Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site bbnccv.UUCP Path: utzoo!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!godot!harvard!bbnccv!sdyer From: sdyer@bbnccv.UUCP (Steve Dyer) Newsgroups: net.med Subject: Re: Valium Patent Expires Message-ID: <138@bbnccv.UUCP> Date: Sat, 9-Mar-85 21:29:57 EST Article-I.D.: bbnccv.138 Posted: Sat Mar 9 21:29:57 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 11-Mar-85 00:23:11 EST References: <1214@aecom.UUCP> <12438@gatech.UUCP> Distribution: na Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, MA Lines: 29 > Excuse me, but valium in [sic] not a tranquilizer. It is an anxiolytic. > It may seem that I am being a little picky, but to say that valium is a > tranquilizer is very wrong. Phenothiazines are major tranquilizers, > and barbiturates are minor tranquilizers, just to give you some examples. Oh, puhleeaze! To gleefully invoke Authority, here is Goodman and Gilman (1980), p. 436: "III. Drugs Used in the Treatment of Anxiety Sedatives with useful antianxiety effects are consistently among the most commonly prescribed drugs. The appropriate generic name for this group of agents remains uncertain, although there is much reason to suspect that terms such as "anti-anxiety agents", "anxiolytics", and "tranquilizers" represent to some extent wishful thinking and the impact of advertising." I would dare say that "tranquilizer" is the most common lay description for drugs like Valium, other benzodiazepines, meprobamate and even low doses of phenobarbital. Slightly more informed usage would prepend "minor" before the word. Because all these drugs share certain properties and differ in others, a single word can't do full justice to their pharmacology. But, when someone refers to Valium as a tranquilizer, we all know immediately what they mean--I don't care what kind of improved calming effect Valium has on rhesus monkeys over phenobarbital. At least, it is hardly worse than "anxiolytic." -- /Steve Dyer {decvax,linus,ima,ihnp4}!bbncca!sdyer sdyer@bbnccv.ARPA