Drugs and the Autonomic NS

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Specializes in Dialysis.

This is the first time, and probably not the last, that I am feeling completely overwhelmed with school. For some reason, I cannot get this first chapter of pharm locked into my brain. It is the "sympathomimetic vs. cholinergic vs. adrenergic vs. sympatholytic" etc etc. Why can't we just have one word? I am having real trouble remembering which one does what. Any pointers?

I mean, it's a short chapter, but there is so much info! And from what the instructor tells us, the questions will give a shpeal (sp?) about something, something, blah blah, and then the answer choices will be 4 drug names. agh!!

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I think that was the only chapter in Pharm where I made flashcards, flowcharts, and diagrams to understand the material. It may be alot of extra work, but it helped me to do well on the test. Otherwise, I don't think I would have grasped everything very well. When we had our Pharm final, all of those flashcards and charts really helped when studying the material again.

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This is the first time, and probably not the last, that I am feeling completely overwhelmed with school. For some reason, I cannot get this first chapter of pharm locked into my brain. It is the "sympathomimetic vs. cholinergic vs. adrenergic vs. sympatholytic" etc etc. Why can't we just have one word? I am having real trouble remembering which one does what. Any pointers?

I mean, it's a short chapter, but there is so much info! And from what the instructor tells us, the questions will give a shpeal (sp?) about something, something, blah blah, and then the answer choices will be 4 drug names. agh!!

just curious I am on the same unit, our instructor is not lecturing on this and we have to know all the Cholinergic, adrenergic and cardio hypertensives by this thursday, how long do you have to know this stuff and how indepth are you going?

What I can help with

Sympathatic nervous system = Adrenergic

Parasympathetic = Cholinergic

I have broken it down to all the prototypes. A class mate of mine had a brilliant idea, she made a template with each prototype going down the page and then across the top, a column for Core drug knowledge and core pt variables. This way you see it all in one page and can compare. I don't have time for this test but if I pass this week, I will surely do that next week.

good luck

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This is the first time, and probably not the last, that I am feeling completely overwhelmed with school. For some reason, I cannot get this first chapter of pharm locked into my brain. It is the "sympathomimetic vs. cholinergic vs. adrenergic vs. sympatholytic" etc etc. Why can't we just have one word? I am having real trouble remembering which one does what. Any pointers?

I mean, it's a short chapter, but there is so much info! And from what the instructor tells us, the questions will give a shpeal (sp?) about something, something, blah blah, and then the answer choices will be 4 drug names. agh!!

one more tip

parasympathetic increase SLUDD (Increases fluids)

S- salavation (increase)

L- lacrimation

U- urination

D- digestion

D- defication

Decrease: heart rate

bronchio, pupil constriction

Sympathetic is all e's excite, energize, exersize, emotions.

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Specializes in Dialysis.
just curious I am on the same unit, our instructor is not lecturing on this and we have to know all the Cholinergic, adrenergic and cardio hypertensives by this thursday, how long do you have to know this stuff and how indepth are you going?

What I can help with

Sympathatic nervous system = Adrenergic

Parasympathetic = Cholinergic

I have broken it down to all the prototypes. A class mate of mine had a brilliant idea, she made a template with each prototype going down the page and then across the top, a column for Core drug knowledge and core pt variables. This way you see it all in one page and can compare. I don't have time for this test but if I pass this week, I will surely do that next week.

good luck

well, what irks me is this: we are taking a test that another instructor made, using ANOTHER textbook. so far, the material in his "study handouts" pretty much follows our chapter. But, what if we get to the test, and the information is presented differently, or we didn't focus on the rght stuff?

We had a sub the other night, our instructor is sick. The sub basically was giving us the questions that would be on the test, saying "this is what you need to know" "if a questions was asked that sounded like this, what would you answer?" This is great and all, because we need to pass these tests, but how am I going to really learn if I am only studying for what is going to be on the test?

Basically, we have to know the 4 "groups", sympathomimetics, para" ", anticholinergics, adrenergics, is there anything else?

And don't even get me started on the subreceptors! woo! way over my head!

We are given the subgroups, and a couple drugs in each group to memorize. ie., Mestonin is for myasthenia gravis, it is a parasympathomimetic. Atropine is to dry secretions before surgery, it is an anticholinergic.

