American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [816]
anticancer drugs Kill or prevent the growth of abnormal cells. Used to treat cancer. Include alkylating agents and antimetabolites (which interfere with cell division), cytotoxics (which kill or damage cells), and interferons and interleukins (which stimulate the immune system to attack cancer cells).
anticholinergics Block the effects of the chemical neurotransmitter acetylcholine on the nervous system. Used to dilate (widen) pupils and control muscle spasms and to treat asthma, incontinence, irritable bowel syndrome, and Parkinson’s disease.
anticoagulants Interfere with blood clotting. Used to prevent and treat transient ischemic attacks, heart attack, and stroke. Include antiplatelets such as aspirin and clopidogrel.
anticonvulsants Control or eliminate abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Used to prevent or reduce the frequency or severity of seizures in epilepsy and other seizure disorders.
antidepressants Psychotropics. Used to prevent or treat depression. Include monoamine oxidase inhibitors, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, heterocyclic antidepressants, and tricyclic antidepressants.
antidiabetic drugs Stimulate the pancreas to release more insulin, which helps cells take in glucose to use for energy or to store, lowering the level of glucose in the blood. Used to treat type 2 diabetes.
antidiarrheals Absorb fluids and slow intestinal contractions. Used to relieve diarrhea. Include substances such as kaolin, chalk, or charcoal mixtures as well as drugs. Long-term use can lead to chronic constipation.
antiemetics Used to prevent or relieve nausea and vomiting. Usually taken orally as a tablet or liquid but may be given as a suppository or by injection, especially if a person is likely to vomit oral medication before it can take effect. Not recommended when the cause of vomiting is not known.
antifungals Used to treat fungal infections.
antihistamines Counteract the effects of histamine (one of the substances involved in allergic reactions and stomach acid production). Used to relieve the symptoms of hay fever and peptic ulcers.
Include H1 (histamine) blockers and H2 (histamine) blockers.
antihypertensives Used to lower blood pressure. Include angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor antagonists, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and diuretics.
anti-inflammatories Reduce redness, swelling, heat, and pain. Used to treat osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Include analgesics, antirheumatics, corticosteroids, COX-2 inhibitors, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
antimetabolites Anticancer drugs. Interfere with cell division, which helps prevent cancer cells from multiplying.
antiparasitics Kill parasites such as lice or pinworms and their eggs. Used to treat infestations.
antiplatelets Anticoagulants. Help prevent blood clots by binding to platelets (cell fragments that enable blood to clot) and keeping them from clumping on blood vessel walls. Used to prevent or treat heart attack or stroke. Can cause excessive bleeding in some people. Include aspirin and clopidogrel.
antipsychotics Psychotropics; tranquilizers. Block the actions of dopamine (a chemical messenger in the brain). Used to treat mental disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder or agitation or aggressive behavior in people with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.
antipyretics Reduce fever. Include the analgesics acetaminophen, aspirin, and ibuprofen.
antiretrovirals Inhibit the ability of retroviruses (such as HIV) to multiply.
antirheumatics Anti-inflammatories; immunosuppressants. Used to relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune disorders. Usually prescribed if treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has been ineffective.
antispasmodics Prevent or relieve spasms in the smooth muscles of the bladder or the intestines. Used to treat irritable bladder disorders and irritable bowel syndrome.
antithyroid drugs Reduce production of thyroid hormones in the thyroid gland and destroy