If sedatives do not work effectively enough or, moreover, cause side effects, we can talk about a violation of prescription prescriptions, incorrect diagnosis, incorrect choice of dosage or type of sedative. It is for these reasons that the independent choice of sedatives is allowed only in cases of mild or short-term disorders of the higher nervous activity of a person. Strong sedatives are prescribed only by a neurologist and a psychotherapist in case of emotional disorders, and a psychiatrist – in case of mental disorders. The reason for taking such medications is severe stress and its accompanying symptoms. The choice of the best sedatives is made only according to the individual characteristics of ailments, ratings in this case do not play a role. In pharmacies, such drugs are not available for free sale, they cannot be purchased without a prescription. But some sedatives can be purchased without a prescription on the website Sedative-drugs.com
Strong sedatives – tranquilizers (anxiolytics)
This is a group of psychotropic sedatives of completely synthetic origin. Drugs affect the emotional background of a person, and / or his thinking. In a healthy person who does not experience stress, the processes of inhibition and arousal are in relative balance and do not disrupt the usual rhythm of life – stress does not interfere with normal falling asleep, waking up, and daily routine. The necessity of taking such drugs is the inability of the nervous system to self-repair.
The overload of the psyche leads to various manifestations:
- Emotional swings (mood swings);
- Sleep disorders;
- Anxiety;
- Nervousness and aggressiveness;
- Unwillingness to contact people;
- Panic attacks and similar symptoms.
Anxiolytic drugs eliminate constant anxiety and anxiety, such types of sedatives reduce excessive activity of the nervous system, which leads to the relief of tension and the severity of most of the symptoms inherent in stress. Anxiolytics do not affect the clarity of consciousness, reaction and intellectual activity, but only reduce the level of mental activity. This property relates tranquilizers to the socalled “daytime” drugs and allows you to combine their reception with the usual rhythm of life. Some types of such drugs, depending on the composition, on the contrary, may have a strong hypnotic effect if it is necessary to restore emotional and mental health. According to the pharmacological composition, drugs in this category are divided into benzodiazepine and other chemical groups. They can have different effects: sedative, hypnotic, correcting the autonomic system and muscle tone (muscle relaxants and anticonvulsant types of drugs). Many types of tranquilizers combine several types of action: for example, sedative and anticonvulsant.
Which of the drugs will prove to be the best sedative depends on the initial symptoms.
The possibilities of modern sedative drugs extend to the following manifestations:
- Fears, neuroses, phobias – a noticeable decrease;
- Emotional tension – mood equalization;
- Anxiety, anxiety – elimination and/or reduction of the level of;
- Obsessive states – as a concomitant treatment;
- Alcohol addiction – to relieve irritability with hangover syndrome;
- Premedication (preparation for operations) – elimination of the fear of surgical intervention;
- Sleep disorders – a gentle restoration of a healthy regime.
Any strong sedative should be taken with caution in combination with other medications. This is the so-called group of “big” tranquilizers, based on benzodiazepine, diphenylmethane and some other chemical groups.
The most popular as hypnotic sedatives are medicines such as Phenazepam, Nosepam, Lorazepam, types of drugs with hydroxyzine, proroxane, afobazole (active ingredient), etc.
Taking each drug from this group must be approved by a doctor, during treatment it is necessary to monitor in order to adjust the doses or cancel this type of sedative in case of undesirable side effects. Also, drugs with benzodiazepine components with prolonged use can cause addiction, drug dependence. Selling without a prescription is prohibited. With great caution, they are prescribed during pregnancy and lactation, only if the benefits of taking tranquilizers are many times higher than the risk for the fetus and the child.
Antidepressants
This type of drugs cannot be classified as a group of tranquilizers, nevertheless, such medications have a certain sedative effect and are very successful. Unlike anxiolytics and sedatives, antidepressants do not depress, but on the contrary – stimulate mental activity, provided that at the time of the start of treatment it has declined.
The main task of antidepressants is to relieve symptoms of depression:
- Irritability;
- Melancholy and apathy;
- Anxiety;
- Lethargy;
- Anxiety;
- Sleep disorders.
In fact, the purpose of antidepressants and sedatives is the same – normalization of mental functions, restoration of a full quality of life.
