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Pharmacology => Drug => Tranquilizer
Tranquilizer
Tranquilizer, common name applied to a class of drugs used to treat anxiety and insomnia. Originally the term comprised two groups: the major tranquilizers-the phenothiazines, such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine)-useful in the treatment of acutely ill mental patients; and the minor tranquilizers-the benzodiazepines, such as diazepam (Valium). By popular usage, the term now refers only to the latter group. In the early 1980s, these minor tranquilizers were the most frequently prescribed drugs in the world. Despite a 30% decline in the number of prescriptions written in the U.S. for benzodiazepines between 1975 and 1980, more than 5 million people were taking some form of them each year. Although they are useful for relief of temporary anxiety and insomnia, a National Academy of Sciences report warned in 1979 that they are not effective for periods longer than two weeks.
The minor tranquilizers are safe when taken alone, but taking substantial amounts of these substances at the same time as alcohol can lead to coma or even death. Long-term administration of larger than usual doses of the benzodiazepines can cause physical dependence, with typical withdrawal symptoms ranging from nightmares to convulsions when the drug intake is stopped.
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