Hypnotics and Anxiolytics: Part 1.

First, we should know what hypnotics and anxiolytics are before proceeding deep into the subject. In short, hypnotics stand for any agents that are able to produce sedation, while anxiolytics are defined as drugs used in treating anxiety disorders. To remember this easily,

HYPNOTICS = SEDATION
ANXIOLYTICS = ANTI-ANXIETY


General definition of anxiety (mild):

"Unpleasant complex combinations of emotions including fear, uneasiness and worries."

Physical effects of anxiety:

• Heart palpitations (abnormal beatings of the heart)
• Nausea
• Chest pain
• Headache

Severe anxiety on the other hand, comply with the above symptoms, with addition of:

• Tachycardia
• Trembling
• Sweating
• Sympathetic activation

Further explanation of anxiety (pathophysiology) are based on the noradrenergic model. Now, take a look at the picture below,

I'm well aware that the picture above seems rather interesting, so focus your attention on neither the doctor nor the nurse, but the patient. He looks anxious, thus based on the noradrenergic model, what is actually happening in his autonomous nervous system (ANS) could be depicted by the diagram below,

In patients with severe anxiety, their ANS is hypersensitive to various stimuli, making them in great fear or worries. This particular reaction is modulated by two neurotransmitters, noradrenaline and serotonin. That's all for now and for the next post, I'm going to discuss more on types of anxieties and their unique characteristics.