7 replies to this topic

[Shulginstestsubject]

Recently, I was having allergies all day and decided to medicate it with antihistamins. I took two pills with chlorpheniramine maleate, phenylephrine, and acetaminophen. About an hour later, I experienced a somewhat dramatic antidepressant effect.

I felt:
more sociable
MY BODY FELT LIGHT AS A FEATHER ( I usually feel all heavy and weighed down, difficult to WANT to move)
vision was brightened
PERSONALITY WAS ENRICHED
i didn't feel the same sort of regret and shame about the things that I say and do
I felt like I could carry out a better/fluid and more intelligent conversation with people
music sounded better
didn't feel as sleepy
noticable difference in visible affective state
less anxoius
felt like dancing for some reason haha
felt a cognitive enhancement
only bad part is that it sort of diminished my libido, I would have enjoyed more dopaminergic effects


when comparing it to more well established psychoactives; think maybe like a more serotonergic version of an extended release methylphenidate

but the next day, without taking more, i felt:
lethargic
"grey" gloomy feeling
phobic
moody
obsessive
anxious
didn't wana talk to people
self loathing
etc..

Chlorpheniramine has been established as an SSNRI. But the reason why I don't want to continue to take it is because I'm afraid of receptor downregulation and transporter protein up-regulation. Phenylephrine is an alpha1 adrenoreceptor agonist. Does it exert ANY action in the brain?

Do SSNRI bind to serotonin and norepinephrine transporters all over the brain? Or is it really region speicific? If so, what regions of the brain are we talking about?

Also, is there anything that actually causes dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin transporter endocytosis without effecting neurotransmitter levels?

thanks all!!

[renfr]

Wow, it's incredible that you had the exact opposite effects that I had, I was rather totally braindead, unable to speak (as if I was muted), dead tired and without any kind of emotions.
Maybe is it because it was pheniramine maleate and not chrlopheniramine, not sure if that really makes a difference.
According to wikipedia :

The halogenation of pheniramine increases its potency by 20-fold.

So maybe an high dose could have had produced the opposite effects that I had, it's not impossible.

[Shulginstestsubject]

Yes, pheniramine is, as far as I know, just an antihistamine/anticholinergic. I mean, even diphenhydramine is also an SSRI; pheniramine doesn't even have THAT going for it haha. Chlorpheniramine, however, is an SSNRI. But I really feel that if i start taking this an a usual basis, then I'll experience receptor downregulation and I'll end up feeling worse. But the good news is that I can get a really nice mood lift by inhibiting SERT, NET, and DAT (obviously) but. I just wish there was a better way to do that. Perhaps there is something that has the power to cause transporter protein endocytosis without having to lower transmitter levels.

[medievil]

Its also a DRI because of the histamine antagonism.
I made a thread about it a while ago, like you i quite like it.

[medievil]

Updates on this? do you still take it?

[jadamgo]

Oh and the phenylephrine is an alpha-1 agonist which adds noradrenergic activity to this combination.

[Isochroma]

Anticholinergics have fast tolerance [this forum: Anticholinergic tolerance from daily use] and wreck memory - exactly the opposite of nootropics.

You'll be raising your dosages and moving into psychosis/damage territory to maintain the effects.

There are lots of better alternatives, try the racetams - especially Coluracetam and Sunifiram.

Noopept works well for feeling good too and is pro-social, providing all the benifits the OP listed.

Edited by Isochroma-Reborn, 29 March 2013 - 05:37 AM.

[vaarmen]

Phenylephrine being a Alpha 1 adrenergic agonist does improve mood. The same receptor is responsible for the supposed increased efficacy of SNRIs over SSRI because the NRI part, blocking Norepinephrine transporters and increasing norepinephrine primarily exerts its effects through alpha 1 receptors (alpha 2 are autoreceptors mostly and exert opposite effect).

The Antihistamine in this case would make you sleepy, so you might consider trying phenylephrine alone