Anti-adrenergic Drugs

Question 1

What are the categories of adrenoreceptor antagonists?

Answer 1

Alpha adrenoreceptor antagonists
Beta adrenoreceptor antagonists
Mixed antagonists

Question 2

What are examples of non-selective alpha adrenoreceptor antagonists?

Answer 2

Phentolamine (OraVerse) and phenoxybenzamine (Dibenzyline)

Question 3

What are examples of a1 receptor selective antagonist?

Answer 3

Prazosin (minipress), tamsulosin (flomax), doxasin (cardura)

Question 4

Which alpha antagonists can be used for treatment of pheochromocytoma?

Answer 4

Phentolamine, phenoxybenzamine, metyrosine

Question 5

Which alpha antagonists can be used for chronic essential HTN?

Answer 5

Prazosin and doxazosin

Non selective alpha blockers NOT used

Question 6

Which alpha antagonists can be used for erectile dysfunction?

Answer 6

Combination of phentolamine and a nonspecific vasodilator papaverine (injected into penis)

Question 7

Which alpha antagonists can be used for BPH to treat chronic urinary obstruction?

Answer 7

Tamsulosin
Effectively relieves urinary obstruction and pain with little effect on BP (compared to prazosin and doxasin which are also effective but cause a drop in BP)

Question 8

What are examples of mixed adrenoreceptor antagonists?

Answer 8

Labetalol (Trandate)
Carvedilol (Coreg)
Both B and alpha 1 antagonists

Question 9

What are examples of beta 1 and 2 (non selective) blockers?

Answer 9

Propranolol (Inderal), pindolol (Visken), Nadolol (Corgard)

Question 10

What are examples of beta 1 selective blockers?

Answer 10

Metoprolol (Toprol), Betaxolol (kerlone), acebutolol (Sectral), atenolol (tenormin)

Question 11

Which beta blockers are used for HTN?

Answer 11

Anti-hypertensive effect is delayed

Both beta blockers and mixed alpha and beta blockers (labetalol, alpha 1 and beta blockers) are used

Question 12

How do beta blockers help with angina pectoris?

Answer 12

Blocking cardiac beta receptors decrease cardiac work and reduces oxygen consumption
Beta blockers reduce the frequency of angina episodes and improve exercise tolerance

Question 13

The long term use of which beta blockers prolong the survival during the post infarction period (in pts with recent MI)?

Answer 13

Propranolol and metoprolol

Question 14

In which kinds of cardiac arrhythmias are beta blockers most helpful?

Answer 14

Effective in ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias
Atrial flutter and Afib
Ventricular ectopic beats

Question 15

Describe the use of beta blockers in heart failure

Answer 15

Effective for the treatment of chronic heart failure in selected pts (prevent cardiac remodeling)
Metoprolol and carvedilol shown in clinical trials to be effective
Contraindicated in acute or severe CHF

Question 16

Which beta blocker can be used for glaucoma?

Answer 16

Betaxolol (a blocker without local anesthetic activity; propranolol not used)
The mechanism involves the reduction in the production of aqueous humor by the ciliary body

Question 17

Which beta blocker can be used to treat the excessive catecholamine action on the heart seen with hyperthyroidism?

Answer 17

Propranolol