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Tranquilizers

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Last updated date: 19th Apr 2024
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An Introduction Provided by Vedantu

Tranquillizers can also refer to anti-anxiety medication. These are a term introduced in 1953 to describe drugs having a calming effect. In this current world full of stress and tension, people have lost themselves and are running behind money. A huge part of them is suffering from depression and are taking antidepressants or tranquillizers to improve their condition with no prescriptions. Tranquillizers and analgesics are those drugs that act on the nervous system. They affect the transmission of messages that happen from nerves to receptors.

 

Tranquillizers meaning is given by, they are the chemical compounds that are so useful for stress treatment and either for mild or severe mental diseases.

 

Tranquillizers induce a well-being sense in a person, thereby releasing him from tension, anxiety, stress, or irritability. They are one of the important components of sleeping pills.

There exist various types of tranquillizers, and each has different functioning modes.

 

For example, a tranquillizer that helps to uplift the mood is defined as noradrenaline. If the noradrenaline level is low, then the signal sending activity also becomes low, which in turn makes a person feel depressed. In those situations, tranquillizer drugs or antidepressant drugs can be used.

 

These drug types inhibit the action of those enzymes that catalyze noradrenaline degradation. When such enzymes are inhibited, noradrenaline slowly metabolizes, and thus it activates its receptors for a longer time duration, and so the depression effect is counteracted.

 

What are Tranquillizers?

Sleep issues, impatience, and difficulty concentrating are some of the symptoms that both depression and anxiety share. However, there are a few important features that distinguish the two. Feeling depressed, sad, or upset is a normal reaction to depression. It can be alarming to feel that way for days or weeks at a time.


Anxiety, often known as fear and worry, can strike anyone at any time. It's fairly uncommon to feel anxious before a large event or a huge decision.


Chronic anxiety, on the other hand, can be crippling and lead to illogical fears and ideas that interfere with your daily life.


A tranquiliser is a  medicine that is used to treat anxiety, fear, tension, agitation, and other mental disorders among human beings. Tranquilisers are divided into two categories: major and minor. Serious tranquilisers, also known as antipsychotic agents or neuroleptics, are drugs that are used to treat schizophrenics and other psychotic patients with major mental disturbances.


1. Major tranquillizers- Major tranquillizers are also known as antipsychotic agents or neuroleptics, are drugs that are used to treat serious schizophrenics and other psychotic patients with major mental disturbances.


2. Minor tranquillizers- Minor tranquillizers, also known as antianxiety agents or anxiolytics, are used to treat milder forms of anxiety and tension in healthy persons or those suffering from less serious mental illnesses.


The major and minor tranquillizers have just a passing resemblance to one another, and the name "tranquillizer" has been phased out of use in the context of such medications, while the phrase survives in common usage.


Classification of Tranquillizers

1. Major- Major tranquillizers are quite selective in how they treat schizophrenics and other psychotic patients' delusions, hallucinations, and disordered thinking. The medications restore rational calm to anxious, aroused, and illogical patients, and they have allowed many very ill people who would otherwise be hospitalized to live at home and work. They are hypothesized to function in the brain by inhibiting the neurotransmitter dopamine. This reduces psychotic symptoms, but it can also cause unpleasant side effects such as limb tremors, rigidity, restlessness, and involuntary spasms of the face muscles, tongue, and lips.


2. Minor- The benzodiazepines, which include diazepam (Valium), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), and alprazolam, are the most common mild tranquilisers (Xanax). These medications have a soothing effect and help to alleviate both the physical and psychological symptoms of anxiety and terror. They are frequently used to ease the pressure and worry caused by stressful situations in daily life, in addition to treating anxiety disorders. As a result, benzodiazepines are among the most commonly prescribed medications on the planet.


Even in moderate quantities, they can cause physical reliance, and the body develops a tolerance to them, necessitating the usage of gradually larger doses. As a result, the medications are only meant to be used for a short or medium period of time.

 

Antiseptics

Antiseptics are one of the tranquillizers examples, and they are usually applied to the living tissues to prevent the growth of the microbes such as wounds and make the skin free from any disease.

 

Some examples of antiseptics are soframycin, furacine, and many more. Also, antiseptic soaps are available that are commonly used, and these soaps contain bithionol added to it. Boric acid is also an antiseptic element that is used for the eyes.

 

Dettol, the most popular disinfectant used these days, is also a mixture of terpineol and chloroxylenol. Both tranquillizers and antiseptics are essential for the healthy survival of human beings.

