Transcript Tranquilizers and Sedative

Lecture 2
Inhalants
• Breathable chemical vapors that produce
mind altering effects.
• There are four types of inhalants
• Solvents
• Gases
• Nitrites
•Aerosols
• Street names include poppers, snappers,
ozone.
•Inhalants are ingested into
the body by breathing in the
vapors of the product.
Several methods of inhalation
can be used by abusers:
• Using a bag
• Using a rag
• Using pressurized
containers (Aerosols )
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Euphoria
Lightheadedness
Exhilaration
Vivid fantasies and sometimes recklessness
Feeling of invincibility
Depending on the type of inhalant and method of use,
possibly irritation and watering of the eyes, sneezing,
coughing and nasal inflammation may occur.
Inhalants enter the bloodstream from the lungs and then
go to other organs, particularly the brain and liver.
Breathing, heart beat and other body functions are slowed
down. If the person passes out with a plastic bag over the
nose and mouth, death from suffocation can occur. Death
can also occur if the person is startled or engages in
strenuous activity while intoxicated.
 Effects
include pallor, fatigue, forgetfulness,
inability to think clearly, tremors, poor
coordination and difficulty walking, thirst,
weight loss, depression, irritability, hostility,
and paranoia.
 Kidney, liver and brain damage may occur. It
is not known to what extent the damage is
reversible.
 Psychological
and physical dependence can
develop.
 Withdrawal symptoms include anxiety,
depression, irritability, dizziness, tremors,
nausea, abdominal pains and headaches.
􀂄 Supportive treatment of acute overdose (eg. airway,
breathing, circulation)
􀂄 Beta-blockers may be used to protect against fatal
arrhythmias
􀂄 No medication can reverse the effects of most
inhalants
􀂄 Long-term treatment of inhalant abuse includes:
􀂄counseling
􀂄strict
abstinence
􀂄 drug treatment protocols (eg. 12-Step programs)
􀂄 Need for more basic and clinical research on
treatment and prevention
All derivatives of Barbituric acid
 Produce a wide spectrum of central nervous system
depression, from mild sedation to coma.
 Nonspecific depressant.
 In moderate amounts, these drugs produce a state of
intoxication that is remarkably similar to alcohol
intoxication. Symptoms include:
1- Slurred speech
2- loss of motor coordination
3-Impaired judgment.
 Barbiturates were widely diverted from medical use and
used on the street in the 60s where they were called
“downers” and sold under a variety of different names.
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Malonic Acid
Urea
Barbituric
Acid
Barbituric acid is synthesized by a condensation reaction that results in the release of H2O
(dehydration) and the heterocyclic pyrimidine
Further substitution of side chains on the ring produce the pharmacologically active
barbiturates
 Sedatives,
hypnotics, anesthetics and
anticonvulsants.
 The primary differences among many of these
products are how fast they produce an effect and
how long those effects last. Barbiturates are
classified as ultrashort, short, intermediate, and
long-acting.
 The ultrashort-acting barbiturates produce
anesthesia within about one minute after
intravenous administration.
 Those in current medical methohexital (Brevital®),
thiamyl (Surital®) and thiopental (Pentothal®).
 Barbiturate
abusers prefer short-acting and
intermediate-acting barbiturates that include
 Amobarbital (Amytal®), pentobarbitalts
(Nembutal®), secobarbital(Seconal®), and Tuinal
(an amobarbital/secobarbital combination
product).
 After oral administration, the onset of action is
from 15 to 40 minutes, and the effects last up to
six hours. These drugs are primarily used for
insomnia and preoperative sedation. Veterinarians
use pentobarbital for anesthesia and euthanasia.
 Long-acting barbiturates include phenobarbital
(Luminal®) and mephobarbital (Mebaral®), Effects
of these drugs are realized in about one hour and
last for about 12 hours, and are used primarily for
daytime sedation and the treatment of seizure
disorders.
How are Barbiturates Consumed?
• Orally – In pill, tablet or
liquid form
• Injection –
•Into the blood stream
•Into muscle tissue
•Directly under the skin
• Inserted into the body via
suppository.
Generic
Name
Amobarbital
Street Name
Downers, blue heavens, blue
velvet, blue devils
Pentobarbital Nembies, yellow jackets,
abbots, Mexican yellows
Phenobarbital Purple hearts, goof balls
Secobarbital
Reds, red birds, red devils,
lilly, F-40s, pinks, pink ladies,
seggy
Tuinal
Rainbows, reds and blues,
tooies, double trouble, gorilla
pills, F-66s
Short term effects
 Small
doses relieve tension; large doses
produce drowsiness, staggering, blurred
vision, impaired thinking, slurred speech,
impaired perception of time and space,
slowed reflexes and breathing, and reduced
sensitivity to pain.
 Overdoses can cause unconsciousness, coma
and death.
Long-Term Effects
 Long-term,
high-dose use may result in
effects similar to chronic intoxication
(impaired vision, memory and judgment, and
slurred speech), as well as depression or
mood swings. Changes in liver function may
result in faster metabolism of other drugs.
Babies of chronic users may have difficulty in
breathing and feeding, disturbed sleep
patterns, sweating, irritability and fever.
Regular use induces tolerance, making
increased doses necessary to produce
the desired effect.
 The margin between an effective dose
and a lethal dose gradually narrows.
Psychological dependence can occur
with regular use, as can physical
dependence. Withdrawal symptoms
including
restlessness,
anxiety,
insomnia, delirium, seizures and may
result in death.

Marilyn Monroe
died of
barbiturate
overdose in 1962