Neurologically Active Drugs and their Uses

Introduction: We know that there are many classes of drugs (medications) available in the world to treat,diagnose,cure or to prevent different diseases and disorders. All these drugs are chemical compounds. All the classes of drugs are different in their mechanism of action and therapeutic activity. Here in this article we are discussing Neurologically Active drugs. This is an important class of drug.Neurologically active drugs are further divided into Tranquillisers and Analgesics. There are many drugs which come under Neurologically Active drugs. In this article we will discuss some of the drugs that come under this class of drugs, their mechanism of action and use of these drugs.

Definition:

These are the neurological drugs and they show their actions in the nervous system of our body. They affect the message signals from the nerve to the receptor ; this is the main function of Neurologically Active drugs.

Now, when we look at the classification of the Neurologically Active drugs, they are divided into two types.

• Tranquillisers
• Analgesics

Now we will briefly discuss about these classes:

• Tranquillisers:

Tranquillisers are the drugs which act on the nervous system of the body. Tranquillisers are combinations of chemicals which are being used for the treating stress and many more severe or mild mental illnesses.When a person uses this drug he gets relief from anxiety, stress, irritability or excitement by contracting a sense of comfort. This plays an important role in the production of sleeping pills. There are various types of tranquillisers and they work by different mechanisms. Here is one example. Noradrenaline is the hormone which helps to uplift the mood of a human being. If there is decrease in the noradrenaline level in the body, there will be a decrease in the signal sending activity which will make a human depressed.In these situations, tranquillisers (antidepressant drugs) are used.Degradation of noradrenaline is inhibited by these drugs this will result in disrupts enzyme which catalyses noradrenaline. When enzymes which catalyse noradrenaline are inhibited, metabolism takes place and activation of receptors will happen for a longer duration. Tranquillisers are divided into Minor Tranquilliser and Major Tranquilliser

Minor Tranquillisers are also termed as anxiolytics. These drugs are mainly used for treating anxiety state of the patient and to bring sedation.Nowadays, these drugs are known as anti-anxiety drugs.A sense of euphoria and calming effect is produced by minor tranquillisers. Diazepam, meprobamate and Lorazepam are some of the drugs that come under  Minor Tranquillisers.

Major Tranquillisers are also termed as neuroleptics. Psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia are treated with these drugs. Delusions, hallucinations and paranoia are treated with Major Tranquillisers. Chlorpromazine, haloperidol and Reserpine are some of the examples of major Tranquillisers.

Side effects of Tranquillisers :

Tranquillisers have some potential side effects. Prolonged use of tranquillisers may cause a significant depression mood in the patient. Drowsiness and loss of coordination that resemble drunkenness are seen in patients . Withdrawal from tranquillisers is also a dangerous process when the body becomes reliant on the drug.Withdrawal symptoms begin from 7-35 hours after the last use of the drug.Confusion, altered reality, seizures, convulsions, chills, hot flashes, loss of appetite. These are some of the withdrawal symptoms. All symptoms given here may vary from person to person.

• Analgesics:

Analgesics are neurologically active drugs.These drugs are used to treat a patient’s pain without any side effects or imbalance to the nervous system namely mental confusion,paralysis and so on.These drugs act on peripheral nervous system or central nervous system.

Analgesics are classified into two and they are opioid analgesics and non opioid analgesics(non-addictive).

Opioid analgesics or Narcotic analgesics :are the drugs which bind on the opioid receptors in the nervous system. These drugs are mainly used for pain relief but they are also having many other effects on the body. Our body itself has the ability to produce opioid ligands.loperamide, methadone, morphine, codeine are some drugs  come under  Narcotic analgesics

Non-opioid analgesics or non-Narcotic analgesics :are pain relieving drugs which don’t contain any opioid content .NASIDs(nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs COX2 inhibitors, and acetaminophen are the class of drugs which come under non-Narcotic analgesics . For treating chronic pain and skeletal pain such as arthritis, non-narcotic analgesics are used.

Side effects Analgesics:

Analgesics (pain killers) are one of the important and most used drugs in the world, so we should be very cautious regarding which type of painkiller we are taking. Consumption of analgesics without consulting a physician should be avoided.Nausea, vomiting, constipation, drowsiness, dizziness, upset stomach, ring in your ears, skin itching. These are some of the common side effects caused by consumption of analgesics.

Conclusion

In this article we discussed neurologically active drugs.We also discussed the classification of neurologically active drugs,some of the drugs that come under this class of drugs,side effects of neurologically active drugs.As the name suggests, neurologically active drugs are the neurological drugs and they show their actions in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system of our body. They affect the message from the nerve to the receptor ; this is the main function of Neurologically Active drugs.Neurologically active drugs are further divided into Tranquillisers and Analgesics.Tranquilizers are divided into Minor Tranquilliser and Major Tranquilizer.Analgesics are classified into two and they are opioid analgesics and non opioid analgesics(non-addictive).