In order for the work of higher nervous activity to be correct, balance is necessary, this is achieved by balancing the process of excitation and the process of inhibition. When unfavorable factors influence the body, this natural and necessary balance is disturbed. This disorder can be caused by physical and emotional overload, stress, and even polluted air.
In this case, the excitation mechanism is activated, and the inhibition process weakens. As a result, a person develops various nerve-like disorders, they not only reduce the quality of life of the person himself, but also negatively affect the people around him. In this case, doctors recommend taking drugs that have a sedative effect, in other words, sedatives.
Sedation - what is it? The use of sedatives (sedatives) enables a person to cope with bouts of irritability, calm the nervous and autonomic systems. They not only improve the general well-being of a person, but also reduce the manifestations that accompany nervous tension - sweating, hand tremors, and so on. In addition to the general calming effect, sedatives have a positive effect on the heart, normalize sleep, eliminate intestinal spasms, and at the same time do not affect the cerebral cortex at all.
Who is prescribed these drugs? Sedatives are quite widely used in modern medicine - they are used not only in the treatment of neurotic pathologies and neurasthenia, but also combined with other medications. They are prescribed for hypertension, the pathological course of menopause, irritable bowel syndrome, and cardiovascular pathologies.
These drugs do not have any serious side effects, they act quite gently and are not addictive. Light sedatives are prescribed even during pregnancy. However, while a person is taking sedatives, it is better for him not to work with various dangerous mechanisms and not to drive a car.
Classification of drugs
All sedative drugs are divided into:
- natural preparations;
- combined preparations;
- bromides;
- tranquilizers (synthetic drugs).
All of them are necessary in order to calm the nervous and autonomic systems of a person, and differ from each other in the intensity of their impact.
In addition, anti-anxiety drugs are divided into prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Prescription drugs make up a separate list. Prescription sedatives from a neurologist or psychiatrist are powerful drugs.
The sedative effect is achieved by drugs through non-selective and general depressing effect on the work of the central nervous system. They either reduce excitation or increase inhibition. The mechanism of action of these drugs has not been elucidated in more detail.
Indications for use
The appointment of any sedative drug should be made by a doctor, the indications for use are as follows:
- increased nervousness and irritability;
- excessive excitability and disorders of the autonomic nervous system;
- neuroses of various etiologies;
- sleep disorders.
Compared with sleeping pills, the described drugs have several advantages, these include:
- not so strong calming effect;
- no serious side effects;
- lack of addiction;
- sedatives are well tolerated by patients.
These qualities are certainly more pronounced in preparations of natural origin.
Herbal preparations
Pharmacists, when creating sedatives of natural origin, start from traditional medicine recipes. It has long been known that some plants have a calming effect, their essential oils and alkaloids have a mild relaxing effect on the body. Modern medicine has adopted the recipes of healers and healers accumulated over the centuries, and now the range of pharmacies includes the following herbal preparations with a sedative effect:
- Novopassit;
- Negrustin;
- Persen;
- Circulin;
- Stressplant;
- Dormiplant and many others.
However, despite the relative safety of herbal preparations, a specialist should prescribe them, since there are still contraindications to their use. For example, during pregnancy, you can not use a remedy that contains St. John's wort, and banal valerian tablets are contraindicated for epileptics. In addition, herbal remedies should be used with great care for allergy sufferers.
Bromine-based preparations
As part of this group of drugs are potassium and sodium salts of hydrobromic acid. They have a calming effect by increasing inhibition, however, without affecting the process of excitation. Bromides are prescribed for conditions in which inhibition processes are weakened in the cerebral cortex. The dosage of drugs in this group is selected individually for each individual patient, it depends on the type of nervous system.
In patients with a weakened type of nervous system, sensitivity to bromides is higher, therefore, the dosage for them will be lower. Bromides normalize sleep well and can have an anticonvulsant effect, however, simultaneous administration of bromides with sleeping pills is possible. If a patient uses bromide-based drugs for a long time, then the active substance accumulates in the body and can provoke poisoning, which manifests itself in the form of a skin rash, memory loss and some lethargy. With such a reaction, it is necessary to stop taking the drugs, drink more fluids and saline. Sodium bromide, Potassium bromide, Bromocamphor - these are the most common means from the group of bromides.
Combined drugs
Combined sedative drugs are drugs that contain both chemicals and extracts of medicinal plants. Examples of such a sedative are Corvalol and Volocardin. They contain peppermint oil and chemicals.
Preparations of natural origin can also be combined, for example, Novopassit is a remedy that contains extracts of several medicinal plants.
Synthetic drugs
Tranquilizers are classified into:
- benzodiazepine derivatives - Phenozepam, Seduxen and others;
- carbamic esters - Meprobamate;
- derivatives of diphenylmethane - Amizil;
- different - Grandeksin, Oksilidin and others.
Tranquilizers are quickly absorbed by the mucosa of the digestive tract and have a calming effect, excreted in the urine and feces. Despite the fact that tranquilizers are low-toxic drugs, cases of poisoning with them have recently become more frequent. Therefore, without consulting a doctor and observing the exact dosage, drugs should not be used.
Sedatives for children
Calming drugs for children are becoming more and more popular every day. These funds reduce the excitability of the child's body and help to avoid many problems. When choosing a sedative for a child, you need to heed the advice of doctors.
Children's sedatives are conventionally divided into:
- homeopathy;
- means of natural origin;
- traditional sedatives.
It is important to understand that the choice of drug and its dosage depends on the age of the child and the type of his nervous system. In addition, sedatives are still medications, which means they have both contraindications and, of course, side effects.
To a greater extent, this applies to traditional sedatives, they are usually prescribed to children who have nervous or brain diseases. As for herbal preparations, a prescription is not required for their purchase, they have practically no contraindications and side effects, most often they are used in the form of medicinal teas.
The controversy surrounding the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies still does not subside. Official medicine recognizes these funds at a stretch, so it is difficult to say something about their benefits or harms.
Sedatives for pregnant women
During the period of bearing a child and breastfeeding, a woman should be especially attentive not only to her physical health, but also to monitor her psychological state. Therefore, if a woman feels irritability, nervous tension, or she has problems sleeping, then she needs to take sedatives.
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