. You actually don't know when you're actually healed! Every single symptom I feel now(Depression, anxiety etc) I had before I tried benzos.

Thanks on forehand

I find this subject fascinating, since it has had a serious grip on my life for several years now. It’s a complex subject and the following information will probably just scratch the surface on what exactly is happening to our brains when these drugs are taken long term. I hope it is of help to you. It came from the following website.

http://www.choosehelp.com/topics/addictions/ambien-addiction

Ambien Dependence – What Happens in the Brain?

The brain is homeostatic – it likes to return to its basic ways of functioning, and if you try to change its functioning through the chronic use of drugs like Ambien, it will adapt in predictable ways to offset the effects of the drugs. When this happens you develop a tolerance and when you start to require a regular dose of your medication just to feel ‘normal’ – you have reached a state of physical dependency.3

Ambien increases the activity of the neurotransmitter GABA in the brain. GABA is an inhibitory chemical that quiets other neurotransmitters in the brain, so by upping GABA, you reduce physical and mental excitement and induce drowsiness and sleep (and at higher doses, reduce anxiety, etc.)

Once dependent, your brain adapts by:

1. Becoming less responsive to GABA (it takes more of it to produce the same results)

2. Becoming less responsive to the medication – it requires more of the medication to up GABA in the brain

So after you develop a dependency, you start to require a certain amount of medication just to maintain normal functioning, never-mind to induce drowsiness.

1. Once the brain adapts to the continual presence of the medication, suddenly stopping causes GABA levels to crash.

2. This causes a corresponding spike in the activity of excitatory chemicals in the brain - it’s as if the brakes came off - and this causes a host of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

By tapering down slowly you allow your brain time to readapt to a drug-free state, and you avoid the worst of the withdrawal symptoms.

Although Zolpidem is a very different looking chemical than any of the Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, etc.) they all bind to some of the same receptors (such as GABA A) in the brain.

**Credit goes to: 

Choose Help

Respective Author:  John Lee

 

I find this subject fascinating, since it has had a serious grip on my life for several years now. It’s a complex subject and the following information will probably just scratch the surface on what exactly is happening to our brains when these drugs are taken long term. I hope it is of help to you. It came from the following website.

 

http://www.choosehelp.com/topics/addictions/ambien-addiction

 

Ambien Dependence – What Happens in the Brain?

 

The brain is homeostatic – it likes to return to its basic ways of functioning, and if you try to change its functioning through the chronic use of drugs like Ambien, it will adapt in predictable ways to offset the effects of the drugs. When this happens you develop a tolerance and when you start to require a regular dose of your medication just to feel ‘normal’ – you have reached a state of physical dependency.3

 

Ambien increases the activity of the neurotransmitter GABA in the brain. GABA is an inhibitory chemical that quiets other neurotransmitters in the brain, so by upping GABA, you reduce physical and mental excitement and induce drowsiness and sleep (and at higher doses, reduce anxiety, etc.)

 

Once dependent, your brain adapts by:

 

1. Becoming less responsive to GABA (it takes more of it to produce the same results)

2. Becoming less responsive to the medication – it requires more of the medication to up GABA in the brain

 

So after you develop a dependency, you start to require a certain amount of medication just to maintain normal functioning, never-mind to induce drowsiness.

 

1. Once the brain adapts to the continual presence of the medication, suddenly stopping causes GABA levels to crash.

2. This causes a corresponding spike in the activity of excitatory chemicals in the brain - it’s as if the brakes came off - and this causes a host of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

 

By tapering down slowly you allow your brain time to readapt to a drug-free state, and you avoid the worst of the withdrawal symptoms.

 

Although Zolpidem is a very different looking chemical than any of the Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, etc.) they all bind to some of the same receptors (such as GABA A) in the brain.

 

**Credit goes to: 

Choose Help

Respective Author:  John Lee

Thanks for the answer. Ive never tapered down, only cold turkey(but many times). When the GABA-levels "crash" what does that mean? I guess when you stop the GABA-levels will be lowered and your brain works with increasing the GABA-levels on its own? If this is true, wouldnt someone be able to take medication like SSRI and other methods, to increase GABA? Ive heard SSRI is good when you stop using benzos for example. Yeah I know anit depressants are crap with its side effects etc but it could be worth a try.

Ive heard that you can do some sort of test for GABA:

"Diagnostic Testing is by far the best way to check your GABA levels and we offer a GABA Test that measures not only the amount of GABA, but also other important neurotransmitters including serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline, adrenaline and glutamate. We find testing for the whole range of neurotransmitters gives us a greater understanding of the persons neurological or mental health status. This is a simple urine sample test that is sent away to pathology for analysis." - http://www.vitalityandwellness.com.au/health-blog/low-gaba-levels-increase-gaba-naturally

AND

"Get a comprehensive urine organic acids test

I cannot speak highly enough on how much this test has helped our patients and clients.  If you can determine functional deficiencies via (UOA) and reverse them, you will likely help all of your neurotransmitters and help optimize brain function.  " - http://www.siliconvalleyfit.com/blog/bid/288230/How-to-Increase-GABA-7-Most-Powerful-Methods-Natural

Anyone know where I can do such test?

I personally will never take any drugs unless I feel my life is in jeopardy or my pain level has become unbearable (chronically bed ridden). I'm not anti-drugs, but I do know that my life has been greatly compromised by my own personal medical decisions.

I had relatively good health prior to taking drugs for insomnia. I have found that the safest path on this subject on brain health is; eat healthy and stay physically and mentally active to the best of your abilities and circumstances. Being mentally active includes face to face human interaction-which, unfortunately, can be extremely difficult if ones brain has been compromised by benzodiazepines.

I accessed the link you provided to the Silicon Valley Fit website, and the article "How to Increase GABA" provided a list of foods good for the brain. I eat several foods that are in the list. Regardless, recovery for me has been SLOW but still SURE! Thanks for the links.

Hi d as niel,

Well I just read a journal from few years ago.  What was soo interesting is that a person doe sd not need to have tolerance to the benzo in order to have we ithdrawl and a person can reach tolerance and not get withdrawl. The article states that different benzos work differently on gaba a sub unites. Theres so many tings in the as rticle. Heres a link

http://]

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/aps/2012/416864

Please look at fig 1.

FG

Thank you for the correction. This subject of GABA is so difficult to grasp and it is EASY to post misinformation. I was hoping someone would come along and correct me.

I can use all the help I can get, so please tell me if this sounds right:

Benzodiazepine drugs do not alter the amount of GABA in our brains, but rather these drugs alter GABA receptors ability to function as required so that homeostasis is maintained.

Also isn’t the thought that our brains can become “chemically imbalanced” a misnomer?

I really appreciate your well-thought-out comments and any thoughts are welcomed!