Back مهدئ Arabic Ospakajuoncā BAT-SMG Седатыўныя сродкі Byelorussian Успокоително лекарство Bulgarian Sedativ BS Sedant Catalan Sedativum Czech Tranquilizer German Sedativo Esperanto Sedante Spanish
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2021) |
| Sedative | |
|---|---|
| Drug class | |
.jpg) Herbal sedative. | |
| Clinical data | |
| Drugs.com | Drug Classes |
| External links | |
| MeSH | D006993 |
| Legal status | |
| In Wikidata | |
A sedative or tranquilliser[note 1] is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability[1] or excitement.[2] They are central nervous system (CNS) depressants and interact with brain activity, causing its deceleration. Various kinds of sedatives can be distinguished, but the majority of them affect the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Most sedatives produce relaxing effects by increasing GABA activity.[3]
This group is related to hypnotics. The term sedative describes drugs that serve to calm or relieve anxiety, whereas the term hypnotic describes drugs whose main purpose is to initiate, sustain, or lengthen sleep. Because these two functions frequently overlap, and because drugs in this class generally produce dose-dependent effects (ranging from anxiolysis to loss of consciousness), they are often referred to collectively as sedative–hypnotic drugs.[4]
Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).
- ^ "Johns Hopkins Colon Cancer Center – Glossary S". Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
- ^ "sedative" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
- ^ "Sedatives | Psychology Today". Psychology Today. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ Brunton, Laurence L.; Lazo, John S.; Lazo Parker, Keith L. (2006). "17: Hypnotics and Sedatives". Goodman & Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics (11th ed.). The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ISBN 978-0-07-146804-6. Retrieved 6 February 2014.