Adverse Effects
| Drugs | Anticholinergic Activity | Comments |
| First-Generation Antihistamines | ||
| Ethanolamines | ||
| Dimenhydrinate (salt of diphenhydramine ... | +++ | Marked sedation; antimotion sickness act ... |
| Diphenhydramine (e.g., Benadryl) | +++ | Marked sedation, antimotion sickness act ... |
What are the effects of drugs on the respiratory system?
Drug abuse on the respiratory system can lead to a variety of problems. Smoking cigarettes, for example, has been shown to cause bronchitis, emphysema, and lung cancer. Marijuana smoke may also cause respiratory problems. The use of some drugs may also cause breathing to slow, block air from entering the lungs, or exacerbate asthma symptoms.
How do Opioids affect the respiratory system?
If opioids are used on a long-term basis, they can even cause issues with oxygen levels in your blood, making it difficult for vital organs to get the oxygen they need in order to function properly. Other drugs, including cocaine, inhalants, and even alcohol can all contribute to respiratory issues in different ways.
What are the different types of respiratory medications?
Both inhalers and nebulizers can use a variety of respiratory medications for various respiratory illnesses and diseases. These are the most common types of respiratory medications and what you need to know about each of them. Bronchodilators are the most commonly used respiratory medication.
How do depressants affect the respiratory system?
This central nervous system depressant action also affects the functioning of the respiratory system by slowing down a person’s breathing rate. The actions also result in their medical uses as analgesics and contribute to their abuse as they produce a reduction in a person’s experience of pain, feelings of relaxation, and euphoria.
How does smoking affect the respiratory system?
The respiratory system attempts to clean itself by trapping dirt and other foreign bodies, such as microbes, and then removing them through the cilia via mucus or other methods. So-called “smoker’s cough” is often a result of the lungs attempting to rid themselves of impurities associated with tobacco products. Over time, these products take their toll, and many of the carcinogens cannot be removed completely.
What are the Signs of Respiratory Issues?
There may be some signs that can be used to determine if someone is developing or has developed a respiratory issue. Some of the signs include:
How do opioids affect the nervous system?
This central nervous system depressant action also affects the functioning of the respiratory system by slowing down a person’s breathing rate. The actions also result in their medical uses as analgesics and contribute to their abuse as they produce a reduction in a person’s experience of pain, feelings of relaxation, and euphoria.
What is the role of opioids in the nervous system?
Opioids are central nervous system depressant drugs that reduce the activity of the neurons in the brain and spinal cord. This central nervous system depressant action also affects the functioning of the respiratory system by slowing down a person’s breathing rate.
What can be used to clean the airways?
Interventions can include medications, respiratory physiotherapy (working on inflating the lungs fully, breathing properly, etc.), and various forms of ventilatory support using suction or other methods to clean the airways can be used. Some individuals may require oxygen if their condition is advanced.
Why is it so hard to breathe?
Asthma: This condition results in difficulty breathing. Potential causes include pollutants in the air, cigarette smoke, and other issues. Smoking makes asthma worse.
Can a respiratory infection be fatal?
Respiratory infections caused by viruses like influenza or coronavirus can potentially be fatal to children, seniors and those with chronic health conditions like diabetes, heart disease or lung disease. People who chronically use alcohol and other drugs are also more susceptible to respiratory infections, due to the harm these substances may do to the immune system in addition to damage they can do to the organs in the body’s respiratory and cardiovascular systems.
What drugs suppress cough?
Opiate drugs that act on these receptors are effective, but it is not simply because they produce sedation (Morjaria et al., 2012). Either of the opiate receptors may be responsible for the action because both butorphanol (κ-receptor agonist) and codeine or morphine (µ-receptor agonists) can suppress cough (Takahama and Shirasaki, 2007; Gingerich et al., 1983; Christie et al., 1980; Morjaria et al., 2012), but naloxone is capable of antagonizing this effect.
What is the effect of epinephrine?
Epinephrine stimulates α- and β-adrenergic receptors ( Table 48.1 ). It produces pronounced vasopressive and cardiac effects . Epinephrine is considered the drug of choice for the emergency treatment of life-threatening bronchoconstriction, such as during an anaphylactic reaction. The nonspecific stimulation of other receptors and its short duration make it unsuitable for long-term use. The dose used in animals is 10 µg/kg IM or IV administered as a one-time treatment, or repeated in 15 minutes. Formulations are available in either 1 : 10,000 concentration (0.01%, 0.1 mg/ml) or 1 : 1,000 concentration (0.1%, 1 mg/ml). Duration of action is short (less than 1 hour). Norepinephrine (Levarterenol) has similar β 1 effects as epinephrine but fewer α 1 and β 2 effects, and therefore is not suitable for respiratory therapy.
Why are aerosols used in animals?
The use of these aerosols has become more common in animals because adapters are available to allow for use by animal owners. In horses, masks are available that allow a metered-dose inhaler to be used (Derksen et al., 1996; Tesarowski et al., 1994). These devices are available for dogs, cats, and horses.
