Tranquilizers

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Tranquilizers are a chemically heterogeneous group of psychotropic drugs . All representatives of this group have in common that they have an anti-anxiety ( anxiolytic ) and calming ( sedative ) effect at the same time . In German, tranquillants or tranquillants ( Latin tranquillare = to calm down) are also spoken of.

Synonymous terms are anxiolytics ( Latin anxius = fear; Greek lytikos = able to solve) and ataraktika (Greek taraktor = balanced).

Classification

The following groups of tranquilizers can be distinguished:

hazards

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Tranquilizers, which began to be marketed worldwide in 1956 with the carbamic acid derivative meprobamate , are among the most frequently prescribed psychotropic drugs. However, they come with a number of risks that need to be considered:

  • Benzodiazepines in particular lead to habituation and dependency due to their pronounced anxiety-relieving, relaxing effect . The patient feels shielded from everyday stress by taking tranquilizers . The necessary pressure to deal with existing internal and external conflicts is temporarily removed. This aspect should also be taken into account when taking freely available herbal preparations, which are usually offered in the form of alcohol solutions, for a longer period of time (example : Klosterfrau Melissengeist : contains 79% alcohol by volume).
  • Psychotropic drugs can fundamentally lead to a change in alertness, ability to react, sensory perception and body control. Vegetative functions can also be affected (blood pressure, pulse, muscle tension, balance, etc.). This means that the effects of tranquilizers can result in particular risks in road traffic, when operating machines and while staying in hazardous areas.
  • The various psychotropic drugs differ in their pharmacokinetics (metabolism), i. H. The onset of action, strength and duration are sometimes very different. Age, gender, weight and pre-existing diseases (especially liver and kidney diseases) also play an important role. Uncritical ingestion of tranquilizers can lead to an excessive accumulation of active substances in the body ( accumulation ), which can lead to life-threatening conditions.
  • The combination of psychotropic drugs with other medication or drugs (especially alcohol) can lead to unpredictable, possibly life-threatening effects.

Before taking tranquilizers (and also other psychotropic drugs), a discussion with the family doctor or psychiatrist about the existing symptoms and about suitable treatment measures and possible side effects must be held. Tranquilizers are useful for sudden (acute), short-term crisis situations. They are not or only in exceptional cases suitable for the treatment of persistent anxiety states, feelings of overload or depressive moods. You are therefore expressly warned against unauthorized use and thus also its transfer.

literature

  • Otto Benkert, Hanns Hippius: Compendium of Psychiatric Pharmacotherapy . 8th edition. Springer, Berlin / Heidelberg / New York 2011, ISBN 978-3-642-13043-4 .
  • Gerd Laux, Hans-Jürgen Möller: Psychiatry and Psychotherapy . 2nd Edition. Thieme, Stuttgart / New York 2011, ISBN 978-3-13-145432-4 .
  • Doris Schwarzmann-Schafhauser: Tranquillants. In: Werner E. Gerabek , Bernhard D. Haage, Gundolf Keil , Wolfgang Wegner (eds.): Enzyklopädie Medizingeschichte. De Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2005, ISBN 3-11-015714-4 , p. 1407.