Gabapentin, sold under the brand name “Neurontin,” is a drug that was first approved by the United States FDA in 1993 as an adjunct treatment for partial seizures in adults. Thereafter, gabapentin’s indication as a treatment for partial seizures would be extended in 2000 to pediatrics, and subsequently, it would receive FDA approval for the …
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is an evergreen tree from the Rubiaceae (coffee) family that produces leaves containing numerous psychoactive compounds, most notably including indole alkaloids: 7-hydroxymitragynine, mitraphylline, and mitragynine. When ingested by humans, the aforestated indole alkaloids significantly modulate CNS activity primarily via partial agonism of mu-opioid receptors (MORs). In addition, evidence from pharmacodynamic investigations suggests …
Clonidine is an antihypertensive drug originally synthesized in the early 1960s by chemists employed under the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. At the time, the chemists intended to develop a peripherally-active adrenergic nasal decongestant to be administered in the form of nose drops. In the process, the chemists sought to modify amidines to fit the chemical …
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tropical evergreen tree from the coffee family (Rubiaceae) native to Indonesia, Papa New Guinea, Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia. The kratom tree produces leaves containing psychoactive compounds, and when ingested, these compounds are capable of eliciting opioidergic and/or stimulatory effects. Although it is estimated that kratom leaves contain …
Magnesium deficiency was first documented by Hirschfelder and Haury (1934) in a report entitled Clinical Manifestations of High and Low Plasma Magnesium. Since the publishing of this report in the 1930s, our understanding of magnesium deficiencies has advanced significantly. We now know that hypomagnesemia (serum magnesium below 1.7 mg/dL) is not always indicative of an …
Belviq (Lorcaserin) is an anorectic medication manufactured by Arena Pharmaceuticals for the long-term management of obesity. As of 2012, the FDA approved lorcaserin to promote weight loss in adults with: BMIs exceeding 30 or BMIs exceeding 27 plus [at least] one weight-related medical comorbidity such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and/or hypertension. Upon administration, lorcaserin functions primarily …
Phentermine is a natural monoamine alkaloid derivative that was initially approved by the United States FDA in 1959 as an anorectic (appetite suppressant) for the treatment of obesity. It was popularized throughout the early 1970s under the brand name medication “Fastin,” marketed by King Pharmaceuticals. In the late 1990s phentermine was discontinued from pharmaceutical circulation, …