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Street Names:
Unknown.
Description:
White tablet marked "Upjohn 29"
(.25 mg.) or peach marked "Upjohn 55" (.5 mg.).
Origin and Medical Uses:
Similar to barbiturates and barbiturate-like
drugs. Introduced as tranquilizers because they produce calm without
sleepiness. Replaced barbiturates in the treatment of many disorders. Usually
prescribed to treat anxiety and nervousness, relax muscle tension, and control certain
types of muscle spasm.
Short Term Effects:
Relaxed muscle tension, mildly impaired
coordination and balance, reduced mental alertness and emotional reactions, feeling of
well-being, and a loss of inhibition. On rare occasions paradoxical reactions such
as rage, persoity changes, and sleep disturbances occur. Side effects such as skin
rashes, nausea, and dizziness have been reported. Driving motor vehicles and
operating machinery should be avoided by those taking tranquilizers. It is
particularly hazardous to take them together with alcohol, other sedatives,
antihistamines, or cold, cough and allergy remdies. (See synergism.)
Long Term Effects:
Some tranquilizers accumulate in body
tissues during sustained use. Prolonged use may lead to increased aggressiveness in
some users. Pregnant women should not use tranquilizers; diazepam has been found to
accumulate in babies' liver, brain, heart and lungs. These babies may show withdrawal
symptoms after birth.
Tolerance and Dependence:
Regular use induces tolerance,
making increased doses necessary to produce the desired effect. Since less tolerance
develops to harmful effects rather than to desirable effects, margin between effective
dose and lethal dose gradually narrows. Psychological dependence can occur with regular use, as can physical dependence. Withdrawal symptoms include sleeplessness, sweating, stomach cramps,
agitation, tremors, delirium, convulsions, and even death. Some people think these
drugs are harmless because signs of addiction in users are not always apparent.
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