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P A R T 4
Drugs acting on the central and peripheral nervous systems
■■
Because opioids of all kinds are associated with
the development of physical dependency, they are
controlled substances.
■■
The effectiveness and adverse effects associated with
specific opioids are associated with their particular
affinity for various types of opioid receptors.
■■
Opioid agonists react with opioid receptor sites to
stimulate their activity.
■■
Opioid agonists–antagonists react with some opioid
receptor sites to stimulate activity and block other
opioid receptor sites. These drugs are not as addictive
as pure opioid agonists.
■■
Opioid antagonists, which work to reverse the effects
of opioids, are used to treat opioid overdose or to
reverse unacceptable adverse effects.
■■
Migraine headaches are severe, throbbing headaches
on one side of the head that may be associated with
an aura or warning syndrome. These headaches
are thought to be caused by arterial dilation and
hyperperfusion of the brain vessels.
■■
Treatment of migraines may involve either ergot
derivatives or triptans. Ergot derivatives cause
vasoconstriction and are associated with sometimes
severe systemic vasoconstrictive effects, whereas
triptans, a newer class of selective serotonin receptor
blockers, cause CNS vasoconstriction but are not
associated with as many adverse systemic effects.
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ONLINE RESOURCES
An extensive range of additional resources to enhance teaching
and learning and to facilitate understanding of this chapter may
be found online at the text’s accompanying website, located on
thePoint at
These include Watch and
Learn videos, Concepts in Action animations, journal articles,
review questions, case studies, discussion topics and quizzes.
WEB LINKS
Healthcare providers and students may want to consult
the following Internet sources:
Home page of Headache Australia. Information
on headache, including migraine and headache
management.
Home page of Neurological Foundation of New
Zealand. Information on migraine, management and
support.
World Health Organization cancer pain ladder.
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