What are the effects of a agonist?
The most common adverse effects from β agonists involve the cardiovascular system (tachycardia) and skeletal muscles (muscle tremors) (Fox and Papich, 1989). Cardiac effects (rapid heart rate, palpitations, tremors) can be prominent with β 1 agonists and can be produced by β 2 agonists at high doses. When high doses of β agonists have been nebulized to horses, muscle twitching, sweating, and excitement have occurred. β 2 -receptor agonists also inhibit uterine motility and should not be used late in pregnancy. However, these drugs have been used therapeutically for this purpose in situations in which it may be desirable to inhibit uterine contractions to delay labor. High doses of β 2 agonists also can produce hypokalemia.
What are agonists used for?
The β-adrenergic receptor agonists have a beneficial effect in the treatment of some airway diseases. They are used commonly in people for the treatment of asthma. In animals, they are used for airway disease, allergic bronchitis, and similar diseases such as feline “asthma,” recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) (“ heaves ”), and inflammatory airway disease (IAD) in horses. The autonomic properties are discussed in more detail in Chapter 7 of this textbook, and the application to respiratory diseases will be included here.
Which receptors innervate the bronchial smooth muscle?
Bronchial smooth muscle is innervated by β 2 -adrenergic receptors. Stimulation of β 2 receptors leads to increased activity of the enzyme adenylate cyclase, increased intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cyclic-AMP), and relaxation of bronchial smooth muscle (see Chapter 7).
Is hydrocodone a codeine?
Hydrocodone is similar to codeine in mechanism of action, but it is more potent. Hydrocodone is combined with an anticholinergic drug (homatropine) in the preparation Hycodan ®, which has been prescribed often for small animals. Pharmacokinetic studies have shown that is absorbed orally in dogs but there is conflicting evidence in dogs on the metabolism to hydromorphone (Benitez et al., 2015). It is possible that the antitussive effect is produced by a different metabolite. Nevertheless, some veterinarians consider it their first drug of choice for symptomatic treatment of cough in dogs. The anticholinergic component (homatropine) is added to discourage abuse rather than for a respiratory indication. Oral doses administered to dogs are approximately 0.22–0.25 mg/kg, q 6–8 h (approximately 1 tablet per 20 kg).
What are the different types of drugs used to treat upper airway dysfunction?
Drug classes used to treat upper airway dysfunction. Initially the drug classes are divided into histamine type 1 receptor antagonists (antihistamines), decongestants, expectorants, and antitussives. Anti histamines are divided into first and second generations.
What drugs are used to reduce mucus production?
Drugs used to decrease these manifestations include H 1 receptor antagonists (antihistamines) to decrease mucus production and vasodilation, nasal decongestants to decrease vasodilation, and mast cell stabilizers. Bronchial congestion with cough and excessive mucus production are also associated with viral infections.
What causes a runny nose?
Secretion of histamine and other mast cell mediators causes vasodilation of the nasal vasculature, leading to the nasal congestion and “runny nose” commonly associated with seasonal allergies and viral infections. Drugs used to decrease these manifestations include H 1 receptor antagonists (antihistamines) to decrease mucus production ...
What is the disorder of the upper respiratory tract?
Disorders of the upper respiratory tract are those associated with infections (most commonly uncomplicated viral rhinotracheitis) and seasonal allergies ( allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and rhinotracheitis). For the most part, these dysfunctions are self-limiting, and the drug classes used to treat them may be obtained without a prescription ...
What is the upper part of the respiratory system?
The upper portion consists of the nose, sinuses, oropharynx, and larynx. The lower portion comprises the trachea and lungs with their associated airways. Disorders and drug therapy of the upper respiratory system differ from those of the lower respiratory tract. Disorders of the upper respiratory tract are those associated with infections ...
Can coughing cause mucus in the bronchi?
These manifestations may be relieved with drugs that suppress coughing (antitussives) or assist in clearance of mucus from larger airways in the lungs (expectorants).
How does drug abuse affect the respiratory system?
Drug Abuse on the Respiratory System. The primary function of the respiratory system is to supply the blood with oxygen in order for the blood to deliver oxygen to all parts of the body. The respiratory system does this through breathing. When we breathe, we inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. This exchange of gases is ...
What is the term for the inhalation of a lot of air?
Asphyxiation - from repeated inhalations, which lead to high concentrations of inhaled fumes displacing the available oxygen in the lungs.
What happens when you breathe?
When we breathe, we inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. This exchange of gases is the respiratory system's means of getting oxygen to the blood. Drug abuse on the respiratory system can lead to a variety of problems. Smoking cigarettes, for example, has been shown to cause bronchitis, emphysema, and lung cancer.
What does it mean when your breathing rate is increasing?
Breathing rate. An increase in the number of breaths per minute may indicate that a person is having trouble breathing or not getting enough oxygen. Color changes.
