Book contents
- Club Drugs and Novel Psychoactive Substances
- Club Drugs and Novel Psychoactive Substances
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Part I Introduction
- Part II Stimulant Drugs
- Part III Depressant Drugs
- Chapter 12 Depressant Drugs: Introduction
- Chapter 13 Depressant Drugs: Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and Gamma-Butyrolactone (GBL)
- Chapter 14 Depressant Drugs: Fentanyl, Fentanyl Analogues and Other Opioid NPS
- Chapter 15 Depressant Drugs: Benzodiazepine NPS
- Chapter 16 Depressant Drugs: Ketamine and Its Analogues
- Part IV Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists
- Part V Hallucinogens
- References
- Index
Chapter 12 - Depressant Drugs: Introduction
from Part III - Depressant Drugs
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 September 2020
- Club Drugs and Novel Psychoactive Substances
- Club Drugs and Novel Psychoactive Substances
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Part I Introduction
- Part II Stimulant Drugs
- Part III Depressant Drugs
- Chapter 12 Depressant Drugs: Introduction
- Chapter 13 Depressant Drugs: Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and Gamma-Butyrolactone (GBL)
- Chapter 14 Depressant Drugs: Fentanyl, Fentanyl Analogues and Other Opioid NPS
- Chapter 15 Depressant Drugs: Benzodiazepine NPS
- Chapter 16 Depressant Drugs: Ketamine and Its Analogues
- Part IV Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists
- Part V Hallucinogens
- References
- Index
Summary
Different classes of depressant drugs work in different ways, with common mechanisms being agonism of opioid or GABA receptor systems. Depressants may also inhibit excitatory glutamatergic or catecholaminergic activity (dopamine, noradrenaline, and epinephrine). However, some depressant drugs, such as GHB/GBL, at low doses also release noradrenaline, causing mild stimulant effects when small amounts are consumed.
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- Information
- Club Drugs and Novel Psychoactive SubstancesThe Clinician's Handbook, pp. 61Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2020