Types Of Drugs And What They Do

Following will be the list of various types of drugs and what they do. A drug is any substance which might have any of the following effects:

Medicinal

Intoxicating

Performance Enhancing

In pharmacology, the drug is defined as any chemical substance that would be used for the treatment, curing, preventing or diagnosing a disease. Otherwise, these would be used to enhance the physical or mental well being. Various types of drugs might be prescribed for only a limited duration while some other types would be prescribed on a regular basis for the chronic disorders. More usually, drugs are distinguished from the endogenous bio-chemicals by being administered from outside the organisms. Some of the drugs are legal while some others are not.

Most common types of drugs and what they do:

Stimulants:

These are the types of drugs that would speed up one’s nervous system and would create a feeling of energy. These types of drugs are also known as uppers. This is because of their abilities to make a person to feel very awake. These are the drugs which would have an effect that is opposite to those produced by depressants. The constant use of stimulants would have negative effects on the user. They appear in various forms such as capsules or powder. These are often called as ‘party drugs’. The euphoric feeling is one among the major reasons why the users prefer taking the stimulants. These feelings would result from an increase and building up of Dopamine in the brain. Some of the common stimulants are:

Cocaine

Methamphetamines

Amphetamines

Ritalin

Cylert

Ecstasy

Depressants:

These are the types of drugs that would work by slowing down the communication between brain and body by slowing down of the activities of central nervous system. The effects of these types of drugs would vary based upon the amount of drug taken. More usually, the depressants are manufactured in the form of tablets and capsules. However, some of these are available in the form of liquid also. The effects of these types of drugs would range from calming down of the anxious person to promoting the sleep. These are often known as downers. Some common depressants are:

Alcohol

Tranquillizers

GHB

Heroin

Morphine

Hallucinogens:

Hallucinogens are the types of drugs that would cause changes in the perception of reality of any user. One could observe frequent switching between the emotions while taking these drugs. These drugs would affect the self control of a person’s body such as speech and movement. More often, these would bring hostility. The negative side effects of these types of drugs are: heart failure, increase in heart rate, high blood pressure, changes in hormones. Some common hallucinogens are:

LSD

Cannabis

Magic Mushrooms

PCP

Ketamine

Analgesics:

These are the substances that would provide relief from pains. These types of drugs have a high potential for being abused. These drugs are available in various forms like capsule, tablet, solution, suppository and syrup. These drugs tend to relax the recipient. The unpleasant effects that may be caused are nausea and vomiting. Some common analgesics are:

Opiates

Aspirin

Paracetamol

Apart from the aforementioned types of drugs, there are various types of drugs available in market.