What happens when opioids are attached to receptors?
When these drugs attach to certain opioid receptors, they can block the perception of pain. Opioids can produce drowsiness, nausea, constipation, and, depending upon the amount of drug taken, depress respiration.
What are the complications of heroin?
Lung complications (including various types of pneumonia and tuberculosis) which may result from the poor health condition of the abuser as well as from heroin's depressing effects on respiration.
Why does my chest sink in?
The chest appears to sink in just below the neck and/or under the breastbone with each breath - one way of trying to bring more air into the lungs. Sweating. There may be increased sweat on the head, but the skin does not feel warm to the touch. More often, the skin may feel cool or clammy.
Which agonists are the most effective bronchodilators?
β-receptor agonists (Figure 20-4) are the most effective bronchodilators because they act as functional antagonists of airway constriction, regardless of the stimulus. 22,50,51 Few β-agonists generally have been sufficiently studied in animals to describe pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics.
Which beta-adrenergic drug is the least selective for bronchodilation?
Figure 20-4 Structures of selected beta-adrenergic drugs used to induce bronchodilation. Epinephrine is the least and albuterol or terbutaline the most selective for β-2 receptors. Most β-adrenergic drugs are present as enantiomers, as is demonstrated here for albuterol.
How does histamine affect bronchial occlusion?
Histamine contributes to bronchial occlusion by mechanisms other than bronchoconstriction. Mucous secretion is mediated via H 2 receptors and by secretion of ions and water via H 1 receptors. 29 Microvascular leakage resulting from contraction of endothelial cells also follows H 1 -receptor stimulation. 29 Histamine is chemotactic to inflammatory cells, particularly eosinophils and neutrophils. Interestingly, histamine stimulates T-lymphocyte suppressor cells by way of H 2 receptors, 5 a function that also may be depressed in human patients with asthma. 29 Histamine also has a negative feedback effect on further histamine release mediated by IgE. 29 Both of these latter effects are mediated by H 2 receptors and would be inhibited by H 2 -receptor antagonists. 5
What is the best treatment for bronchial disease?
Thus antiinflammatory drugs and bronchodilators represent the cornerstone of therapy for many bronchial diseases.
How to treat bronchial disease?
The syndrome of chronic bronchial disease is best treated by breaking the inflammatory cycle while immediately relieving bronchoconstriction. Thus antiinflammatory drugs and bronchodilators represent the cornerstone of therapy for many bronchial diseases. Other categories of drugs that are effective for the management of respiratory diseases, particularly in small animals, include antitussives, respiratory stimulants, and decongestants.
Do bronchodilators reduce inflammation?
Because of a shared intracellular mechanism of action, most drugs that induce bronchodilation also reduce inflammation. Bronchodilators reverse airway smooth muscle contraction by increasing cAMP, decreasing cGMP, or decreasing calcium ion concentration (see Figure 20-1). In addition, these drugs also decrease mucosal edema and are antiinflammatory because they tend to prevent mediator release from inflammatory cells (see Figure 20-3 ). Rapidly acting bronchodilators include β-receptor agonists, methylxanthines, and cholinergic antagonists.
What is the most commonly used respiratory medication?
Bronchodilators are the most commonly used respiratory medication. Bronchodilators are used in inhalers for acute breathing conditions where you need immediate relief. This includes asthma, COPD, and allergic reactions.
What is the best medicine for respiratory illness?
When you have a respiratory illness, the best medicine you can use is a type of respiratory medication. A respiratory medication is inhaled through a respiratory device such as a nebulizer or inhaler.
How long does it take for a short inhaler to work?
Short-acting inhalers provide relief for approximately 2 to 4 hours after use. The most common respiratory medication of short-acting inhalers is albuterol. Albuterol works by relaxing the bronchial muscles within the airways to improve breathing due to a sudden asthma attack or exercise-induced asthma.
How does an inhaler work?
An inhaler works similarly, except you are in control of when the medicine from the inhaler is dispersed. You will disperse the medicine by pressing down on the canister of medicine in the inhaler while holding your mouth onto the inhaler mouthpiece. Then you will inhale the medicine that you have dispersed.
What is a long acting inhaler?
Long-acting inhalers are used to manage and control asthma rather than treat the acute symptoms that can quickly appear. Long-acting inhalers work in the same way that short-acting inhalers use; by relaxing the muscles within the airways. The only difference is that long-acting inhalers are used to relieve the daily symptoms of asthma and COPD, rather than an acute attack.
What is the purpose of corticosteroids?
Corticosteroids are respiratory medications that contain steroids. Corticosteroids are prescribed to suppress inflammation that occurs when your body. The steroids in corticosteroids will decrease inflammation and subsequently prevent asthma or COPD flare-ups from occurring.
Why does asthma flare up?
Often, asthma is triggered or worsened because of allergens. If you have been diagnosed with asthma and seasonal allergies, you can almost guarantee that you will have an asthma flare-up soon after becoming exposed to the allergens.