Light antidepressants restore a healthy sleep regime, restore a good mood – these are drugs with anxiolytic and sedative properties (Doxepin, Mirtazapine, the active substance Mianserin and all types of drugs based on it).
Without prescriptions, as well as tranquilizers, they are not released in pharmacies.
Normotimic means
They are known as mood stabilizers. They do not belong directly to the group of sedatives, but are included in the classification of CNS depressing drugs, as well as tranquilizers.
Normotimic drugs are resorted to if a lot has gone wrong in the fight against stress, as expected – often in severe disorders of behavior, psyche, emotions, the reason lies in the absence of initial professional diagnosis and improper effect on the first symptoms. Normotimics, like tranquilizers, reduce the activity of the central nervous system, but also stabilize the mood, as would antidepressants.
These are extremely strong sedatives, the zones of influence of normotimics on the psyche and physiology are quite wide:
- Severe and uncontrollable irritability is reduced;
- Drugs stop impulsivity, short temper;
- They struggle with manias, phobias, psychoses;
- Normalize the sleep /wake cycle;
- Minimize the feeling of hostility to society, others;
- They have an anticonvulsant (antiepileptic) effect.
Among other things, some drugs of normotimics are used for abstinence: alcoholic, narcotic.Leave in pharmacies without a prescription is not made.
Mineral
These are preparations of lithium salts, normalize the mental state, do not have a hypnotic effect and effectively improve mood. The sedative (sedative) property is expressed moderately, the opposition to various forms of dependence depends on the selected drugs.
Some types of lithium medicines combine the properties of normotimics, anxiolytics (sedatives) and nootropics (e.g. Lithium nicotinate).
Anticonvulsants
Sedatives of this category are resorted to when it is necessary to correct aggression, including in the framework of episodes of schizoaffective disorders, panic attacks. They are prescribed for abstinence of an alcoholic nature, as a prevention of withdrawal syndrome of benzodiazepine group tranquilizers.
Atypical
One of the most effective drugs of the normotimic group is used as a sedative for behavioral disorders in adults and children – with outbursts of anger, including physical violence, autoaggression and other destructive tendencies.
Normotimics of the new generation
This category of drugs allows you to reduce the dose taken, while not causing. They act as antidepressant medications, improving the cognitive functions of the central nervous system. As a sedative effect, normotimics have shown themselves to be no worse than the first generation of drugs, while a positive result occurs in a shorter period of time with minimal risk of repetitions of affective disorders.
Side effects of strong sedatives
As with any drugs of synthetic origin, even the best sedatives of the latest developments may have their own characteristics – the appointment is not accidentally made by a doctor. When choosing a drug, the specialist takes into account many factors:
- Age and physical health of the patient;
- The strength of the stress or mental disorders experienced;
- Parallel administration of other medications;
- The presence or absence of addictions (alcohol, drugs, nicotine, pharmaceuticals).
The appearance of side effects with the correct choice of the drug and dosage is reduced to a negligible minimum. At the same time, self-medication can lead to disastrous results, even if a modern medicine is purchased, most of which do not cause undesirable consequences. Recall that side effects may occur even during the period of taking herbal sedatives, if you ignore the information of doctors regarding contraindications.
The most common undesirable consequences of taking medications are addiction to pills, injections. Improper withdrawal of the drug can lead to severe ailments, dizziness, gastrointestinal disorders, hallucinations and a general deterioration in the quality of life. In the most critical situations, the work of the cardiovascular system and the brain is affected. The catastrophic consequences of self–administration of drugs are provocation of arterial hypertension, respiratory disorders (when using muscle relaxant spectrum tranquilizers), and other negative manifestations.
Therefore, it is so important to follow the contents of prescriptions for tranquilizers or any other types of sedatives – this is not only the name of the drug, but also the precisely calculated dosage, the time of administration, in accordance with the current condition of the patient.
Sedatives are not a panacea, but a good support for the nervous system with the competent appointment and discipline of the patient regarding each prescription prescribed by the doctor.
The material is informational in nature. Medicinal products are indicated as an example of their possible use and/or application, which is not a recommendation for their use. Before using medications, be sure to consult with a specialist.