Effexor (Venlafaxine) is a medication that was originally approved by the FDA in 1993 for the treatment of major depression. Upon ingestion, Effexor functions as an SNRI (or dual-reuptake inhibitor) by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin, and to a lesser extent, norepinephrine. As a result of serotonergic and noradrenergic reuptake inhibition, concentrations of serotonin and …
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is a perennial plant named after the Latin term “valere,” which roughly translates to “strong and healthy.” The plant is considered native to Europe and various regions of Asia and tends to bloom pinkish and/or whitish flowers in the summer seasons. Upon blooming, its flowers are universally known to have a sweet, …
Effexor (Venlafaxine) is a drug that was introduced in 1993 as a pharmaceutical antidepressant by Wyeth; its marketing rights are now owned by Pfizer. Pharmacodynamically, it functions primarily as a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) and is understood to be the first-ever “dual reuptake inhibitor” approved by the FDA for the treatment of major depressive disorder. …
Propranolol is a beta blocker originally synthesized in the 1960s by James W. Black, a British scientist. It is a derivative of older beta-adrenergic antagonists dichloroisoprenaline and pronethalol, each of which lacked safety and efficacy to warrant medicinal usage. Chemically, propranolol is formed upon insertion of an oxymethylene group into the aryl ethanolamine structure of …
Hydroxyzine is a drug that was initially approved by the FDA in the 1950s as an antihistamine. Most users know hydroxyzine under the brands Vistaril and Atarax, each of which are still popularly prescribed to treat medical conditions such as: allergic skin reactions, generalized anxiety disorders, and nausea resulting from motion sickness. In some cases, …
Hydroxyzine (brand names Vistaril, Atarax) is a first-generation antihistamine of the diphenylmethane and piperazine class. It was initially synthesized in 1956 and thereafter marketed in the U.S. by the pharmaceutical juggernaut, Pfizer. Although a relatively ancient medication by today’s standards, hydroxyzine is still commonly prescribed: as a preoperative anesthetic, analgesic, and anxiolytic adjunct; as an …
Inositol (cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol) is a non-essential nutrient synthesized within the body from glucose and is abundant within spinal fluid. Although inositol exists in the form of 9 distinct stereoisomers, the most abundant format within cellular membranes is myo-inositol, accounting for approximately 95% of free inositol within the body. Myo-inositol was initially isolated by researchers in 1849, …