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Many sedatives can be misused, but barbiturates and benzodiazepines are responsible for most of the problems with sedative use due to their widespread recreational or non-medical use. People who have difficulty dealing with stress, anxiety or sleeplessness may overuse or become dependent on sedatives.
Sedation is the reduction of irritability or agitation by administration of sedative drugs, generally to facilitate a medical procedure or diagnostic procedure. Examples of drugs which can be used for sedation include isoflurane, diethyl ether, propofol, etomidate, ketamine, pentobarbital, lorazepam and midazolam. [1]
Somnifacient (from Latin somnus, sleep [1]), also known as sedatives or sleeping pills, is a class of medications that induces sleep. It is mainly used for treatment of insomnia . Examples of somnifacients include benzodiazepines , barbiturates and antihistamines .
Zolpidem tartrate, a common but potent sedative–hypnotic drug.Used for severe insomnia. Hypnotic (from Greek Hypnos, sleep [1]), or soporific drugs, commonly known as sleeping pills, are a class of (and umbrella term for) psychoactive drugs whose primary function is to induce sleep [2] (or surgical anesthesia [note 1]) and to treat insomnia (sleeplessness).
Midazolam is the most commonly prescribed for this use because of its strong sedative actions and fast recovery time, as well as its water solubility, which reduces pain upon injection. Diazepam and lorazepam are sometimes used. Lorazepam has particularly marked amnesic properties that may make it more effective when amnesia is the desired effect.
Additionally, IV sedation is frequently administered as a concoction of several agents including those previously mentioned for induction and maintenance of anesthesia, as well as a benzodiazepine (usually midazolam, but temazepam or flunitrazepam are also used via the oral route [4]) and a narcotic/systemic analgesic such as demerol or fentanyl.
Long-term use of sedative-hypnotics for insomnia lacks an evidence base and is discouraged for reasons that include concerns about such potential adverse drug effects as cognitive impairment (anterograde amnesia), daytime sedation, motor incoordination, and increased risk of motor vehicle accidents and falls. In addition, the effectiveness and ...
Palliative sedation is the use of sedative medications to relieve refractory symptoms when all other interventions have failed. The phrase "terminal sedation" was initially used to describe the practice of sedation at end of life, but was changed due to ambiguity as to what the word 'terminal' meant.