# Some positive signs - kappa opioid receptors



## Broken (Jan 1, 2017)

Hi all,

So I have been taking CBD oil the last month and the effect seemed to have plateaued mentally. I still wake up with terrible tension throughout my body and aches so it does help relieve this.

Anyway, as the effect had seemed to plateau I decided to try something new. I watched the Joe Rogan podcast with Paul Stamets who is a world famous fungus expert. He did a Ted talk about how he has discovered a fungus that is helping prevent colony collapse in bees (a SEVERE problem as 35% food comes directly from bee pollenation and a lot more indirectly). Anyway I digress. On the podcast he said he takes Lion's Mane mushroom as it stimulates Nerve Growth Factor. I looked into it and found some people claiming it healed their DPD, others healed their lost sense of smell, others had partial facial paralysis regained. So I was sold.

I have been taking it 4 days now and I have to say today I double dosed. Took 2 teaspoons in my coffee, and there was a small but significant decrease in DR symptoms. This is rare for me. CBD did have this effect at first, but as I say it plateaued. There was definite sign of the world looking more 3D as I cycled about, more colour, less tunnel vision, and relaxed physically. I know it is early days but some have said it worked immediately for them.

I got excited so dug a little deeper. Apparently it has a kappa AGONIST in it?!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9918390

So not to jump the gun, but these are rare to find naturally with any potency without being illegal. Who knows what percentage is Erinacine E though.. not much I imagine. Plus after 2 teaspoons I did have some mild nausea, though not unbearable. Will double again tomorrow to see if that improves. Worth noting mine is from fruiting bodies, is ethanol and water extracted and wood grown. These factors seem important to quality from other people.

Anyway, the drug *ALKS-5461 *is thought by many to hold hope for DPD/depression. This will combine a kappa agonist and antagonist to help major depression and other psychiatric illnesses.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buprenorphine/samidorphan

I waffled on a bit here but am feeling hopeful from this. Also worth noting I have been having tea with one peppermint tea bag (menthol - K agonist) and one chamomile tea bag (Apigenin- kappa antagonist).. The peppermint also hides the taste of chamomile. Anyone thinking of trying chamomile should consider it strongly inhibits CYP2C9 enzyme that breaks down many pharmaceutical drugs so be careful. Amentoflavone (found in Ginkgo Biloba) is ALSO a K-antagonist (but also inhibits CYP2C) so just took one of those.

Another side note. Cannabidiol (CBD) has helped many people recover from opiate addictions. The kappa receptor is downstream and involved with the CB1 receptor (how exactly I don't remember). Anyway, it helps me somewhat but hasn't 'cured' me.. but one month is still early days as I am only taking 50mg a day (tiny).. if 500mg (therapeutic dose used in studies) was affordable I would be on it and who knows what effect that would have. Thoughts?


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## Surfingisfun001 (Sep 25, 2007)

I also seem to be plateauing on CBD. It was far more noticeable in the first 1-2 weeks. I must have built a tolerance.

Let us know how the mushrooms continue to go.


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## Broken (Jan 1, 2017)

Yeh the effect from it has worn off.. but we would need 500mg a DAY in an ideal world. I am still taking CBD as an antidepressant and anxiolytic so will see how it goes. Still gives me a small amount of relief in a day, stacked with lion's mane and other kappa stuff.

Will do! Reading and watching videos on mushrooms it is actually mind blowing!


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## Surfingisfun001 (Sep 25, 2007)

I experienced unpleasant effects from CBD the first week. It felt like I was experiencing some sort of die off. I no longer experience that with CBD. Interesting to note. I also continue to take it and would say it does help some.


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## Broken (Jan 1, 2017)

Wow, weird you saw that about the die off! For sure I experienced that. Groggy and physically just weird.. all gone now and taking MORE CBD than then. But defo thought it was die off as also have lost a hell of a lot of blackheads on my face (skin hasn't looked this clear since pre puberty) and lost spots on my back. Inflammation and bad gut bacteria and weak immunity all go hand in hand and inflammation is associated with depression.

Also wanted to link to this site before I lose it. Again, anecdotal but 2 seperate people talking about Lion's Mane giving them an enhanced 3D affect to their vision (which I also experienced). Again something like this I would note is most likely the action of the kappa agonist rather than the NGF.

http://www.bluelight.org/vb/archive/index.php/t-583372.html

Hi ASM. Yeh peppermint + chamomile gives a slight amount of relaxation to me but nothing for the DP/DR. And I wouldn't expect it to. I think as these are all relatively weak agonists and antagonists as I can't access the drugs, it is a matter of taking lots of different kinds together over a sustained period... and I am open-minded enough to say I could be completely full of s*@t as well :mrgreen: it may still be placebo. The only thing of significance is the Lion's Mane but that may well pass as well


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## Surfingisfun001 (Sep 25, 2007)

Broken said:


> Wow, weird you saw that about the die off! For sure I experienced that. Groggy and physically just weird.. all gone now and taking MORE CBD than then.


Yeah same here, taking MORE now and feel very good when taking it, no unpleasant side effects.

Also the first week taking CBD I was extremely tired and drowsy when taking it, I no longer feel tired when taking it at all, and I take way more now. I imagine the body builds a tolerance to it.


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## Broken (Jan 1, 2017)

Just guna post some thoughts here:

So been researching K-opioid receptors again. This study is interesting, it says how the claustrum is implicated in creating consciousness and that there appears to be 3 neurons from this region that branch extensively throughout the brain. Interesting, and also a region that has the highest amounts of k-opioid receptors. So large amounts of k-agonists cause symptoms of DPD, but after this the KOR is downregulated leading to 'clarity' in addiction/depression (think ibogaine being 'spiritual trips' that heal these things). I am technically microdosing as only a teaspoon a day, and can't imagine there is a lot of the kappa agonist in it. But it is believed microdosing over time will downregulate the receptors. Again, 10 days is nothing looking at nearer 100 days before I can be certain.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hbm.22667/abstract?systemMessage=Wiley+Online+Library+usage+report+download+page+will+be+unavailable+on+Friday+24th+November+2017+at+21%3A00+EST+%2F+02.00+GMT+%2F+10%3A00+SGT+%28Saturday+25th+Nov+for+SGT+

So, yeh each day there is improvement with the Lion's Mane mushroom. Small, but there. Less DR/more 3D, more colour, DEFINITELY more physically relaxed, better sleep, more ME-ness ie better body awareness, better integration of senses. Before it was almost as if paying attention to one thing would block out the other senses.. Like a tunnel vision but to whatever I payed attention. That is easing up. Small but positive steps. Actually found myself looking forward to the next day to feel the improvements! As opposed to dreading another day of DP

I also take 600 mg theanine a day in my tea (200mg 3x a day). Teaspoon hempseed oil a day and cod liver oil. CBD half a tincture every morning. Alpha GPC for choline. A varied probiotic with rhamnosus (this increases gaba mRNA expression in the vagus nerve).. and evening primrose. But at the moment the major things are the CBD and Lion's mane.. I got the alpha GPC as my first thought was acetylcholine increases which Lion Mane ALSO does, but this hasn't had much noticeable effect.


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