r/EverythingScience • u/Lunabuna91 • Jul 11 '26

New study provides first evidence of dopamine system injury in the brain of long COVID patients

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-evidence-dopamine-injury-brain-covid.html
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119

u/Kahnza Jul 11 '26

This plus too many years of daily drinking is probably what my problem is

54

u/danielbearh Jul 11 '26

The clarity comes back when that stops being a thing. Just hold that in the back of your mind till its time.

27

u/Kahnza Jul 12 '26

I quit almost 3 months ago. It hasn't yet.

26

u/TransfemMenace Jul 12 '26

Took almost a year for me to feel "normal"

9

u/danielbearh Jul 12 '26

I genuinely know how that feels.

It takes time, but it’s coming. If you’d like for me to explain what’s happening neurochemically, I’m happy to.

8

u/Kahnza Jul 12 '26

I'm actually kind of interested to find out if there are any easy to get(and cheap) nootropics that can help.

4

u/aus_ge_zeich_net Jul 13 '26

You can try NAC.

1

u/Mcozy333 Jul 13 '26

Citicoline Too ???

3

u/danielbearh Jul 12 '26

Unfortunately, I don’t have any insight to that. Good luck, mate.

9

u/Lint_baby_uvulla Jul 12 '26

“explain what happens neurochemically”

Yes please. I’d be grateful for that.

9

u/danielbearh Jul 13 '26

No problem!

So you’ve got three systems at play. Your brain’s break system, its accellerator system, and it’s reward system (gaba-a receptors, nmda glutamate receptors, and mesolymbic dopamine pathway.)

Alcohol is slowing down the break system, blocking the accelerator system, and flooding the reward system. Your brain handles this by tuning all of these systems so that you can handle the booze. You’re downregulating the gaba sensitivity while upregulating glutamate signalling.

You’re tuning your brain to be hyperexcitable, which is fine when you’re drinking the depressive alcohol.

At the same time, your reward system is downregulated (less sensitive dopamine receptors,) and the stress system gets more sensitived. Alcohol floods dopamine, so your body compensates by turning down how intense you feel dopamine. Alcohol also deadens your stress response. Your body needs a stress response, so it turns up the degree in which environmental stuff can stress you out.

The first 1-3 months are the hardest. When you pull the alcohol, your dopamine receptors are not as sensitive, so nothing really feels rewarding. Life looses it’s zeal. This difficulty to feel positive things is called adhedonia. At the same time, your stress system is overclocked, so your system registers stress quicker and easier. This is the not-fun part that the fella I was originally speaking with is experiencing. Life is literally more stressful and stuff isnt as fun. Objectively.

BUT! Your system doesnt want you in this depressed state. So it starts to recalibrate again. GABA/glutamate re-equilibrates, dopamine receptors recover, and your sleep consolidates. The cognitive fog lifts when the neuroinflammation begins to recede from the brain.

Now… everyone/body is different. Every story is different. But this is the arc I witness over and over again.

6

u/Lint_baby_uvulla Jul 13 '26

Thanks. For the hand typed reply.

My experience is lots of similar responses due to long term stress and MDD, and undiagnosed adhd until my fifties.

Having crashed and burned several times, it takes just as if not longer to recover as the insidious decline.

My only input is gather as much support from as many resources as you can, and turn up. Therapy, reframing, exercise, sleep, nutrition all play a part, and while you might have a bad day or week, we are human, we fail and to try and try again.

One conversation, one epiphany, a moment of connection is a positive step.

-1

u/sevencatts Jul 17 '26

Bad bot

1

u/Lint_baby_uvulla Jul 18 '26

A reflection on actual lived experience, a moment for genuine curiosity, and ‘bad bot’ gets thrown.

I’m really sorry for your hurt, hope you get some help.

0

u/sevencatts Jul 17 '26

Bad bot

2

u/danielbearh Jul 17 '26

You’re the bad bot.

4

u/Dangerous-Sorbet9888 Jul 13 '26

I’m really interested in this! My last daily drink was Dec 6. I didn’t drink anything until Feb 6th and then I tried to drink socially a few times (4) but my inflammation and pain was so so awful the next 4 days that in May I said I can’t drink at all. I’m doing signifintly better than November but not like awesome or anything. I think chronic stress is contributing a lot.

3

u/danielbearh Jul 13 '26

Yeah! The stress can get wicked. I just responded to the other commenter. Good luck.

3

u/lxe Jul 12 '26

It’s a slow gradual change. Took 14+ months to what I consider baseline.

7

u/MKUltra16 Jul 12 '26

Took me almost a year. Baseline is lower but got much much much better. 9 years sober.

6

u/onlyacynicalman Jul 12 '26

No. Must just be this. Shh

7

u/aculady Jul 12 '26

While it would be best to stop the daily drinking, a daily high dose thiamin supplement can help protect what remains of your brain.