Drugs That Can Lead To Drowsiness

It is very common to feel tired during the day, so there is no need to worry about it. However, you should be aware of this symptom if you are undergoing medical treatment. This is because some medicines can lead to drowsiness.

Although most healthcare professionals warn patients about this side effect,  it is important to be properly informed about new medications you have begun to be treated with. This is because by being properly informed, you can avoid complications.

For example, some of the most commonly used drugs that can cause excessive drowsiness are benzodiazepines. These medicines can lead to accidents at work and traffic accidents in patients who take them and are not aware of this side effect. Therefore, you need to know what the side effects are to avoid accidents.

General characteristics of the medicines that may lead to drowsiness

Drowsiness is  a frequent symptom when taking medication. It actually affects about 20% of adults in developed countries. It can lead to serious consequences, such as traffic accidents, accidents at work and other health problems for adults. It can also significantly affect a teenager’s performance in school.

The following are some of the  primary causes of drowsiness during the day:

• Sleep deficit:  This is the most common cause of drowsiness. Studies indicate that sleeping only 6 hours a day for 14 days significantly impairs your neurobiological functions.

• Medication:  Drowsiness is one of the most common side effects of medication and it can affect the central nervous system.
• Illegal drugs
• Obstructive sleep apnea

Below, we will take a closer look at some of the drugs that can lead to drowsiness. Follow up and talk to your doctor about any questions you may have.

Alpha blockers

These drugs are used in the treatment of high blood pressure as well as in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and Raynaud’s syndrome. Relaxation blockers can be the cause of less sleep, drowsiness and drowsiness during the day.

Benzodiazepines may cause drowsiness

There are more than 90 different registered brands of about 30 substances that are currently marketed as anti-anxiety drugs, hypnotics and muscle sedatives. The drugs that belong to the family of benzodiazepines are bromazepam, clonazepam, chlorazepate, midazolam and lorazepam.

These drugs  reduce anxiety and amplify the effect of a substance known as GABA,  which is responsible for inhibiting the activation of the central nervous system. These drugs can therefore lead to excessive sleepiness due to the aforementioned effects.

You will need to be careful when going to perform an activity that requires all your attention if you are taking these drugs.

1st generation H1 antihistamines

These drugs block H1 histamine receptors. They therefore prevent histamine from binding to the H1 structures and trigger the usual effects of this substance.

Histamine is a chemical related to allergies. When the histamine levels of a person who comes in contact with a substance to which they are allergic increase, they produce the well-known symptoms of such reactions. However, drugs such as diphenhydramine can also suppress the central nervous system and lead to drowsiness.

Antidepressants

According to some studies, sedative antidepressants improve sleep patterns in depressed patients with insomnia.

This may be because the consumption of low-dose sedative antidepressants, such as hypnotics, in patients with insomnia but without clinical depression has increased significantly in recent years. Trazodone and mirtazapine are among the antidepressants that can lead to drowsiness.

Other medicines that may cause drowsiness

Many drugs lead to this side effect in addition to those we have mentioned above. Now we will briefly mention other drugs that cause drowsiness. Keep in mind, though, that there are many others out there.

• Antiemetics
• Excessive intake of vitamin A.
• Muscle soothing
• Antiepileptics
• Sleep medicine

Conclusion

You will need to be informed about medications that may lead to drowsiness. This is because you may have an accident if you are not aware of these side effects. Always talk to a teacher about any questions you may have  about this.

More than anything else, though, keep in mind that you should  never self-medicate.