Pharmacological, physical and psychological effects of substances Flashcards
Effects of alcohol on neuroreceptors
Decreases NMDA sensitivity
Increases GABA sensitivity
Down regulates calcium channels
Up regulates nicotine receptor gated sodium channels
Factors which lead to higher oral availability of alcohol in females compared to males
Lower body water volume
Higher alcohol absorption rate
Less alcohol dehydrogenase in the gut mucosa
Hours from last drink of alcohol to onset of shakes
4-12 hours
Hours from last drink of alcohol to onset of perceptual disturbances
8-12 hours
Hours from last drink of alcohol to onset of seizures
12-24 hours
Hours from last drink of alcohol to peak of seizures
48 hours
Hours from last drink of alcohol to onset of delirium tremens
72 hours
Percentage of patients with alcohol withdrawal who develop delirium tremens
5%
Risk of seizures in untreated patients with alcohol dependence
8%
Risk of seizures in treated patients with alcohol dependence
3%
Percentage of patients with withdrawal seizures who develop delirium tremens
30%
Percentage of patients with DTs who die if untreated
10%
Difference between opiates and opioids
Opiates refer to natural opioids
Opioids are natural, semisynthetic, or synthetic
Receptor which mediates euphoric response to opioid use
Mu
Half life of morphine
2-3 hours
Oral bioavailability of morphine
30%
Half life of heroin
<3 minutes
Oral bioavailability of heroin
30%
Half life of methadone
15-60 hours
Oral bioavailability of methadone
80%
Half life of codeine
2-4 hours
Main psychoactive component of cannabis
9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
Time to peak euphoric effects of cannabis after smoking
30 minutes
Percentage of patients using benzodiazepines for a year who become dependent
40%
Mechanisms of action of GHB
GABA like action
Inhibits dopamine release at low doses
Boosts dopamine availability with chronic use
Induces the release of noradrenaline in the hypothalamus
Percentage of patients taking GHB who develop bradycardia
33%
GHB derived compound used in the USA for cataplexy associated with narcolepsy
Sodium oxybate
Effects of a ‘bad trip’ from LSD
Dissociation
Frightening perceptions
Panic attack type symptoms
Drug most likely to cause nasal septum perforation
Cocaine
Side effects of opioids which does not develop tolerance
Constipation
Miosis
Most common side effects of benzodiazepines
Drowsiness
Ataxia
Dizziness
Benzodiazepine antagonist used to reverse the effects of benzodiazepines in an emergency situation
Flumazenil
Benzodiazepine particularly implicated in cases of date rape
Flunitrazepam
Drug withdrawal which the term ‘cold turkey’ is used for
Opioid withdrawal
Symptom which the term ‘cold turkey’ refers to
Piloerection
Most common cause of death in benzodiazepine overdose
Respiratory depression
Time in hours for untreated heroin withdrawal symptoms to peak
32-72 hours
Time from last dose for untreated heroin withdrawal to start
6 hours
Time in hours for untreated methadone withdrawal to peak
80-96 hours
Time in hours for untreated fentanyl withdrawal to peak
8-12 hours