KAVA-KAVA COMPOUNDS

Kava lactones (kava pyrones, 5-12%): chief components include (+)-kavain, dihydrokavain (marindinine), (+)-methysticin, dihydromethysticin, yangonine, desmethoxyyangonin

Chalcones: including flavokavin A and B

KAVA-KAVA EFFECTS

The kava pyrones in the drug have centrally muscle-relaxing, anticonvulsive and antispasmodic effects. The herb also contains hypnotic/sedative, analgesic and psychotropic properties contributing to its use for anxiety and insomnia.

The centrally muscle-relaxing, analgesic and anticonvulsive action of the kava pyrones, kavain, dihydrokavain, dihydromethysticin and (+/-) kavain (synthetic kava pyrone) is attributed to the interaction with ion channels. The interaction consists of fast and specific inhibition of voltagedependent sodium channels and reduction of currents through voltage-activated sodium and calcium channels (Friese, 1998; Gleitz, 1995; Gleitz, 1996; Schirrmacher, 1999). The paralysis effect of Kava on neuromuscular transmission and muscle contractility is similar to that of local anesthetics (Jameison, 1989; Singh, 1983). The lipid soluble extract (kava resin) decreases spontaneous motility and motor control (Jamieson, 1989). Read the rest of this entry »

KAVA-KAVA TRADE NAMES
Kava Kava (available from numerous manfacturers) Alcohol Free Kava Kava, Kava Kava Power, Kava Kava Premium, Kava Kava Root

KAVA-KAVA DESCRIPTION
Medicinal Parts: The medicinal parts are the peeled, dried, cut rhizome, which has normally been freed from the roots, and the fresh rhizome with the roots.

Flower and Fruit: The plant has numerous small flowers in spike-like inflorescences 3 to 9 cm long.

Leaves, Stem and Root: The plant is a 2 to 3 m high, erect dioecious bush. The leaves are very large, measuring 13 to 28 cm by 10 to 22 cm. They have a deeply cordate base and 9 to 13 main ribs that are slightly soft on the undersurface. The stipules are large. The plant has a massive, 2 to 10 kg, branched and very juicy rhizome with many roots. They are blackish-gray on the outside and whitish on the inside. The fracture is mealy and somewhat splintery. The central portion is porous with irregularly twisted thin woody bundles, separated by broad medullary rays, forming meshes beneath the bark. Read the rest of this entry »

At one time or another, almost every teen may appear to be depressed. Usually, the depression is slight and goes away with time. But some kinds of depression need medical intervention. With such an intervention, writing a prescription for Prozac (fluoxetine) or some other antidepressant drug (Figure 1.1) has become the first order of business. Yet, less than twenty years ago, adolescents were rarely diagnosed as depressed, much less given antidepressants. Today, however, teenagers are now receiving medications almost routinely for symptoms that can hardly be termed “depressive” — attention deficit disorder, social anxiety, or drug addiction, for example. Read the rest of this entry »

Apathy can be defined as an absence or suppression of emotion, feeling, concern or passion. Further, apathy is an indifference to things generally found to be exciting or moving.

A strong connection exists between apathy and mental disorders. Apathy is one of the hallmark symptoms of schizophrenia. Many people with schizophrenia express little interest in the events surrounding them. Apathy can also occur in depression and depressive disorders. For example, people who are depressed and have  major depressive disorder or  dysthymic disorder often feel numb to events occurring around them, and do not derive pleasure from experiences that they once found enjoyable. Read the rest of this entry »

Since 1987 when zopiclone (somnosan, ximovan) was introduced into clinical practice, extensive evaluations have shown that some rebound changes can be detected in healthy individuals. In patients with insomnia more than 20 studies have assessed rebound. Rebound can be found in such patients, but is usuallymore frequent and present in greater intensity in comparison groups given triazolam.

