Depressants are drugs that inhibit the function of the central nervous system (CNS) and are among the most widely used drugs in the world. They operate by affecting neurons in the CNS which lead to symptoms such as drowsiness, relaxation, decreased inhibition, anesthesia, sleep, coma and even death. All depressants have the potential to be addictive. Drugs classified as depressants include: Ethyl alcohol, Barbiturates and Benzodiazepine.
Barbiturates
Barbiturates normal cause relaxation and sleepiness. At low doses the medical complication leads to someone appearing drunk or intoxicated. Barbiturates are addictive in nature producing physical dependency and withdrawal syndrome that can be life threatening. Tolerance for the mood altering effects of this depressants develop rapidly but for the lethal effects the tolerance develop rapidly but for the lethal effects the tolerance develop slowly. The risk of the severe toxicity increases with its continued usage.
Symptoms of barbiturate intoxication
Altered levels of consciousness
Difficulty in thinking
Drowsiness and coma
Faulty judgment
Inco-ordination
Shallow breathing
Sluggishness
Slurred speech
Staggering
Chronic symptoms of barbiturates intoxication
Change in alertness
Decreased functioning
Irritability
Memory loss
2. Benzodiazepine
Benzodiazepine toxicity may result from overdose or from abuse. Acute toxicity of the benzodiazepine is extremely low even in large doses but risk is increased ion the presence of obstructive pulmonary disease. Benzodiazepine in combination with other drugs is involved in 30% to 40% of self poisoning incidents. Some of these medical effects include.
Over sedation which is a dose related extension of the sedative hypnotic effects of benzodiazepine.
Drug interaction of benzodiazepine with other CNS depressants cause addictive effects and when combined with alcohol it can contribute to aggressive behaviour.
Impaired memory: Benzodiazepine induces anterograde amnesia which is the welcome in minor and major surgical procedures. It also cause memory lapses many hours after the drug has been taken. Amnesic affects mostly the elderly people.
Paradoxical stimulant effect: It causes paradoxical excitement with increased anxiety, insomnia, nightmares, hypnogogic hallucination at sleep onset, irritability, hyperactive or aggressive behaviour and exacerbation of seizure in epileptics.
Depression and emotional blunting: Depression occurs due to long-term use of benzodiazepine. It causes emotional anesthesia the inability to feel pleasure or pain.
Adverse effects in pregnancy: Benzodiazepine crosses the placenta into the fetus and when taken regularly by the mother in late pregnancy even in therapeutic doses can cause neonatal complications.
Tolerance: It can develop to all the actions of benzodiazepine although at variable rate and to different degrees.
Dependence: Benzodiazepines are potential addictive drugs. They can provide positive reinforcement in some individuals and negative reinforcement in many. They give rise to both psychological and pharmacological dependence and suffer from withdrawal.
3. Ethyl alcohol
Alcohol depresses you’re your central nervous system. It lowers your inhibition affects your thoughts, emotions and judgment. Binge drinking may even cause a life threatening coma or death. Health problems caused by excessive drinking include.
Liver disease: it causes alcoholic hepatitis an inflammation of the liver.
Digestive problems: it causes inflammation of the stomach lining (gastritis) as well as stomach and esophageal ulcers. It can also interfere with absorption of vitamin B.
Heart problems: It results in high blood pressure and increase your risk of an enlarged heart, heart failure or stroke.
Diabetes complications: it interferes with release of glucose from your liver and can increase the risk of low blood sugar hypoglycemia.
Sexual function and menstruation: it can cause erectile dysfunction in men and in women it can interrupt menstruation.
Eye problems: overtime it causes involuntary rapid eye movement as well as weakness and paralysis of your eye muscles due to deficiency of vitamin B-1.
Birth defects: alcohol use during pregnancy may cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorders among children.
Bone loss: alcohol interferes with the production of new bone leading to osteoporosis.
Neurological complication: binge drinking can affect your nervous system, causing numbness and pain in your hands and feet.
Weaken immune system: excessive alcohol use can make it harder for your body to protect itself from antigens.
Increase risk of cancer long-term excessive alcohol use has been linked to a higher risk of many cancers
Procedure for Drug and Overdose Management
Overdose of depressants leads to addiction which requires management. Treatment is the best treatment that may require several components including detoxification, counseling and sometimes the use of addiction medication. There are two main categories of drug addiction treatment which are behavioral and pharmacological. Behavioral treatment help patients stop drug use by teaching them strategies to function without drugs, deal with cravings, avoid drugs and situation that could lead to drug use, and handle a relapse should it occur.
Patients addicted to barbiturates and benzodiazepines should not attempt to stop taking them on their own. Withdrawal symptoms from these drugs can be problematic, and in the case of certain CNS depressant potentially life-threatening. Research on treating barbiturate and benzodiazepine addiction is sparse; however, addicted patients should undergo medically supervised detoxification because the dosage they take should be gradually tapered. Inpatient or outpatient counseling can help individuals through this process. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, which focuses on modifying the patient's thinking, expectations, and behaviors while increasing skills for coping with various life stressors, also has been used successfully to help individuals adapt to discontinuing benzodiazepines.
