Tranquillizer
Definition
Older umbrella term. Minor tranquillizers (benzodiazepines) treat anxiety. Major tranquillizers (phenothiazines, butyrophenones) are antipsychotics.
- Minor tranquillizers
- Benzodiazepines, treat anxiety
- Major tranquillizers
- Phenothiazines, butyrophenones (antipsychotics)
- Term status
- Older umbrella term
Common questions
Why has the term tranquillizer mostly fallen out of clinical use?+
It grouped pharmacologically distinct drug classes together, anxiolytics and antipsychotics, under one label. Modern classification separates them by mechanism and clinical indication rather than by sedative effect alone.
Why does the major versus minor distinction matter forensically?+
The two groups have very different toxicity profiles and overdose presentations, so correctly classifying an unknown substance affects both the interpretation of cause of death and the choice of antidote or supportive treatment.
Related terms
- Barbiturate
- Cyclic ureide derivative of barbituric acid. Potentiates GABA-A. Sub-classed by duration of action: long (phenobarbital), intermediate (amobarbital), short (secobarbital, pentobarbital) and ultrashort...
- Benzodiazepine
- Fused benzene plus seven-member diazepine ring. Allosteric modulator of GABA-A at the alpha-gamma interface. Reversed by flumazenil.
- FPN Reagent
- Ferric chloride, perchloric acid and nitric acid mixture. Red to orange-red colour with phenothiazines (chlorpromazine and relatives). Screen of choice for major...
- Schedule H1
- Forty-six substances notified by the 2013 amendment (Drugs and Cosmetics Fourth Amendment Rules, 2013, GSR 588(E) dated 30 August 2013, in force...
- Sedative-Hypnotic
- CNS depressant. Sedative dose calms (anxiolysis); hypnotic dose induces sleep; higher doses cause anaesthesia, respiratory depression and death.
- Z-Drug
- Non-benzodiazepine hypnotic (zolpidem, zopiclone, eszopiclone) that binds the alpha-1 subunit of GABA-A selectively. Same date-rape and stupefying-robbery potential as the BZDs.
- Zwikker / Dille-Koppanyi Reagent
- Cobalt salt (nitrate or acetate) plus isopropylamine. Violet to blue-violet colour with barbiturates. Workhorse barbiturate screen since the 1940s.