Kids Research Express

Etodolac, drug used to treat osteoarthritis. Etodolac is a nonsteroid, mild analgesic that works by reducing concentrations of certain chemicals in bodily tissues that produce inflammation and pain, relieving swelling and stiffness. Etodolac is available only by prescription. Capsules or tablets of etodolac are taken orally every six to eight hours, usually in 200 to 400 mg doses. The total daily dosage should not exceed 1200 mg. Capsules should be taken with food and a full glass of water. (Not lying down for 20 to 30 minutes after taking the drug can help avoid stomach upset.) Effectiveness of this drug may not been seen for one to two weeks after beginning treatment. Patients who experience allergic reactions to aspirin or related medications should not take etodolac. Patients with kidney or liver problems, peptic ulcer, heart disease, or high blood pressure should use this drug with caution. Its safety for use during pregnancy is not known, and it may appear in breast milk. Childr

Opium, narcotic drug produced from the drying resin of unripe capsules of the opium poppy , Papaver somniferum. Opium is grown mainly in Myanmar (formerly Burma) and Afghanistan. The legitimate world demand for opium amounts to about 680 metric tons a year, but many times that amount is distributed illegally. In its commercial form, opium is a chestnut-colored globular mass, sticky and rather soft, but hardening from within as it ages. It is processed into the alkaloid morphine which has long served as the chief painkiller in medical practice, although synthetic substitutes such as meperidine (trade name Demerol) are now available. Heroin, a derivative of morphine, is about three times more potent. Codeine is another important opium alkaloid. The molecules of opiates have painkilling properties similar to those of compounds called endorphins or enkephalins produced in the body. Being of similar structure, the opiate molecules occupy many of the same nerve-receptor sites and bring on t

Levodopa (Laradopa), the most effective antiparkinson drug available, an oral drug introduced in 1967 that treats bradykinesia, rigidity, tremor, and difficulty walking. Levodopa’s structure enables it to enter the brain, where it transforms into dopamine. When levodopa is taken alone, however, the body breaks down about 95 percent of the drug into dopamine before it reaches the brain. Instead of being used by the brain, the dopamine travels throughout the body, producing side effects, including nausea and vomiting, before it is broken down, or metabolized, by the liver and other tissues. Combining levodopa with a drug such as carbidopa enables more levodopa to enter the brain before it converts into dopamine. Carbidopa/levodopa (Atamet, Sinemet) lessens rigidity and bradykinesia but is less effective in treating tremor or balance problems. A similar drug combining carbidopa and benserazide (Madopar) is available in Canada and Europe. Carbidopa/levodopa produces side effects in some

Anthelmintic Drugs, medicinal drugs used to rid humans or other host animals of infestations by parasitic worms such as tapeworms, roundworms, pinworms, trichinae, flukes, whipworms, schistosomes, and filariae. These drugs are also known as vermifuges. They act by attacking the worms' neuromuscular or respiratory systems, interfering with their metabolism, or making them more susceptible to attack by the host's macrophages. Anthelmintics include mebendazole, pyrantel pamoate, diethylcarbamazine, and niclosamide, among several others. The drugs are generally more effective against gastrointestinal infestations than muscular infestations.

Analgesic, class of drugs that relieve pain without causing loss of consciousness. The drugs range from the narcotic opium derivatives morphine and codeine (see Opium ) to a wide range of nonnarcotics such as aspirin , acetaminophen (Tylenol), and ibuprofen (Advil), the last entering the nonprescription category in the United States in 1984. External analgesics include such drugs as hydrocortisone. Anesthetics in low doses, or local anesthetics such as benzocaine, are also analgesic in function (see Anesthesia ). Narcotics affect the central nervous system, are addictive, and are used only for severe pain; synthetic opiates such as propoxyphene (Darvon), pentazocine (Talwin), and butorphanol (Stadol) are also quite addictive. The nonnarcotics act by inhibiting the synthesis of prostaglandins in the body. Aspirin is a good anti-inflammatory but can irritate the stomach, whereas acetaminophen is less effective against inflammation. Ibuprofen is also an anti-inflammatory, but it can ir

Many other categories of drugs also exist, such as anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, antiParkinson (see Parkinson Disease ), antiworm (see Anthelmintic Drugs ), diuretic , gastrointestinal, pulmonary, and muscle-relaxant drugs. Often a drug in one category can also be used for problems in other categories. For example, lidocaine can be used as a local anesthetic or as a cardiac drug.

