Barbiturates Author: Christine Tang Jock Ee Pelajar PPISMP SAINS 2023-2028 INSTITUT PENDIDIKAN GURU KAMPUS PENDIDIKAN TEKNIK
CONTENTS Introduction Mechanism of Drug Action Uses of Barbiturates Effect of Barbiturates Conclusion References Acknowledgement 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
1. INTRODUCTION
Barbiturates is a type of synthetic drug and plays a very important role as a central nervous depressant. Barbiturates are being classified as sedatives (Skibiski & Abdijadid, 2019). This is due to the fact that they can produce a calming effect, induce sleep, and reduce anxiety. Barbiturates is a medication that relaxes the patient and reduces agitation without putting them to sleep but it may make the patient feel drowsy.
Figure 1: Barbiturates
Sedation reduces the responsiveness of the patient to any level of stimulation that is associated with some decrease in motor activity and ideation. Barbiturates can be effective as anxiolytics (anxiety-reducing medications), hypnotics (sleepinducing medications), and anticonvulsants (medications that prevent or reduce the severity and frequency of seizures). Nowadays barbiturates are replaced by benzodiazepines because it can lead to high risk of causing addiction or a fatal overdose.
2. MECHANISM OF DRUG ACTION
Figure 2: GABAA receptor binding sites
Barbiturates function as GABAA receptor agonists and positive allosteric modulators at higher dosages (Maja, 2015). The primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS) of mammals is GABA. Barbiturates bind to the GABAA receptor in several homologous trans membrane pockets at subunit interfaces; these binding sites are different from both the benzodiazepine binding site and GABA itself. The effects of barbiturates at this receptor are amplified by GABA. Due to this effect, barbiturates block AMPA and subtypes of ionotropic glutamate receptors, which are kainate receptors. The main excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system of mammals is glutamate.
There are also findings that show barbiturates block excitatory AMPA receptors and potentiate inhibitory GABAA receptors. This helps to explain why barbiturates have a stronger CNSdepressant effect than other GABA potentiating drugs like benzodiazepines and quinazolinones. When barbiturates are at a high concentration, they inhibit the calcium-dependent release neurotransmitter such as glutamate. Barbiturates increase the duration for the chloride ion channel opening at the GABAA receptor in order to induce their pharmacological actions. As a result, there is an increased influx of chloride ions into the neuron, leading to enhanced inhibitory effects and decreased neuronal excitability.
Barbiturates act on the nervous system by interfering with the way neurons send, receive, and process signals via neurotransmitters. Barbiturates can also mimic or block the natural neurotransmitters in the body, causing different effects on the brain and spinal cord. Moreover, barbiturates can cut off the communication in the central nervous system, which relaxes the body and impair the normal functioning of the nervous system.
3. USES OF BARBITURATES For more information, you may visit www.talkaboutdrugs.com or contact us at [email protected]
For more information, you may visit www.talkaboutdrugs.com or contact us at [email protected] Barbiturates are very vital in treating mental illness (Majdan, 2013). For example, some barbiturates such as thiopental sodium, commonly known by its brand name Pentothal, is used before surgery to relieve anxiety or tension. Thiopental sodium was used intravenously to induce anesthesia and render patients unconscious before the administration of other general anesthetic agents. Besides, some of the barbiturates are applied as anticonvulsants to help control seizures in certain disorders or diseases. These anticonvulsants help to calm and regulate nerve impulse transmission in the human body.
For more information, you may visit www.talkaboutdrugs.com or contact us at [email protected] Figure 3: Pentothal
For more information, you may visit www.talkaboutdrugs.com or contact us at [email protected] Barbiturates can cause a variety of CNS mood modification, from excitement to mild drowsiness, hypnosis, and deep coma (Slowiczek, 2018). They also have the ability to relax muscles and reduce anxiety. Butalbital, which is a shortacting barbiturate, is frequently used to treat migraine headaches. Sometimes, Butalbital will be used with acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine to obtain a better result of treatment.
For more information, you may visit www.talkaboutdrugs.com or contact us at [email protected] Figure 4: Butalbital
4. EFFECT OF BARBITURATES D R U G - F R E E
There are numerous side effects when consuming barbiturates. First of all, a large dose of barbiturates can cause slurred speech, staggering and muscle incoordination (Cherry, 2023). barbiturates slow down the transmission of nerve signals in the brain. This impair cognitive and motor functions, leading to impaired coordination, slowed reaction times, and difficulty concentrating.
Barbiturate can also cause respiratory depression as it suppresses the brain’s control over breathing which causes the patient’s breathing to become slow and shallow. This effect can lead to hypoxia and can be lifethreatening. Abrupt cessation of barbiturate use can lead to withdrawal symptoms, which can be severe. Symptoms of using barbiturate may include anxiety, tremors, insomnia, hallucinations, seizures and delirium (Dorwart, 2023). Apart from that, long term use of barbiturates will cause the person loss ability to concentrate, memory loss, brain damage and damage to the nervous system.
When a person overdoses on barbiturates for a long period of time, the person will easily face addiction (Bhandari, 2023). Barbiturate dependence develops when a person starts to crave the barbiturate. Dependence occurs when the body adapts to the presence of the drug, and a person may feel the need to keep using it to function normally. Over time, tolerance can develop, requiring higher doses to achieve the desired effects, which increases the risk of overdose and other adverse health effects. In fact, Barbiturates may develop a habit for the user as a way to cope with tension, loneliness, anxiety, or stress.
Figure 5: Addiction
Barbiturate can inhibit the production of neurotransmitters at synapse and slow down the transmission of nerve impulse. High doses of barbiturates are able to slow down central nervous system functions such as heartbeat, breathing, brain activities and reflexes. Barbiturates can cause low blood pressure, which means the heart has to work harder to pump blood throughout the body. Prolonged low blood pressure can weaken the heart over time, potentially leading to heart failure. In cases of overdose, this can lead to low oxygen levels in the blood, which can strain the heart and other organs. So, barbiturate can cause unconsciousness and death if it is not consumed according to the doctor's prescription.
5. CONCLUSION
The use of barbiturates is now limited and carefully monitored due to their potential for abuse and adverse effects. So, barbiturates should be used wisely in the medical field in order to obtain its benefit and prevent us from drug abuse. We should also consume a balanced diet in our life and always ensure that we eat the seven classes of food in the appropriate portion. Furthermore, we should do exercise to maintain our body health and increase our body’s immunity.
STAY AWAY FROM DRUGS
Acknowledgement
Foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my lecturer Puan Haslinah binti Abdullah for the continuous support of my essay writing, for her patience, motivation, enthusiasm, and immense knowledge. Her guidance helped me in all the time of research and writing of this essay. I could not have imagined having a better advisor and mentor for my Biology essay writing. Besides, I would like to thank my learning partnership, which is Catherine Tang Jock Chuen. She is a very professional physiotherapist and she given me a lot of useful information about this essay. Moreover, she is patient when answering my questions and help me to deal with my doubts. Through Miss Catherine, I learned a lot of new knowledge that I never touch before in the textbook. Without her help, I am sure that I will not able to complete this essay by my own. My sincere thanks also go to my classmates and friends. They willing to sacrifice their time and energy to help with my essay writing. They also give me good suggestions in order to improve my essay writing. I am really appreciate them.
6. REFERENCES Keep Calm And Avoid Drugs #Drug Free