I keep reading all these recreational drugs increase dopamine – the ‘feel good’ drug in the brain. So why is just injecting dopamine itself not a thing?

Question

I keep reading all these recreational drugs increase dopamine – the ‘feel good’ drug in the brain. So why is just injecting dopamine itself not a thing?

In: Biology

Answer 1

One thing to add to these explanations is that Dopamine is often injected intravenously for a different purpose. It causes a rise in blood pressure and stimulates the heart (frequently used in cardiac surgery for example).