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Anesthesia vs Tranquilizers
Many people confuse Anesthesia and Tranquilizers so I thought I would research the topic and I learned a few things. Most of my information is from an anesthesiologist and a veterinary assistant.
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
