This is an interesting article which says that when we are on antipsychotics more dopamine receptors get produced.
So
If we are coming off the antipsychotic cold turkey then all of a sudden there’s LOADS of dopamine receptors hence rebound psychosis can likely happen! Because there is so much dopamine bonding potentially possible
But if we slowly reduce the amount of antipsychotic dosage and so slowly there’s less dopamine antagonism, then there is the chance for the body to slowly down regulate/reduce the extra dopamine receptors… Maybe… This all all just me pondering based on a journal.
Does anyone know about this. I wonder if this is part of the reason to slowly reduce dosage
I would like it if this is correct, imagine if I am trying to come off meds (which I am not currently) and there is no downregulation /reduction of those extra dopamine receptors
One time i got out of the hospital on the same day as T-bone and gave him a ride. We smoked a joint big mistake. It took me off the so called security I had from the hospital and kind of relapsed. I went back the next year. Three summers in a row there. Then I got tough and never went back.
Yep that’s pretty much exactly it. Naturally, the psychotic brain produces too much dopamine. Then you go on meds that greatly reduce the flow of dopamine and your brain gets accustomed to this. You suddenly drop the meds and bam, your brain is flooded with dopamine again, causing you to relapse and have an episode even worse than ones you had off medication.
It’s sort of like when people who are taking a large amount of illicit drug stop in rehab, their body gets cleared of it and loses its tolerance to it, then they go out and try to take the same amount they used to to get high but their brain lost its tolerance so they end up overdosing and dying.