Download STUDY GUIDE DRUGS

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STUDY GUIDE DRUGS AND TOXICOLOGY
I. General Terms
Drug
Addiction
Tolerance
Withdrawal
Central nervous system
Neurotransmitter
Neuron
Controlled Substances Act of 1970
Drug Schedules
II. Drug dependence is affected by
Nature of the drug
Route of administration
Metabolism/Genetics
Personality
Societal attitudes
III. Narcotics
A. General properties
1. From gum from the unripe pod of the poppy (opium) plant, Papaver somniferium
2. Many in white powder form
3. Narcotics are analgesics which depress the CNS and relieve pain and cause euphoria
4. Bind to opiate receptors in brain that bind natural opiates called endorphins, highly
lipid soluble, and enter cells easily
5. Highly addictive and can cause collapsed veins, overdose, difficult withdrawal
6. Synthetic opiates (opiate agonists) act similarly to opium derivatives (through the
opiate receptor/pleasure center pathway)
B. Morphine Schedule II drug
a. Purified from the gummy juice of the poppy in 1894
b. Accepted use in medicine
c. Usually injected
C. Heroin Schedule I drug
1. Synthesized from morphine using acetic anhydride
2. Before 1924 advertised as a safe alternative to morphine, sold in cough syrup
3. Illegal in US in 1924,
4. Usually injected
5. Can be diluted with starch, lactose, quinine, sugar, bags are 10 – 70% pure
6. Imported from South America, Southeast Asia (most), Mexico, and Afghanistan.
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D. Oxycodone (Schedule II drug)
a. Opiate used in pain management
b. Time release formula meant to prevent abuse
c. 7 million US legal prescriptions per year
d. Forged prescriptions, pharmacy robberies
E. Methadone - Used to treat heroin addicts, blocks effects of heroin (Schedule II)
F. Codeine (Schedule II)
a. Used in pain management
b.Found in the opium poppy in small amounts or can be synthesized
IV. Hallucinogens
A. Marijuana Schedule I drug federally
1. Cannabis sativa plant, odd # leaves ~ 5 ft tall plant
2. Around since~3000 BC use in medicine
3. THC is active ingredient and binds to cannabinoid receptors in the brain
4. Euphoria, colors and sounds intense, dry mouth, hungry, thirsty, anxiety, paranoia
5. Usually smoked, also ingested
6. Effects parts of brain involved in learning and memory, coordination, judgment,
pleasure. Acute effects: Heart rate increases, bronchial passages enlarge, eyes look
red, short-term memory, attention, judgment, coordination, balance. Long-term
(cumulative effect)-chronic cough, bronchitis, emphysema, cancer risk
7. Lawful for medicinal purposes in some states
B. LSD
1.
2.
3.
4.
Schedule I drug
white, odorless, powder taken as tablets or spotted on paper
synthesized in 1938 by Hofmann
Binds to serotonin (neurotransmitter) receptors in the brain
Effects unpredictable and include dilated pupils, increased temperature, heart rate,
and blood pressure, appetite loss, emotional swings, delusions,
hallucinations, loss of control, despair, flashbacks
5. Only one of four isomers exhibits effects
V. Depressants
A. Common properties
1. depress the CNS resulting in sedative, anti-anxiety effects (calmness, tranquility)
2. act through the GABA neurotransmitter pathway
3. effects include
a. Difficulty concentrating
b. A "floating" or disconnected sensation
c. Depressed heartbeat, depressed breathing
d. Excessive sleep and sleepiness
e. Mental confusion and memory loss
f. Addiction
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B. Barbiturates
1. synthesized in 1800s by Bayer
2. example: Phenobarbital
3. long lasting effects
C. Benzodiazepines such as Valium, Xanax, Librium, Rohypnol prescribed for anxiety,
insomnia, sedative and anesthetic effect
D. Inhalants
1. breathing of chemical vapors, the high lasts only a few minutes
2. short term effects include intoxication, slurred speech, chemical odors on
breath, lack of coordination and even heart failure, suffocation, convulsions,
coma, muscle wasting
3. types
a. solvent – ex. gasoline, paint thinner, glue
b. aerosol – ex. hairspray, cleaning products
c. gases – ed. butane lighters
d. nitrites – ex. video head cleaners
E. Alcohol (ethyl alcohol CH3CH2OH)
1. Fermentation C6H12O6 → 2 CH3CH2OH + 2 CO2
Sugar
alcohol
carbon dioxide
2. response affected by a person's weight, rate of absorption, metabolism, # of
drinks per unit time, other drugs, history of alcohol, genetics, environment
(bar, party, cigarette etc…), how much food in stomach
3. causes depression and disinhibition by working through a number of
neurotransmitter pathways
4. alcohol in the body
a. 20% absorbed by the stomach, 80% by the small intestine (absorption
means entering the bloodstream)
b. liver detoxifies alcohol (metabolism) and a small amount excreted in
breath and urine
c. long term effects include fatty liver, cirrhosis (liver disease), poor
nutrition, testosterone reduction, delirium tremors (withdrawal),
dehydration, fetal alcohol syndrome in babies
d. direct correlation between amount of alcohol in the bloodstream (BAC)
and in the breath
VI. Amphetamines
A. stimulants cause euphoria, appetite suppression, hyperactivity
B. work through the dopamine neurotransmitter pathway (pleasure system)
C. over use can lead to permanent destruction of dopamine-producing neurons (brain
damage)
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D. methamphetamine Schedule II drug
1. effects include addiction, weight loss, high blood pressure, heart attack, repetitive
behavior , delusions of insects crawling under skin, sores due to constricted blood vessels,
paranoia, Hallucinations, violent behavior, psychosis (often exhibited as violent, aggressive
behavior), meth mouth
2. meth labs use highly explosive materials and procedures
3. meth use is traveling from western US to eastern and brings with it Identity theft,
burglary, car theft, domestic abuse, child neglect, murder
E. Cocaine Schedule II drug
1. isolated from the coca plant, cocaine is a natural alkaloid with an extensive
history in South America
2. crack = cocaine + baking soda
3. effects similar to meth
F. MDMA also known as ecstasy
1. hallucinogenic stimulant causes euphoria
2. data shows beneficial use to treat certain psychiatric disorders such as post
traumatic stress syndrome
3. currently a Schedule I drug
4. can cause teeth grinding, panic attacks, elevated body temperature,
depression, brain damage
VII. Testing for Drugs
A. Urinalysis
1. drugs and their metabolic breakdown products
2. different drugs have different detection times
B. Hair, sweat, blood, saliva
C. Colorimetric tests
1. Marquis test-amphetamines, opium - red is positive
2. Duquenois-Levine-marijuana  purple is positive
3. Van Urk-LSD
D. Microcrystalline tests
1. different compounds form different, diagnostic crystals
E. Breathalyzer for alcohol