Depressants: tranquilizer and opiates

Inidan snakeroot (rauvolfia serpentina)

snall evergreen shrub, contains reserpine

Reserpine

from inidian snakeroot, used to treat chronic psychoses (schizophrenia) and moderate to severe hypertension, tranquilizing agent to treat mild to moderate anxiety, adverse side effects of extremme fatigue and deep depression

Phenothiazine

synthetic, safer and more effective than reserpine, tranquilizers, trear anxiety and related disorders

Kava (piper methysticum)

shrub, native south pacific, cultigen, sterile polyplod cultivar (propagated clonnally), contains Kavalactone, use rootstock, treat non-psychotic anxiety symptoms (nervous tension/stress/agitation)

History of Kave

use religously and ceremonially, used communcate w/ ancestors andgods, used socially to relax mind and body

historic medicinaly uses of Kava

induce sleep/treat insomina, treat anxiety, relieve pain, treat rheimatism, treat veneral disease, treat menstrual problems, treat tuberculosis

preparation of Kava

rootstock chewed or smoked for different effects, chewed stronger narcotic and depressant effect, grated milder tonic and treat thesick/convalescent

Chewing kave

root broken into small fragments, chewed into small mass, mixed w/ cold water or coconut milk, strained and drink few hours later, stronger narcotic and depressant effect

Grating Kava

root grated and macerated in cold water or cocnut milk, filtered and drunk, milder tonic, treat the sick /convalescent

Kavalactones (kavain)

18 related compounds, from kava, muscle relaxing, antispas,odic effecys, cause mild muscle paralysis (lower limbs), increase force/decrease rapidity of heart, initially stimulates but then depressed respiration, does not impair alertness significantly

Whole extracts of Kava

hypnotic/sedative, analgesic, psychotopic effects

small doses of whole kave extract

benign, euphoric state of tranquility and friendliness, last short period

higher doses of whole kave extract

stronger hypnotic effect, affect muscle coorination, visual distortion (pupil enlargment)

long term use of kava

scaly skin eruptions, alleviated by stopping use

Modern Kava use

Rare liver toxicity if using as dietary supplement, banned in some european countries, stop-sale oder in canada (not enforced), toxicity caused by using other parts (stems/leaves) or used of ethanol rather then water extraction

Opium poppy (papaver somniferum)

annual plant, poppy (papaveraceae) family, native southwest Asia, domesticated Mediterranean, oldest know narcotic

ancient history of Opium poppy

joy plant in sumerian clay tablets, ancient mycenaean funerary rites, burial chambers in spain, opium cults centred worship of fertility goddessivory pipes discovered in mediterreanean (cyprus)

Discorides and Opium poppy

describe mekonion (ground whole plant) and opos (latex opium capsules)

Roman galen and Opium poppy

recommend cure for poisoning and venomous bites, treat chronic headaches, vertigo, deafness, epilepsy, loss of sight/voice

Islamic use of opium

pain reliever

Paracelsus and opium poppy

popularized use in reneaissance europe, developed laudanukm, recommend for pain releif and general euphoria

laudanum

tincture of opium in 10% ethanol (alcohol), made by paracelsus, usedpain relief and general euphoria

Thomas Sydenham and opium poppy

championed used of opium, relieve pain and suffering

19th century england and opium

central component of healing (landanum), non-alcholic based opium syrups developed, used soothe crying infants, cough remedy, treat diarrhea and dysentry

Godfrey cordial

mixtures opium/molasses/sassafras, soothe crying infants, cough remedy, treat diarrhea and dysentry

Thomas De Quincey and opium

wrote confession of an opium eater, described addictive and euphoric effects of opium

Opium in china

Ming empire banned tobacco leading to pure opium smoking, British east indian company smuggled it into china via Canton port, Lin Tse-hsu (imperial commissioner) tried to enforce banned, destroy opium stocks and started 1st opium war, britsh won Hong kong port and trading rights, 2nd opium war weakened imperial goverment, ¼ population addicted, opium smoking contiued until communist regime

first opium war

imperial commissioner of Canton(Lin tse-hsu) enforced opium banned, destroyed warehouse stocks, britsh sent 10000 troops, crippled chinese economy, ceded hong kong port, reimbursed destroyed opium stocks, granted british trading rights

British east india company

monopoly on opium trade, produced in india, auction for merchants ships to smuggle oppium into china via canton port

collects of opium

capsule(green fruit) lanced after petal fall, milky sap exudes and left for 10 days, dry into brown gummy susbtance (raw opium)

alkaloids of raw opium

4-21% morphine, 4-8% noscapine, 0.5-2.5% papaverine, 0.5-2% thebaine (25 total)

opium mode of action

works on opiate receptors in CNS, reduce brain arousal to pain, depress respiratory and heart rates, impair digestion by decreasing digestive juice secretion and slow food passage, cause feeling of total satisfaction

Paregoric

opium and camphor timcture, treat diarrhea

Morphine

alkaloid of opium, analgesic, hypnotic, narcotic, absorbed easily (oral or injected), used as powerful painkiller, effects last upto 12hours, addiction common (soldier disease)

soldier disease

addiction to morphine, noted in civil war and Franco-prussian war

alder wright

boiled morphine in acetic acid, made diacetylmorphine (heroin)

Heroin (diacetylmorphine)

market by Bayer as nonaddictive, morphine semi synthetic, actually most addictive opiate, acetyl groups increase lipid solubility (accumulate more in body), tolerance develops quickly - end up taking to prevent feeling unwell

Heroin withdrawl

4 hours- anxiety and craving, 8 hours- perspiring/yawning and teary eyed/runny nose, 12 hours - goose bumps/muscle twitching/ hot/cold flashes and aching bone/muscle with loss of appetite, 18 hours - insomnia/ increased respiration and heart rate/ nausea, 24-36 hours - vomiting and weight loss / curled up poistion, 5-7 days to be symptom less

Hydromorphone

morphine semi-synthetic, used long term pain relief in terminally ill

Naloxone

structurally similar to morphine, semi synthetic, reverse depressive effects of opiates on respiatroy and CNS system, use with buprenorphine to overcome addiction

Buprenorphine

semi synthetic poiate, used in combination with naloxone to overcome addiction and reduce risk of misuse

Methadone

synthetic opiate, used to overcome addiction, less debilitating than heroin, doesn’t depress heart or respiratory rates, less euphoric, withdrawl less severe but more prolonged, herion substitute (increasing dosages)

Codeine

semi synthetic from morphine or thebaine, mild analgesic, limited euphoric effects, cough suppressant, combined w/ ASA provides relief from arthritic pain/headaches/muscle pains/ colds, potentially addictive so controlled substance

Oxycodone

semi-syntehetic from thebaine, treate and manage moderate to severe pain needed around the clock relief, potentially addictive, abuse is problem - tightly controlled, produced in Turkey/India/France/Australia

Fentanyl

potenet synthetic opiate, effective analgesic and anaesthetic, 50-100x (analogus sulfentani/carfentanil 500x) morphine, pain releif for short time period, potency greatly increase overdose risk

illicit production of opium

afghanistan and southeast asia (Myanmar/Laos/Thailand) golden triangle,establishing in Colombia, Mexico and other central/south america countries to supplu north america demand