Which neurotransmitters are affected by opioids?
The symptomatic effects of drug abuse are a result of alterations in the functioning of the following neurotransmitters or their receptors: acetylcholine, dopamine, Î³-aminobutyric acid, norepinephrine, opioids and serotonin.Anticholinergic drugs antagonize acetylcholine receptors.he symptomatic effects of drug abuse are a result of alterations in the functioning of the following neurotransmitters or their receptors: acetylcholine, dopamine, Î³-aminobutyric acid, norepinephrine, opioids and serotonin.
The reason that opiates such as heroin and morphine affect us so powerfully is that these exogenous substances bind to the same receptors as our endogenous opioids. There are three kinds of receptors widely distributed throughout the brain: mu, delta, and kappa receptors.ut not all drugs increase dopamine levels in the brain in the same way. 1  Some substances imitate natural neuromediators and take their place on their receptors. 2  Other substances increase the secretion of natural neuromediators. 3  Still other substances block a natural neuromediator.