Anticancer drugs eliminate some cancers or reduce rapid growth and spread. These drugs do not affect all cancers but are specific for cancers in certain tissues or organs such as the bladder, brain, liver, or bones. Anticancer drugs interfere with specific cancer-cell components. For example, alkylating agents are cytotoxic (cell-poisoning) drugs that alter the DNA of cancer cells. Vinca alkaloids, chemicals produced by the periwinkle plant, prevent cancer cell division.

Central nervous system drugs—that is, drugs that affect the spinal cord and the brain—are used to treat several neurological (nervous system) and psychiatric problems. For instance, antiepileptic drugs reduce the activity of overexcited brain areas and reduce or eliminate seizures. Antipsychotic drugs are used to regulate certain brain chemicals called neurotransmitters , which do not function properly in people with psychoses, major mental disorders often characterized by extreme behaviors and hallucinations , such as in schizophrenia . Antipsychotic drugs can often significantly alleviate hallucinations and other abnormal behaviors. Antidepressant drugs reduce mental depression . Antimanic drugs reduce excessive mood swings in people with manic-depressive illness, which is characterized by behavioral fluctuations between highs of extreme excitement and activity and lows of lethargy and depression. Both types of drugs act by normalize chemical activity in the emotional centers of the

Antianemic drugs, such as certain vitamins or iron , enhance the formation of red blood cells . Anticoagulants like heparin reduce blood-clot formation and ensure free blood flow through major organs in the body. Thrombolytic drugs dissolve blood clots, which can block blood vessels and deprive the heart or brain of blood and oxygen, possibly leading to heart attack or stroke.

Cardiovascular drugs affect the heart and blood vessels and are divided into categories according to function. Antihypertensive drugs reduce blood pressure by dilating blood vessels and reducing the amount of blood pumped by the heart into the vascular system. Antiarrhythmic drugs normalize irregular heartbeats and prevent cardiac malfunction and arrest.

Anti-infective drugs are classified as antibacterials, antivirals, or antifungals depending on the type of microorganism they combat. Anti-infective drugs interfere selectively with the functioning of a microorganism while leaving the human host unharmed. Antibacterial drugs, or antibiotics— sulfa drugs , penicillins , cephalosporins, and many others—either kill bacteria directly or prevent them from multiplying so that the body’s immune system can destroy invading bacteria. Antibacterial drugs act by interfering with some specific characteristics of bacteria. For example, they may destroy bacterial cell walls or interfere with the synthesis of bacterial proteins or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)—the chemical that carries the genetic material of an organism. Antibiotics often cure an infection completely. However, bacteria can spontaneously mutate, producing strains that are resistant to existing antibiotics. Antiviral drugs interfere with the life cycle of a virus by preventing its p

Endocrine drugs correct the overproduction or underproduction of the body’s natural hormones. For example, insulin is a hormone used to treat diabetes. The female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone are used in birth control pills. To relieve uncomfortable symptoms of menopause, including sweating, hot flashes, and mood swings, as well as to delay some long-term consequences of menopause, including osteoporosis and atherosclerosis, physicians often prescribe the synthetic hormones estrogen, progestin (a synthetic form of progesterone), and sometimes androgens. This therapeutic approach is called hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However, recent studies indicate that HRT may be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots, and it is unclear if the benefits of HRT outweigh these risks. Each woman and her health-care provider should assess her need for menopausal symptom control and her potential risks and benefits before starting HRT.

Drug, substance that affects the function of living cells, used in medicine to diagnose, cure, prevent the occurrence of diseases and disorders, and prolong the life of patients with incurable conditions. CLASSIFICATION Drugs can be classified in many ways: by the way they are dispensed——over the counter or by prescription; by the substance from which they are derived—plant, mineral, or animal; by the form they take—capsule, liquid, or gas; and by the way they are administered—by mouth, injection, inhalation, or direct application to the skin (absorption). Drugs are also classified by their names. All drugs have three names: a chemical name, which describes the exact structure of the drug; a generic or proprietary name, which is the official medical name assigned by the United States Adopted Name Council (a group composed of pharmacists and other scientists); and a brand or trade name given by the particular manufacturer that sells the drug. If a company holds the patent on a drug—that