 

Classification of Antidepressant Drugs

Antidepressants are a group of prescriptive medicines that treats depression. Also, they may be used to treat other health conditions as well. Their chemicals affect people in different ways. For this reason, there are several types of tranquillizer and a few of them are,

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

SSRIs affect the chemical in the human brain called serotonin. Usually, SSRIs are the first kind of antidepressant that a Doctor prescribes. These drug types tend to have fewer side effects.

 

Types of SSRIs are,

  • Citalopram

  • Escitalopram

  • Fluoxetine

 

SSRIs Common Side Effects Include,

  • Dry mouth

  • Nausea

  • Headaches

 

Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)

SNRIs affect two chemicals in the human brain. They are norepinephrine and serotonin. The Doctor may prescribe these because they do not interact with other medicines that we use.

 

Types of SNRIs Include,

  • Duloxetine

  • Venlafaxine

  • Desvenlafaxine

 

Common Side Effects of SNRIs are,

  • Nausea (in the first two weeks especially)

  • Loss of appetite

  • Anxiety and nervousness

 

Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs)

MAOIs affect an enzyme of the human called monoamine. Typically these drugs are used as a last resort if the other types have not worked.

 

Types of MAOIs Include,

  • isocarboxazid

  • phenelzine

  • selegiline

 

MAOIs can have Severe Side Effects. Few of them are,

  • Weakness

  • Dizziness

  • Headaches

 

These also may cause harmful reactions when combined with specific foods or medicines (other antidepressants, cold or flu medicines). The reaction is known as “serotonin syndrome,” and they include,

  • Hallucinations

  • Changes in blood pressure

  • Agitation

 

Tricyclic Antidepressants

Tricyclic antidepressants affect three human brain chemicals. They are norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine. It is one of the oldest antidepressant types. These are quite effective drugs but are often used less because of increased side effects. They are not used for older patients, ones who have glaucoma, or for men who have enlarged prostates.

 

Types of Tricyclic Antidepressants Include,

  • Amitriptyline

  • Clomipramine

  • Desipramine

 

Some Common Side Effects Include,

  • Dry mouth

  • Blurred vision

  • Constipation

This type of antidepressant drug can also affect our blood pressure and heart rate.


Other Drugs used to Treat Mental Disorders

1. Chlordiazepoxide-  is a sedative that is used to alleviate anxiety. It can be used as a sedative, either orally or by injection, to ease anxiety before or after surgery, regulate anxiety associated with rapid alcohol withdrawal, and treat panic disorders. Drowsiness, disorientation, and an inability to control voluntary muscle movements are among the most prevalent adverse effects. Long-term use might result in physical dependency.


2. Smart Drug - Any of a set of pharmaceutical substances used to boost the intellectual ability of people suffering from neurological diseases and psychiatric disorders is known as a smart medicine, sometimes known as a nootropic or cognitive enhancer. The use of such medications by healthy people to improve attention, study longer, and better handle stress is a source of contention.


3. Androgens -Any medicine that inhibits the effects of androgens (male hormones) on the body is known as an antiandrogen. Drugs that restrict testosterone synthesis, block androgen receptors (known as androgen-receptor antagonists), or prevent testosterone from being converted to its more active form, dihydrotestosterone, are all antiandrogens.


The use of cognitive enhancers by healthy people has prompted ethical and safety concerns. In certain regions, pharmacological cognitive augmentation has been deemed a type of unlawful drug usage, even while other cognitive enhancers like caffeine and nicotine were openly available. The ensuing conflict raised the prospect of smart medications being accepted more widely in the future. The long-term effects of smart medications on otherwise healthy brains, on the other hand, remained unclear, delaying safety evaluations.


Effects of These Drugs 

Antidepressants work by boosting the concentration of molecules used by the brain to communicate (neurotransmitters). Serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine are examples of neurotransmitters.


Drowsiness, sedation, and sedation are some of the most common side effects of anxiolytic medications. Perplexity, symptoms of addiction and withdrawal, nausea, diarrhoea, stomach upset erectile dysfunction, suicidal ideation, headache blood pressure that is too high, dry mouth, hazy eyesight, constipation orthostatic hypotension, increased heart rate, abnormal heartbeat, and weight gain are all symptoms of orthostatic hypotension.


Review of Tranquillizers and Their Effects

Drug addiction, conjointly called substance use disorder, is Associated with unwellness that affects somebody's brain and behaviour, leading t the inability to manage the utilization of any drug or prescription, whether or not legal or illicit. medication embody substances like alcohol, marijuana, and alkaloid. once you are hooked to a drug, you'll still use it notwithstanding it causes you damage.


