The Effects Of Anticholinergic Medications On The Body

Sympathomimetics are medications that mimic the effects of neurotransmitter substances of the sympathetic nervous system (Karch, 2013, p.930). These medications stimulate the ‘fight or flight’ response and can cause the bronchi to dilate with increased rate and depth of respiration. Thus, these drugs are used to treat lower respiratory tract disorders. Anticholinergics are medications that block the action of acetylcholine on the parasympathetic nervous system. These medications are used to treat lower respiratory disorder because they can dilate the bronchi and reduce

Stimulants can be used to speed up the central nervous system making a person fell more alert and aware of their surroundings. Depressants are the opposites and reduce the activity of the nervous system and produce a feeling of calm and/or “taking the edge off”. Hallucinogenics can be used to make an individual have hallucinations and have distortions in space and

side effects of analeptics are increased heart rate, agitation and the kind of paranoia and disorientation

Abstract: The human brain is the most complex organ in the body. Its functions control every aspect of life. It is important to attempt to comprehend the workings of the brain and to learn the effects of natural and unnatural substances on it. In order to look at chemical effects on the brain, one must first get an understanding for the chemicals as well as how the brain works to interpret and react to signals set out by these chemicals, rhythmically and physiologically. Several chemicals observed include: cocaine (and other chemicals), seratonin, and melatonin.

rkinson’s disease * Schizophrenia * Norepinephrine * Excitatory Neurotransmitter * Accelerates heart rate, affects eating, linked to activity levels, learning and remembering * Mood Disorders, depression, bipolar disorder * Serotonin * Emotional arousal and sleep * eating disorders, alcoholism, depression, aggression, insomnia * Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

This experiment was done to test whether or not the drugs Nicotine, Alcohol, Pain Killers, Nyquil, and Caffeine were stimulants (increase in the body’s metabolism and consequently increase the heart rate) or depressants (slow the rate of metabolism and consequently slow the heart rate) of the homeostasis (the ability of one’s body to maintain a constant internal environment) of Daphnia.

Three drugs that I will be discussing are Adderall, Vicodin, and Ambien. The drugs all come in pill form. These drugs affect the nervous system and they all share similar symptoms which causes the user to feel dizziness, nausea, and diarrhea. Although they share similarities, they have differences in term of their impact on different body parts. Ambien and Vicodin are both central nervous depressants, which slows brain activity, and Adderall is a stimulant which increases brain activity. All these drugs have different purposes; users take Adderall as a diet pill to lose weight because amphetamine speeds up the body's metabolism and lowers appetite. They take ambien to treat insomnia and use vicodin to relieve moderate to moderately severe

The last of the rare yet severe side effects implicated by ADHD medications is known as “abnormal involuntary movements”. These uncontrolled muscle movements are “more common with old antipsychotics than new-generation antipsychotics, which lead to problems participating in normal social and educational activities” (Science Daily). Even though this particular side effect is rare and often only seen when children use the antipsychotic drug, Risperdone (used for the treatment of Schizophrenia), it is necessary that the general public be warned.

I know that antidepressants produce side effects that can turn out to be worse than what they are being used to treat, such side effects can include suicidal thoughts/actions, insomnia, and anxiety. Antidepressants are used to treat disorders such as anxiety disorder, depression, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

There are three types of prescription drugs that are commonly abused including Opioids, Central Nervous System Depressants and Stimulants. An opioid is a medication used to treat pain, including oxycodone, hydrocodone and meperidine (“Prescription Drug Abuse,”n.d.) Opioids attach to opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord preventing the brain from receiving messages which cause pain (“Prescription Drug Abuse,”n.d.) Unlike opioids, central nervous system depressants are used to treat anxiety, tension, panic attacks and sleep disorders (“Prescription Drug Abuse,”n.d.) Central nervous system depressants decrease brain activity by increasing the activity of a certain neurotransmitter which results in a calming effect (“Prescription Drug Abuse,”n.d.) Common examples of central nervous system depressants include pentobarbital sodium, diazepam, and alprazolam (“Prescription Drug Abuse,”n.d.) Stimulants, the third commonly abused type of prescription drugs are used to treat narcolepsy and ADHD by increasing brain activity (“Prescription

Stimulant medication could be the miracle drug, or the most harmful thing to hit the younger generations. Medications such as Adderall and Ritalin are playing a prominent role in many adolescents’ lives, or the lives of people close to them. There is an “underground market” for medications like these, and the market is growing quickly. Whether just to make sure they pass that next test, or if they really believe they need it, stimulants’ popularity is soaring, and not just among adolescents but doctors as well. Stimulant medication / therapy is being prescribed at a growing rate, leading to many cases of misuse and diversion that can severely affect the users entire life, and play a very unclear part in any other substance abuse they

Prescription anxiety and emotion control drugs can have several negative effects on your body, including: habitual use, overdose, or even death. These type of drugs can not be suddenly quit, instead, everyone on them must consult with a physician on how to wean themselves. Xanax is currently under review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to attempted to remove this drug from the market due to heavy street trafficking.

One of the first studies concerning the effect of beta blockers was performed by Granville-Grossman and Turner in the mid-1960s. “The Effect of Propranolol” was an early study into this side-effect of calming the nerves that beta blockers appeared to have on patients suffering from diagnosed anxiety disorders. Their study, consisting of a sample size of merely fifteen patients, showed that “propranolol is more effective than placebo, but only in relieving autonomic symptoms.” (Page 799) This was to be the first of the studies that set the tone of how propranolol came to have this facility for anxiety relief. In their discussion on the findings of their study, they “suggest that the control of somatic symptoms may favorably affect the mental

An individual’s behavior and emotion becomes chemically altered often resulting in dependency, aggression, onset of diseases and poor judgement. This poses a dangerous threat to the neurotransmitters since they have multiple jobs in different parts of the brain. Drugs of abuse are able to exert influence over the brain reward pathway either by directly influencing the action of dopamine within the system, or by altering the activity of other neurotransmitters that exert a modulatory influence over this pathway. These drugs are often powerful and have been known to trigger schizophrenic behavior and can also cause a person to cease breathing, for example hallucinogens such as LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin are able to artificially stimulate the serotonin receptor (Sapolsky, 2005).

The efficacy and safety of the drug in patients under the age of 18 years is not established. With renal / hepatic insufficiency and long-term treatment, control over the picture of peripheral blood and liver enzymes is necessary. Patients who did not take previously psychoactive drugs respond to the drug at lower doses compared to patients taking antidepressants, anxiolytics or alcohol. With endogenous depression, alprazolam can be used in combination with antidepressants. With the use of alprazolam, patients with depression have seen cases of hypomanic and manic development. Like other benzodiazepines, alprazolam has the ability to induce drug dependence in long-term admission in large doses (more than 4 mg / day). With a sudden discontinuation of alprazolam, there may be comeback syndromes, such as depression, irritability, insomnia, increased sweating, especially with prolonged admission (more than 8-12 weeks). When patients develop such unusual reactions as increased aggressiveness, acute excitations, feelings of fear, thoughts of suicide, hallucinations, increased muscle cramps, difficult sleep, superficial sleep, treatment should be discontinued. During pregnancy Xanax is very dangerous due to its toxic effect on the fetus and increases the risk of congenital malformations when applied in the first trimester of pregnancy. Admission of therapeutic doses in later periods