Sedatives & Stimulants

WHAT ARE SEDATIVES?
Sedatives are part of the larger category of "depressants", drugs which depress teh central nervous system.  This group of drugs is also called "sedative hypnotic" because it includes drugs which calm the nerves (the sedation effect) and produce sleep (the hypnotic effect).

This information will focus on barbiturates, nonbarbiturates, and benzodiazapines.  These are also commonly known as sleeping pill and tranquilizers.  All are (or have been)legally available by prescription for medical purposes and all can be abused.

Barbiturates, or sleeping pills, include Nembutal and Seconal.  Slang names for these drugs include "barbs", "downers", and "reds".  Barbiturates are now very seldom prescribed.  They have been replaced by safer benzodiazapines.

Nonbarbiturate sedatives include Doriden, Miltown, and Placidyl.  There are also prescribed legally to help people sleep. 

Benzodiazapines include Valium, Librium, and Xanax.  They are prescribed to relieve anxiety.

Sedatives are made in capsule or tablet form.  They are most often taken orally. 

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF SEDATIVES?
Their effects are simular to alcohol.  In small doses, they produce calmness and relaxed muscles.  Drowsiness and impariment of memory may occur.  Larger doses cause slurred speech, altered perception, and loss of coordination.  Larger doses of barbiturates cause sleep.  Heavy doses can cause respiratory depression, coma, and death.

WHAT IMMEDIATE RISKS OCCUR WITH SEDATIVES?
Overdose can cause coma or death and risk of death is greatest with barbiturates.  Use can also produce a stupor in which the user is inattentive, lacks judgment, and thus risks injury at home or in auto crashes. 

Sedatives taken with alcohol cause greater risk since the effects of one drug multiply the effects of the other. 

CAN SEDATIVES CAUSE DEPENDENCE?
Yes.  All sedatives can cause dependence.  How much and how often these drugs are taken affect how quickly tolerance and dependence develop.  Both legal and illegal users can develop dependence.

Withdrawal symptoms may range from restleness, insomnia, and anxiety to convulsions and death.  Barbiturate withdrawal is often more severe than heroin withdrawal.

IS THERE TREATMENT FOR SEDATIVE DEPENDENCE?
Treatment may include medical care during withdrawal, and individual and/or group counseling.  Support for a self help group may be part of a treatment program.

WHAT ARE STIMULANTS?
Stimulants are a group of drugs which stimulate the central nervous system.  They produce an increase in alertness and activity.  Caffeine (found in coffee, cola, tea, and chocolate) and nicotine (found in tobacco products) are stimulants.  other are ephedrine and phenylpropanolamine.  The strongest stimulants are cocaine, amphetamines such as dextroamphetamine and methamphetamine, and methylphenidate (Ritalin). 

WHAT ARE THE GENERAL EFFECTS OF STIMULANTS?
Stimulants speed up heart and breathing rates, and increase blood pressure.  They also reduce appetite, interfere with sleep, and increase anxiety.  These effects increase with larger doses.  Speech my become rapid, and reflexes may become faster. 
Use of amphetamines cause a feeling of euphoria, increased alertness, and greater energy.  As the drug wears off, fatigue and depression occur.

WHAT IMMEDIATE RISKS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH AMPHETAMINES
Even small, infrequent doses of amphetamines can produce risky effects insome people.  These include restlessness, anxiety, mood swings, panic, paranoid thoughts, and hallucinations.  High blood pressure, rapid or irregular heart beat, convulsions, coma, stroke, and heart failure may occur.  Death can result from amphetamine overdose.  The risk is greatest when the drug is injected.

In high doses, amphetamines and cocaine can cause psychotic episodes.

Use of these drugs increases self confidence which may lead to risk behavior.  Lack of sleep can cause slowed reaction time and reduced watchfulness.  These factors may lead to injury or death in traffic crashes, for instance. 

WHAT LONG TERM RISKS OCCUR WITH AMPHETAMINES?
Heavy, frequent doses of amphetamines can produce brain damage, resulting in speech disturbances and difficulty in turning thoughts into words.  The larger and more frequent the doses, the greater these risks. 

Chronic amphetamine users frequently neglect their diet, resulting in low resistance to illness and infections, malnutrition, skin disorders, ulcers, and diseases resulting from vitamin deficiency.  Lack of sleep and weight loss often occur.  Long term users may also have acne resembling a measles rash, and dry brittle hair.  They may have trouble with teeth, gums, and nails. 

User who inject these drugs are at risk for life threatening diseases such as HIV/AIDS, lung and heart diseases, other cardiovascular diseases, and hepatitis.

Amphetamine users often take sleeping pill or alcohol to try to relieve the insomnia that follows amphetamine use.  They may then take amphetamines again to shake off the drowsiness caused by these depressants.  This up and down cycle is very hard on the body.  It also increases the chance of an unintended overdose. 

Large doses can result in amphetamine psychosis.  People in this stae are suspicious and paranoid.  They often show bizarre or violent behavior.  Frequent heavy use of the drug can cause mental illness, suicide, and death.