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Drug‐metabolizing capacity in states of drug dependence and withdrawal
Author(s) -
BALLINGER B.,
BROWNING M.,
O'MALLEY K.,
STEVENSON I. H.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0007-1188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1972.tb08122.x
Subject(s) - barbiturate , drug , medicine , population , urinary system , drug withdrawal , pharmacology , anesthesia , environmental health
Summary1 Drug‐metabolizing capacity was assessed in 8 barbiturate‐dependent and in 3 Mandrax‐dependent patients using, as indices, plasma antipyrine half‐life and in some cases urinary output of 6β‐hydroxycortisol. For comparison, antipyrine half‐life was also measured in volunteers before and after a period of taking hypnotic doses of these agents. 2 Both indices indicated a very high drug‐metabolizing capacity in the dependent subjects on admission, the antipyrine half‐life value in the barbiturate patients being the shortest reported to date for any drug‐exposed group. The urinary output of 6β‐hydroxycortisol was approximately three times that in a control population. 3 This induction of drug‐metabolizing capacity presumably contributed to the marked drug tolerance observed in the dependent patients. 4 It appeared that drug‐metabolizing capacity eventually returned to normal levels after withdrawal of the barbiturate. 5 It is concluded that the abnormal drug‐metabolizing capacity of dependent patients must be taken into account in assessing dose requirements for other drugs.