Lecture 2: Assessment & Stimulants + History

Question 1

Pharmacokinetics

Answer 1

The branch of pharmacology concerned with the movement of drugs within the body.

Question 2

Pharmacodynamics

Answer 2

The branch of pharmacology concerned with the effects of drugs and the mechanism of their action.

Question 3

Religiomania

Answer 3

Religious Conversion.

William James, known as the Father of American Psychology, wrote in his 1902 book, The Varieties of Religious Experience, “The only cure for dipsomania [alcoholism] is religiomania.”

Bill Wilson (Bill W.) cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous; spiritual awakening precipitated path to sobriety.

Question 4

Galenics | Galenic Medicine

Answer 4

_________ is the process that turns an active ingredient into a ready-to-use medicine that can be dosed as required. _________ formulation deals with the principles of preparing and compounding medicines in order to optimize their absorption and forms part of pharmaceutics, the discipline (or science) of dosage form design.

An active substance is required for formulation development, safety assessment studies, and clinical studies. A sufficient quantity of quality active substance is produced in a chemical development process to be used in safety testing and for scientists to formulate a medicinal product.

The medicinal product will comprise the active substance formulation (tablet, cream, suspension,solution), excipients (inactive ingredients such as lactose), and packaging/delivery device (blisterpack, bottle, inhaler, vial, prefilled syringe).

Question 5

Delirium Tremens

Answer 5

A rapid onset of confusion usually caused by withdrawal from alcohol. When it occurs, it is often three days into the withdrawal symptoms and lasts for two to three days. Physical effects may include shaking, shivering, irregular heart rate, and sweating.

Question 6

Morphinism | Opiod Withdrawal

Answer 6

Withdrawal signs and symptoms may start within 6 to 16 hours after you stop using the opioid. Signs and symptoms usually last 7 to 10 days, but can continue for months.

Overwhelming craving for the opioid

Anxiety, irritability, depression

Trouble sleeping, or being tired during the day

Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

Sweating or shaking

Muscle aches or cramps

Chills or goosebumps

Yawning

Runny nose or watery eyes

Question 7

Cannabis-Induced Acute Psychosis

Answer 7

Rare but serious. Symptoms of marijuana psychosis are characterized by a loss of touch with reality:

• Delusions; false beliefs in spite of evidence to the contrary.
• Hallucinations; to experience sounds, feelings, voices, images, and other sensations that are not real.
• Dissociation/depersonalization; may feel unattached from body, as if floating outside of it, or feel things around them aren’t real.
• Disorganized thoughts; psychosis can cause a person’s thoughts to be disordered and chaotic. It can trigger persistent and disturbing thoughts as well. Other people may struggle to understand.

Question 8

Latrogenic

Answer 8

Relating to illness caused by medical examination or treatment.

Question 9

Sympathomimetic

Answer 9

____________ drugs (also known as adrenergic drugs and adrenergic amines) are stimulant compounds which mimic the effects of endogenous agonists of the sympathetic nervous system.

Question 10

ATS | Amphetamine type stimulants

Answer 10

• Characterized by their phenylethylamine structure
• methamphetamine, amphetamine, methylphenidate
• synthetic stimulants include cathinones such as mephedrone*
• Structurally different also included in the ATS category because of user profile and similar clinical manifestation; methylphenidate, fenethylline, and mephedrone
• MDMA has ATS-like chemical structure but is classified as a hallucinogen

Question 11

Methamphetamine | ATS

Answer 11

• Known as “speed”, “Crank”. Smoked form known as “Ice”.
• ATS ingested orally, intravenously, by smoking, or by “snorting”
• Facilitate the release of Norepinephrine (NE) and Dopamine (DA) from nerve terminals resulting in catecholamine surge that stimulates the sympathetic nervous system.
• euphoria, increased sense of energy, alertness, and libido.

Question 12

Methamphetamine | ATS Stats

Answer 12

• Past year ATS use in US was estimated at 1.3% of pop and approx. 469,000 had dependence/abuse disorders
• admissions increased from 5%-9% in 2005 but then decreased slightly to 7% in 2012.
• 26.3% addiction treatment admits in California 2011 for ATS drugs.
• Continues to be major concern for MWSM.
• 34.9% had committed a violent act while intoxicated.
• 1/3 of those who’d received psychosocial treatment report at least 1 suicide attempt

Question 13

Methamphetamine | ATS Symptoms

Answer 13

• Small/moderate dose results in vasoconstriction and elevated pulse/blood pressure.
• larger doses sympathomimetic effects are exaggerated; dizziness, tremor, fever, dilated pupils, sweating, rapid breathing, rapid heartbeat, and blood pressure.
• Longer term use; depression, poor concentration, and fatigue.
• chronic use/moderate dose; movement disorders such as Parkinsonian features (spontaneous muscle contractions and tremor)
• Chronic use; cognitive impairment
• Oral caries, tooth fracture, gingivitis, and periodontis.
• Psychiatric symptoms, injury, skin infections, and dental pathology.
• Acute ATS toxicity, drug induced seizures, hypoxic stress, and CV complications. Drug-induced hypothermia (effects on the hypothalamus) can also result in death.