Exam 2 (Depressants, Stimulants, Psychedelics, and Cannabis) Flashcards
Depressants AKA
Sedatives
Hypnotics
Anxiolytics
All of them decrease the activity of what?
Central Nervous System
Reticular Activating System
Relief from?
Disinhibition
Sedation
Sleep
General Anesthesia
Coma
Death
What does not directly counter the effect of a stimulant?
Nonspecific antagonism with stimulants
True or False: Expectancies and environment are a very important factor in the effects of antidepressants.
True
1 alohol + 1 benzodiazepine = ?
4
True or False: No antidepressant drug related deaths.
False
Many accidental drug deaths due to depressants
Antidepressants have?
Cross tolerance and Cross dependence
What are Barbiturates?
- Developed in 1800s
- Anticonvulsants, sleeping pills, anesthetics
- Derived from barburic acid: pentobarbital (Nembutal), seconbarbital (Seconal), phenobarbital (Luminal), Amobarbital (Amytal), Sodium thiopental (Pentothal)
- Prime rx depressant prior to 1960s, now largely replaced with benzodiazepines
- Low cost (main advantage) (no longer under patent)
Barbituric Acid:
Pentobarbital (Nembutal)
Secobarbital (Seconal)
Phenobarbital (Luminal)
Amobarbital (Amytal)
Sodium Thiopental (Pentothal)
Benzodiazepines replaced what?
Prime rx depressant prior to 1960s
Name some barbiturates and their colours/ appearance.
- Tunal: Red & Blue Pill
- Sodium Amytal: Blue Pill
- Medomin: White round tablet
- Nembutal: Yellow Pill (Placebo?)
- Amytal: Small, white, round tablet
- Phanodorm: White round tablet
- Sodium Seconal: Red Pill
- Soneryl: Pink round tablet
- Epanutin: Orange and White pill
What is the metabolism, mechanism and short-term effects of barbiturates?
- They can be ingested orally, very lipdid soluble and quickly into the brain (longer acting ones are slightly less lipid-soluble)
- Decrease pupil size
- Reduce glutamate and increase affinity of GABA for its receptor
- Net effect of depressing synaptic transmission; in normal doses there is selective depression of the Reticular Activating System and thalamic projection system because of their very high concentration of synapses, in high doses it depresses the entire activity of the central nervous system
- Short (1 hour): Anesthetics (thiopental), truth serum (thiopental)
- Medium (4-6 hours): Sleeping pills (amobarbital) (lose effectiveness in 2 weeks and disturbs Rapid Eye Movement)
- Long (2-6 day half-life): anticonvulsants (phenobarbital, treatment of choice for grand mal), antihypertensives
- Hangovers common because of the ling half-life
What is glutamate?
Excitatory transmitter
What is GABA
Inhibitory transmitter
Anesthetics and Truth Serums are?
Thiopental
Short Effects of Barbiturates
1 hour
Medium Effects of Barbiturates
4-6 hours
Long effects of Barbiturates
2-6 day half-life
Long-Term Effects of Barbiturates
- Fatigue, poor coordination, impaired memory and attention
- Tolerance to sedative but not respiratory depression –> 3000 deaths a year in the U.S., 1500 are related to suicide
- Marilyn Monroe died from Barbiturates
- Physical dependence, with strong rebound symptoms of anxiety and tremors, withdrawal can be fatal due to cardiac failure or exhaustion
Explain Minor Tranquilizers
- Anti-anxiety drugs, anxiolytics, sedatives
- Introduced in the 1960s
- Benzodiazepines: Chlordiazepoxide (Librium), Diazepam (Valium), Alprazolam (Xanax), Lorazepam (Atican), Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol, ‘date-rape’), Midazolam (Versed)
- Benzodiazepines one of the most widely prescribed drugs in the world
- More commonly used among females, poorly educated, low income, elderly
- Less potent than barbiturates (don’t suppress respiration), but high rates of overdose because of wide use
- Less Central Nervous System depression and more specific anti-anxiety effects
Anti-anxiety drugs, anxiolytics, and sedatives are also known as?
Minor Tranquilizers
Minor Tranquilizers are best for what?
- Acute anxiety (**NOT **Obsessive Compulsive, Panic Attacks, or Generalized Anxiety)
- Insomnia
- Anticonvulsant
- Alcohol withdrawal (longer half-life)
- Muscle relxants
- Inducing amnesia (e.g., treatment for PTSD)
