From: george@ibmpcug.co.uk (Michael Veltman)
Subject: Re: amnesiac drugs
X-Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author
	alone and may not represent the views of the IBM PC User Group.
Organization: The IBM PC User Group, UK.
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1992 19:22:37 GMT

In article <1992Jul24.114549.944@newstand.syr.edu> mprisco@lynx.cat.syr.edu () writes:
>               Before they did it they told her they were going 
>to give her a drug so that she wouldn't remember it.          
>                      Anyway, what's the story with these
>drugs?  What was it, most likely?  How do they work (not
>too technical but what part of the brain or by what chemical
>means or so they know?)?  Is it possible that you might actually
>remember the incident at some point?                   
>                     Is it the kind of thing experienced
>on a drug like Xanax?  Do they do this alot?
>Margot


Dear Margot,

Amnesia is casued by a large number of drugs, most of which
are used by anaesthetists or physicians for procedures.

The most potent amnestics are General anaesthetic agents,
which work in a variety of ways, not all of which are understood.

Inhalational anaesthetics include Nitrous Oxide, Halothane, 
Enflurane, Isoflurane, Desflurane and Servoflurane.  They are
breathed in via anaesthetic machines and produce a dense amnesia
in sufficient concentrations.

Intravenous agents include Thiopentone, Methohexitone, Ketamine,
Propofol, Etomidate and Benzodiazepines.

You will perhaps note that some of the above get write ups in 
this news group and alt.drugs, as in lower doses they produce
altered levels of conscious function before inducing anaesthesia.

One class of the above stands out in producing amnesia before 
it produces a full loss of consciousness:  the Benzodiazepines.

They work by increasing the effects of a neurotransmitter in the
brain known as GABA (which is an inhibitory transmitter, ie., it
tends to reduce the overall level of brain activity).

Benzodiazepines include the original diazepam (Valium) and many
newer varients, including lorazepam, oxazepam, nitrazepam,
flunitrazepam, and midazolam.

All tend to produce amnesia, but midazolam and lorazepam are noted
to produce amnesia reliably with dosages much lower than that which
will produce an anaesthetic state.  A low dose may provide minimal
sedation and the person will look and behave fairly normally, but
will not remember much if anything.

Xanax is from memory alprazolam, and may have some amnestic effect,
in some or most people, in sufficient dosage.  I suspect that Steve
Dyer could say how common this is, but I would think that it would
be less common than with midazolam or lorazepam (especially in terms
of commonly used doses for each).

>=====================================================================
>=          H A V E   A   D A Y             :|                       =
>=====================================================================

Like the .sig.

Michael

-- 
Michael Veltman          |  george@ibmpcug.co.uk        | email direct, save                             |                              | some bandwidth

"At a cardiac arrest, the first step is to take your own pulse"     Samuel Shem      - The House of GOD -

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