A.8 Minor tranquilizers and non-barbiturate sedative-hypnotics

INTRODUCTION There are many common drugs which have significant sedative-hypnotic properties. Alcohol and barbiturates have been discussed separately in this appendix, and their many pharmacological similarities were indicated. Barbiturates are often considered the prototype of sedative-hypnotic drugs; pharmacologically related compounds are frequently identified or discussed in terms of their similarities to and differences from them. We shall consider a rather heterogeneous aggregate of sedative compounds in this section under the general rubric of minor tranquilizers and non-barbiturate sedative-hypnotics. Because of significant similarities in effects, many of these drugs, and alcohol and barbiturates as well, are often considered together in broad categories given such titles as sedative-hypnotics, psychosedatives, anxiolytic sedatives (or just sedatives), non-selective depressants (or just depressants), ataractics, or psycholeptics.3. 32' 79' 125 TABLE A.4 MINOR TRANQUILIZERS AND NON-BARBITURATE SEDATIVE-HYPNOTICS (1) Acetaldehyde derivatives (e.g., chloral hydrate [Noctec®], paraldehyde) (2) Propranediol derivatives (e.g., meprobamate [Equanil®, Miltown()], tybamate [Solacen®]) (3) Benzodiazepine derivatives (e.g., chlordiazepoxide [Librium®], diazepam [Valium®, Vivol®], oxazepam [Serax®], nitrazepam [Mogadon®]) (4) Piperidinedione derivatives (e.g., glutethimide [Doriden®], methyprylon [Noludar®]) (5) Pentynol derivatives (e.g., ethchlorvynol [Placidyl®], ethinamate [Valmid®]) (6) Quinazolone derivatives (e.g., methaqualone [Mandrax®, Mequelon®, Quaalude®, Sopor®, Parest®]) (7) Miscellaneous: (a) Monoureides (e.g., carbromal) (b) Bromides (e.g., Nytol®) (c) Anticholinergics (e.g., scopolamine, benactyzine) (d) Antihistamines (e.g., dimenhydrinate [Gravol®, Dramamine®], diphenhydramine [Benadryl®], doxylamine [Decapryn®], hydroxyzine [Atarax®], methapyrilene [M-P®], phenyltoloxamine [Bristamin®], promethazine [Histantil®], pyrilamine [Neo-Antergan®], triprolidine [ActifedC)])