The difference between anesthesia and tranquilizers
August 6, 2012 at 11:25pm
Anesthesia vs Tranquilizers
Many people confuse Anesthesia and Tranquilizers so I thought I would research the topic and I learned a few things. My information is from an anesthesiologist, veterinary assistant and wikipedia.
Anesthesia
Anesthesia is a state of mindlessness (apathy, loss of sensation, medically induced insensitivity to pain)
Anesthesia is much more complex than just “putting out cold”
There are 3 fundamental components of a general anesthetic
sleep,
relief of pain
muscle relaxation
It is the skill of the Anesthesiologist to match the amount of each component to the particular needs of each patient and each operation
The mechanism of action of the anesthetics is one of those ongoing questions, but the most popular theory is that they cause a degree of swelling of the brain cell wall, which obstructs the normal passage of electrolytes in and out of the cell, thereby preventing nerve impulses from being generated
An example of a commonly used Anesthesia for humans is Ketamine, Tiletamine, and Propofol
Ketamine has also been found to bind to opioid receptors type 2– however, without agonist activity
Ketamine interacts with muscarinic receptors, descending monoaminergic pain pathways and voltage-gated calcium channels
Ketamine induces a state referred to as “dissociative anesthesia”
Ketamine is primarily used for the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia, usually in combination with a sedative.
It has been shown to be effective in treating depression in patients with bipolar disorder who have not responded to anti-depressants
In persons with major depressive disorder, it produces a rapid antidepressant effect, acting within two hours as opposed to the several weeks taken by typical antidepressants to work
It is also a popular anesthetic in veterinary medicine
Tranquilizer/sedatives
Tranquility is a state of serenity (calm, stillness, silence)
Tranquilizers/sedatives are drugs that may be used in achieving either state, by varying the dose
The sedatives can be used for the sleepy bit, but there are several other drugs, including the inhaled anesthetics, which do the same job
The sedatives, though being said to make patients relax, do not do the job of a proper muscle relaxant, nor do they do anything to relieve pain
Typically drugs are often called sedative/hypnotics due to their ability to cause sedation and induce sleep
The primary tranquilizer/sedative in use are benzodiazepines like Valium (Diazepam), Xanax (Alprazolam), Ativan (Lorazepam), Rivotril/Klonopin (Clonazepam), Restoril (Temazepam), Versed/Hypnovel (Midazolam). These drugs are often given for anxiety and/or insomnia