classes of drugs

Class of drug	Application	Example	Notes
Antipyretics	Reduce body temperature	Aspirin, paracetamol (acetaminophen)	Antipyretics cause the hypothalamus to override an increase in temperature
			Taking antipyretics in empty stomach can cause ulcer
Analgesics	Pain relief	Paracetamol Non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) Morphine	Some antipyretics act as analgesics as well Some narcotics (heroin, morphine, marijuana) can also act as analgesics
Tranquilizers	Induce sedation	Barbiturates, antihistamines	*Sedatives cause sleep, poor judgement, slow reflexes
			*Excessive use can cause unconsciousness and even death
Antiseptics	Reduce possibility of infection	Boric acid, hydrogen peroxide, iodine	*Antiseptics are applied externally to living tissues.
			Antiseptics also reduce body odour caused due to bacterial decomposition
			They are used in breath freshners and deodorants
Antibiotics	Kill bacteria	Penicillin, gramicidin, amoxicillin, streptomycin	An antibiotic is defined as a substance produced by a microorganism that kills other microorganisms Antibiotics are considered life-saving drugs
Diuretics	Increases rate of urination	Amiloride, triamterene
Vasodilators	Widen blood vessels	Histamine, nitric oxide	Decrease blood pressure Increase blood flow
Vasoconstrictors	Narrow blood vessels Staunch blood loss due to haemorrhage	Antihistamines, cocaine, LSD, caffeine	Increase blood pressure Decrease blood flow
			Make skin look paler because less blood reaches the skin
Anaesthetics	Cause loss of sensation	Cocaine, nitrous oxide, halothane	General anaesthetics cause a loss of consciousness Local anaesthetics cause loss of sensation in a specific part of the body
Antifungals	Fungal diseases like ringworm, athlete’s foot, meningitis	Ketoconazole, benzoic acid, neem seed oil, tea tree oil	Since both fungi and human cells are eukaryotes, the possibility of side effects is higher than in anti-bacterial drugs (like antibiotics)
Antivirals (Antiretrovirals)	Inhibit growth of virus	Zedovudine, lamivudine	Unlike antibiotics, antiviral drugs do not destroy target microbes but only inhibit their growth Designing antiviral drugs is difficult because virus use host’s cells to replicate Some virus, like influenza and HIV, mutate rapidly which means they can be treated with antivirals only and not be prevented by vaccines Antiretrovirals are a subclass of antivirals that treat retroviruses such as HIV