1 / 12

Chapter 7

Chapter 7. Depressants and Inhalants. Depressants. Most widely-used and abused drugs in the U.S Is popular for its stress and anxiety relieving properties. History. Before Barbiturates: Chloral hydrate was first synthesized in1832 but not used clinically until 1870– for sleep

kevina
Download Presentation

Chapter 7

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Chapter 7 Depressants and Inhalants

  2. Depressants • Most widely-used and abused drugs in the U.S • Is popular for its stress and anxiety relieving properties

  3. History • Before Barbiturates: • Chloral hydrate was first synthesized in1832 but not used clinically until 1870– for sleep • Paraldehyde was first synthesized in1829 but not used clinically until 1882 – very safe – very, very bad taste and odor • Bromides – to induce sleep in the 19th century, used until 1960s in OTC meds

  4. History • In the 1950s the first benzodiazepines were marketed as substitutes for barbiturates • Relatively safe when used for short periods • Long-term use can cause dependence and withdrawal problems

  5. Effects of CNS Depressants • CNS depressants reduce CNS activity and diminish the brain’s level of awareness • Depressant drugs include: • Benzodiazepines • Barbiturate-like drugs • Alcohol • Antihistamines • Opioid narcotics like heroin • GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate)

  6. Types of CNS Depressants • Benzodiazepines: Valium-Type drugs • Prescribed for anxiety and sleep • Four of the top-selling prescription drugs in the U.S. • Xanax, Halcion, Ativan, diazepam • Medical uses • Relief from anxiety, neurosis, muscle relaxation, alleviation of lower-back pain, treatment of convulsive disorders, induction of sleep, relief from withdrawal symptoms, induction of amnesia

  7. Types of CNS Depressants • Types of benzodiazepines: • 14 benzodiazepine compounds on the market • Distinguished primarily by their duration of action: short-acting (hypnotics), long-acting (sedatives) • Side effects: • Drowsiness to paradoxical effects (i.e. Rophynol, used to make victims vulnerable to sexual assault) • Tolerance, dependence, withdrawal, and abuse

  8. Figure 7.1 Schematic diagram of the relative time course of two barbiturates and two benzodiazepines after oral administration.

  9. Effects of CNS Depressants • The clinical value of CNS depressants is dose dependent: • Low dose (sedatives, relieve anxiety and promote relaxation) • Higher doses (hypnotics, can cause drowsiness and promote sleep) • At even higher doses (anesthetics, can cause anesthesia and are used for patient management during surgery)

  10. Effects of Inhalants • Nausea • Cough/sneeze • Light-headedness • Damage heart, kidneys, brain • Hypoxia/death

  11. Inhalants • Gaseous Anesthetics • Nitrites • Rapid delegation of the arties, great for blood pressure • Unpleasant smell • Volatile Solvents • GHB

  12. Dangers of Inhalants • SSD • Damage brain, liver, kidney, heart, fetus • Accidents associated with “intoxication” and fires

More Related