How Do Sedatives Work?

Sedatives are drugs given during minor surgery or procedures for diagnosing medical conditions to:

• Control pain during surgery
• Relax the body during surgery or induce sleep

Sedatives act on the central nervous system and depress it by binding to certain receptors in the central nervous system and activating inhibitory neurohormones. Inhibitory neurohormones suppress the release of excitatory hormones. As a result, the body shifts into a relaxed or depressed state.

Sedatives are mainly used in minor surgeries or shorter, less complex procedures, where a local anesthetic is not sufficient and a general anesthetic would be too much. Some of these minor surgeries and procedures include:

• Biopsies
• Examination of the throat and colon
• Finding and treating medical conditions such as cancer

Sedatives, when administered intravenously, can cause the following side effects:

• Hypotension
• Hypertension
• Nausea
• Fever
• Dry mouth
• Vomiting
• Irregular heart rate
• Anemia
• Pain
• Chills or rigors
• Thirst
• Agitation
• Pain
• Wheezing
• Postprocedural hemorrhage
• Decreased urine output

The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible side effects, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. Check with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure these drugs do not cause any harm when you take them along with other medicines. Never stop taking your medication and never change your dose or frequency without consulting your doctor.

Generic and brand names of sedatives include:

• Dexmedetomidine
• Precedex