Often barbiturate and benzodiazepine abuse occurs in conjunction with the abuse of other drugs, such as alcohol or cocaine. In such cases of polydrug abuse, the treatment approach should address the multiple addictions
Barbiturates
Barbiturates normal cause relaxation and sleepiness. At low doses the medical complication leads to someone appearing drunk or intoxicated. Barbiturates are addictive in nature producing physical dependency and withdrawal syndrome that can be life threatening. Tolerance for the mood altering effects of this depressants develop rapidly but for the lethal effects the tolerance develop rapidly but for the lethal effects the tolerance develop slowly. The risk of the severe toxicity increases with its continued usage.
Symptoms of barbiturate intoxication
Altered levels of consciousness
Difficulty in thinking
Drowsiness and coma
Faulty judgment
Inco-ordination
Shallow breathing
Sluggishness
Slurred speech
Staggering
Chronic symptoms of barbiturates intoxication
Change in alertness
Decreased functioning
Irritability
Memory loss
2. Benzodiazepine
Benzodiazepine toxicity may result from overdose or from abuse. Acute toxicity of the benzodiazepine is extremely low even in large doses but risk is increased ion the presence of obstructive pulmonary disease. Benzodiazepine in combination with other drugs is involved in 30% to 40% of self poisoning incidents. Some of these medical effects include.
Over sedation which is a dose related extension of the sedative hypnotic effects of benzodiazepine.
Drug interaction of benzodiazepine with other CNS depressants cause addictive effects and when combined with alcohol it can contribute to aggressive behaviour.
Impaired memory: Benzodiazepine induces anterograde amnesia which is the welcome in minor and major surgical procedures. It also cause memory lapses many hours after the drug has been taken. Amnesic affects mostly the elderly people.
Paradoxical stimulant effect: It causes paradoxical excitement with increased anxiety, insomnia, nightmares, hypnogogic hallucination at sleep onset, irritability, hyperactive or aggressive behaviour and exacerbation of seizure in epileptics.
Depression and emotional blunting: Depression occurs due to long-term use of benzodiazepine. It causes emotional anesthesia the inability to feel pleasure or pain.
Adverse effects in pregnancy: Benzodiazepine crosses the placenta into the fetus and when taken regularly by the mother in late pregnancy even in therapeutic doses can cause neonatal complications.
Tolerance: It can develop to all the actions of benzodiazepine although at variable rate and to different degrees.
Dependence: Benzodiazepines are potential addictive drugs. They can provide positive reinforcement in some individuals and negative reinforcement in many. They give rise to both psychological and pharmacological dependence and suffer from withdrawal.
3. Ethyl alcohol
Alcohol depresses you’re your central nervous system. It lowers your inhibition affects your thoughts, emotions and judgment. Binge drinking may even cause a life threatening coma or death. Health problems caused by excessive drinking include.
Liver disease: it causes alcoholic hepatitis an inflammation of the liver.
Digestive problems: it causes inflammation of the stomach lining (gastritis) as well as stomach and esophageal ulcers. It can also interfere with absorption of vitamin B.
Heart problems: It results in high blood pressure and increase your risk of an enlarged heart, heart failure or stroke.
Diabetes complications: it interferes with release of glucose from your liver and can increase the risk of low blood sugar hypoglycemia.
Sexual function and menstruation: it can cause erectile dysfunction in men and in women it can interrupt menstruation.
Eye problems: overtime it causes involuntary rapid eye movement as well as weakness and paralysis of your eye muscles due to deficiency of vitamin B-1.
Birth defects: alcohol use during pregnancy may cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorders among children.
Bone loss: alcohol interferes with the production of new bone leading to osteoporosis.
Neurological complication: binge drinking can affect your nervous system, causing numbness and pain in your hands and feet.
Weaken immune system: excessive alcohol use can make it harder for your body to protect itself from antigens.
Increase risk of cancer long-term excessive alcohol use has been linked to a higher risk of many cancers
Procedure for Drug and Overdose Management
Overdose of depressants leads to addiction which requires management. Treatment is the best treatment that may require several components including detoxification, counseling and sometimes the use of addiction medication. There are two main categories of drug addiction treatment which are behavioral and pharmacological. Behavioral treatment help patients stop drug use by teaching them strategies to function without drugs, deal with cravings, avoid drugs and situation that could lead to drug use, and handle a relapse should it occur.
Patients addicted to barbiturates and benzodiazepines should not attempt to stop taking them on their own. Withdrawal symptoms from these drugs can be problematic, and in the case of certain CNS depressant potentially life-threatening. Research on treating barbiturate and benzodiazepine addiction is sparse; however, addicted patients should undergo medically supervised detoxification because the dosage they take should be gradually tapered. Inpatient or outpatient counseling can help individuals through this process. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, which focuses on modifying the patient's thinking, expectations, and behaviors while increasing skills for coping with various life stressors, also has been used successfully to help individuals adapt to discontinuing benzodiazepines.
Often barbiturate and benzodiazepine abuse occurs in conjunction with the abuse of other drugs, such as alcohol or cocaine. In such cases of polydrug abuse, the treatment approach should address the multiple addictions
No comments:
Post a Comment