Studies in the elderly have been carefully reviewed by Soldatos and his colleagues. Some deterioration in the soundness of sleep has been detected but the amount of rebound insomnia following zopiclone (somnosan, ximovan) discontinuation is relatively weak. Although one would certainly expect rebound in a hypnotic with a half-life of around 5 h, the frequency and severity of such rebound seems definitely less than those observed with comparative benzodiazepines such as triazolam and temazepam. Read the rest of this entry »

Pronunciation: lor-A-ze-pam
Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number: 846-49-1
Formal Names: Ativan, Temesta
Type: Depressant (benzodiazepine class).
Federal Schedule Listing: Schedule IV (DEA no. 2885)
USA Availability: Prescription
Pregnancy Category: D

Lorazepam [Ativan, Temesta] Uses. This antianxiety drug is also known for its sedative properties and is used to promote sleep and to fight convulsions. The substance is given to treat status epilepticus, a dangerous condition in which people have one epileptic seizure after another, back-to-back. It can reduce and sometimes even eliminate vomiting from cancer chemotherapy.  Lorazepam has been used to treat LSD and methamphetamine overdose and has been a standard medicine to help alcoholics through the alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Recreational sedative users report euphoria from lorazepam. When given experimentally in combination with other drugs, it has helped reduce depression. In contrast, experimentation using motion picture excerpts to evoke particular emotions found that lorazepam may reduce happy feelings and increase unhappy ones. One study found that lorazepam worked as well as alprazolam for treating panic attacks, and a case report tells of success in treating mania. Lorazepam has been used to cure both catatonia (in which people are frozen in place) and akathisia (compulsive moving around). Patients being prepared for surgery receive the drug to calm them and to cloud their memory of the event. Read the rest of this entry »

Pronunciation: feen-oh-BAR-bi-tall
Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number: 50-06-6
Formal Names: Arco-Lase Plus, Donnatal, Gardenal, Luminal, Phenobarb, Phenobarbitone, Solfoton, Somnosan
Informal Names: Phennies, Phenos
Type: Depressant (barbiturate class).
Federal Schedule Listing: Schedule IV (DEA no. 2285)
USA Availability: Prescription
Pregnancy Category: D

Phenobarbital (Somnosan, Donnatal, Phenobarb, Luminal) Uses. This is one of the more familiar pharmaceuticals. For about a century it has been used as an anticonvulsant and was prescribed as a tranquilizer and as a migraine remedy, although all those functions are being superseded by more modern drugs. Phenobarbital is also given to treat cyclic vomiting in children and hyperbilirubinemia (a type of jaundice) in infants. The drug is used against epilepsy and against seizures with other causes, such as fever. The substance has cross-tolerance with alcohol and is given temporarily to help relieve withdrawal symptoms from opiates or alcohol. Despite acceptance of phenobarbital for that purpose, scientific proof is lacking for its usefulness in alcohol withdrawal. Read the rest of this entry »

Pronunciation: zohl-PIH-dem
Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number: 82626-48-0. (Tartrate form 99294-93-6)
Formal Names: Ambien, Stilnoct, Stilnox
Type: Depressant
Federal Schedule Listing: Schedule IV (DEA no. 2783)
USA Availability: Prescription
Pregnancy Category: B

Zolpidem [Ambien, Stilnoct, Stilnox] Uses. Zolpidem became available for medical purposes in the United States during the 1990s, after already being used in Europe. The substance can be used to relax people shortly before they undergo surgery. Zolpidem promotes sleep and has both sedative and  anticonvulsant properties. Generally insomnia patients are not supposed to take the drug for much more than a week. They are also not supposed to take the drug until they are ready for sleep; the substance is fast acting, and a person could doze off while in the middle of doing something. Elderly nursing home residents have been known to fall after taking zolpidem. People may forget things they do while under the drug’s influence; a U.S. Army test found that the amnesia can be prevented if the drug flumazenil is taken soon enough after a zolpidem dose (flumazenil is used to counteract benzodiazepine depressants). Read the rest of this entry »

Benzodiazepines became widely available for medical purposes in the 1960s and replaced barbiturates in treatments of many conditions. Benzodiazepines proved themselves less prone to abuse than barbiturates, in addition to being safer—accidental overdose is unlikely because the amount needed for a medical effect is so much smaller than a poisonous amount. In addition to reducing anxiety, benzodiazepines may improve quality of sleep—from fighting insomnia to eliminating sleepwalking. This class of drugs is also used to calm people and to treat convulsions. Some users experience mild euphoria. Read the rest of this entry »