I think what i really need to focus on is the subreceptors, the alphas and betas. is there a pattern as to what they will predict? I just don't get it.

thanks guys! (where are you, Daytonite?) :bow:

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well, what irks me is this: we are taking a test that another instructor made, using ANOTHER textbook. so far, the material in his "study handouts" pretty much follows our chapter. But, what if we get to the test, and the information is presented differently, or we didn't focus on the rght stuff?

We had a sub the other night, our instructor is sick. The sub basically was giving us the questions that would be on the test, saying "this is what you need to know" "if a questions was asked that sounded like this, what would you answer?" This is great and all, because we need to pass these tests, but how am I going to really learn if I am only studying for what is going to be on the test?

Basically, we have to know the 4 "groups", sympathomimetics, para" ", anticholinergics, adrenergics, is there anything else?

And don't even get me started on the subreceptors! woo! way over my head!

We are given the subgroups, and a couple drugs in each group to memorize. ie., Mestonin is for myasthenia gravis, it is a parasympathomimetic. Atropine is to dry secretions before surgery, it is an anticholinergic.

I think what i really need to focus on is the subreceptors, the alphas and betas. is there a pattern as to what they will predict? I just don't get it.

thanks guys! (where are you, Daytonite?) :bow:

Well sounds like you still have it better then me, we are teaching ourselves, thankfully we have a good book, does your book have diagrams or tables? the sub groups are all layed out in mine, I have them on the computer if you want to PM me I could email you what I have. I have also set up templates for all the prototypes. We are learning Cardio drugs along with both Adrenergic and Cholinergic, all in 6 days time. Fun fun

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Well sounds like you still have it better then me, we are teaching ourselves, thankfully we have a good book, does your book have diagrams or tables? the sub groups are all layed out in mine, I have them on the computer if you want to PM me I could email you what I have. I have also set up templates for all the prototypes. We are learning Cardio drugs along with both Adrenergic and Cholinergic, all in 6 days time. Fun fun

Do you still have the templates for the prototypes of the neuro drugs stuff? I noticed this message was posted a yr ago. If you do would you be willing to email them to me? My test for neuro one is tomarrow evening and neuro 2 next monday.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

The best way to memorize the drugs and what they do are to crack open your anatomy book and see just what and where alpha and beta adrenergic receptors, muscarinic and nicotinic cholingeric receptors are located and their functions.

Once you know the receptors and their function in their respective location, you can figure out the effects of drugs that agonize and antagonize them.

It will also clue you in to drugs' side effects.

In the long run, it will make you a better nurse for your patients. They don't need someone that only knows "beta-blockers reduce blood pressure".

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Specializes in CTICU.

I always remembered SNS -v- PNS by thinking "shock, stress, SNS". If you remember that sympathetic is the flight/fight reaction, you can predict the signs and symptoms: increased HR etc. PNS (cholinergic) is then opposite: slows heart down, dries up secretions, urinary problems.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
I always remembered SNS -v- PNS by thinking "shock, stress, SNS". If you remember that sympathetic is the flight/fight reaction, you can predict the signs and symptoms: increased HR etc. PNS (cholinergic) is then opposite: slows heart down, dries up secretions, urinary problems.

The drying up secretions occurs with a sympathetic response, not a parasympathetic.

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Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.

Still another way to think about the autonomic system is that the sympathetic is the overall on-switch for the "fight or flight" response, while the parasympathetic turns things to "rest and digest". Think about everything a scared upright primate needs when running away from a leopard (increased HR, bronchodilation, vasodilation in the muscles, pupil dilation, sweating, shutting down the GI tract, etc) and you should be able to reason out which responses are sympathetic or parasympathetic.

As for the specific receptors - that's physio you just have to remember. As for the names, there's the names of the systems, and the names for the types of neurotransmitters they use.

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oh geez, lol, I came searching for an answer more along the lines of "here's an easy way to remember it...." but I guess this is where memorization is key. I finally realized today that the antagonists will mimic the behaviors of the other category (i.e. anticholinergics will mimic the andrenergics), i had to flip back and forth in the book and powerpoints to make sure my brain wasn't doing some weird feedback loop, lol, it really freaked me out for a while there because I swore the behaviors were for the other category--- at least I'm not crazy, yet.:lol2:

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