GI, Sensory, and Nervous System Drugs

Introduction

There are a wide variety of drugs used to treat issues involving the gastrointestinal system, sensory organs, and the nervous system. Some of these are available over the counter, while others require a prescription. It's important for healthcare workers to have an understanding of the common drugs in these categories and the conditions they treat.

 

Drugs Used in the Gastrointestinal System

You probably have some gastrointestinal drugs in your medicine cabinet. Many of them are over-the-counter preparations designed to relieve symptoms such as indigestion, nausea, and diarrhea. Antacids are medications that neutralize the hydrochloric acid that causes heartburn and pain from ulcers, esophagitis, or other stomach problems.

Antiulceratives go beyond neutralizing stomach acid; they decrease the amount of acid secreted.

Drugs called cathartics relieve constipation and may also be given to stimulate defecation for diagnostic or operative purposes. The term laxative refers to mild cathartics; purgative refers to strong cathartics. Antidiarrheals stop diarrhea.

Antiemetics are drugs that inhibit nausea and vomiting. These drugs are also used to counteract dizziness, motion sickness, and labyrinthitis (inflammation of the inner ear). In contrast, it's occasionally necessary to ingest an emetic, a drug that will induce vomiting, such as in cases of poisoning. 

 

Many gastrointestinal disorders are caused by excess stomach acid. Excess acid contributes to heartburn or dyspepsia, indigestion, burning sensations in the stomach, and peptic ulcers. One sure way to reduce these effects is to reduce the amount of acid. There are three ways to reduce the effects of excess stomach acid:

• Antacids
• H2 receptor antagonists
• Proton-pump inhibitors

 

Proton-pump inhibitors (PPI) are widely used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

These drugs reduce the amount of acid made in the stomach by turning off the "pumps" that produce acid.

This gives the tissue lining the stomach and esophagus time to heal from erosion that too much acid can cause. Most of the PPI agents are now available over the counter to treat heartburn and gastric reflux.

 

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