Eli5; After reading the post on the adenosine blocking features caffiene has I have follow up questions. Is that the same process that pain killers have? And does the fact that it has to make new paths aid in the memory loss that painkillers (opiods specifically) give you?

Question

Eli5; After reading the post on the adenosine blocking features caffiene has I have follow up questions. Is that the same process that pain killers have? And does the fact that it has to make new paths aid in the memory loss that painkillers (opiods specifically) give you?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

You seem to have misunderstood a lot of things.

There are 3 types of painkillers and only one of them have effects on memory. None of them interact with the adenosine receptors.

NSAIDs(eg. aspirin, ibuprofen) work by inhibiting the cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2) enzyme which is responsible for inflammation.

Opioids work by activating μ-opioid receptors. This also causes the brain(and other parts of the nervous system) to slow down, which is why it effects memory.

There’s also paracetamol, but how it works as isn’t fully known yet.