Drug addiction will begin with social experimentation with a narcotic, and for a few folks, drug use becomes a lot frequent. For others, dependency develops with exposure to prescribed medications or feat medications from an admirer or relative WHO has been prescribed the medication, significantly with opioids.


Antidepressants and tranquillizers, both major and minor, play an essential role in the treatment of chronic pain.  Endogenous depression can be triggered by a persistent illness, making analgesic response suboptimal. Phantom limb pain, postherpetic neuralgia, and intercostal neuralgia may all benefit from a phenothiazine-tricyclic antidepressant combination. These medications change how people react to pain rather than how they perceive it. It's possible to employ pericyazine, fluphenazine, chlorpromazine, or perphenazine. Antidepressants that can be used in conjunction with these phenothiazines are a personal option.


The use of tranquillizers to reduce emotional reactivity is a touchy subject in and of itself. People's opinions on these medications range from positive to negative, with some seeing them as valuable panaceas and others seeing them as a threat to civilisation. The ramifications of their extensive use are vast, and the following are only a few of the more important. Mood-altering medications have been used for millennia, but the scientific revolution of the last 100 years has resulted in the systematic use of increasingly strong and effective substances.


The pharmaceutical business manufactures and markets its pharmaceuticals; the government has some control over this, particularly in terms of safety; the doctor, mostly the general practitioner, prescribes the prescriptions; pharmacists administer the drugs, and the patient consumes them.


The political and economic components of healthcare delivery do not appear to have a significant impact on the use of tranquillizers. Whether the drugs are free to the patient, covered by insurance, or must be paid for, the prescribing figures are identical. Furthermore, the price of benzodiazepines varies greatly from country to country. The most persistent objections to the extensive use of tranquillizers have focused on their effectiveness, safety, the potential for addiction, and social consequences.


Sigma Around Mental Health

Stigma related to mental disease those that stick out a mental disease or ask for facilitating for emotional pain, like anxiety, depression, emotional disorder, or PTSD, face public criticism, or once society plenty shame on them.


Family, friends, coworkers, and society as an entire will place pressure on individuals with mental diseases. Stigma may be politicised by teams. It will build it troublesome for persons with mental diseases to hunt care, integrate into society, and live happy and cosy lives. People who suffer from depression, for instance, area unit oft defined as sluggish, whereas people who suffer from worry area unit viewed as yellow-bellied.


Many people area unit frightened of being tagged "mad" if they obtain facilitate from a healer. None of those descriptions area unit correct, and they all mislead individuals, inflicting misery and preventing them from receiving the treatment they need.

FAQs on Tranquilizers

1. What are Tranquilizers, Give Two Examples?

Some tranquillizers examples are phenelzine, noradrenaline, chlordiazepoxide, and iproniazid.


Neurologically, tranquillizers are active drugs. Also, they relieve stress, anxiety, excitement, irritability by inducing a well-being sense.


Few tranquillizers are relatively very mild and suitable for tension relieving. Equanil is used to control hypertension and depression. We also have hypnotic barbiturates, which are the sleep producing agents. Some substances that are used as tranquillizers are serotonin and valium.


Moving on to antiseptics, these are the substances that prevent the growth of microorganisms.

2. Why Should Hypnotics Only be Used in the Treatment of Insomnia in the Short Term?

Hypnotics and sedatives like benzodiazepines should be used only for a maximum of four weeks when we need to treat short term insomnia.


The reason behind this is that they can cause tolerance in the body quickly, and therefore more drugs are required to produce the same effects, which can lead to psychological problems of dependence on the drug. Also, this happens when withdrawing, it should be done gradually as the tolerance and dependence result in a burden on the patient, and becomes a bit harder for them to stop the drug. Also, it is used to reduce any possible withdrawal effects such as rebound insomnia.


Hypnotic medicines are the most dangerous drugs used to cure insomnia. Halcion drugs can make us sleep, walk, and do things you do not remember. These are classified as hypnotics because they help more than relieve anxiety or help insomnia.

3. Can tranquillizers control depression?

tranquillizers have a brain-suppressing effect, thus long-term use demoralizes a person, impairs brain functioning, impairs school and work performance, and could result in depression or acute mood swings.

4. Is there any difference between tranquillizer and sedative?

Anxiety, stress, and sleep disturbances are treated with prescription sedatives. Prescription tranquilisers, on the other hand, are used to treat anxiety, acute stress reactions, and panic attacks.

5. Can the use of tranquillizers affect blood pressure?

Using a tranquillizer can temporarily lower blood pressure.