Published on 14 January 2009, 02:08

Categories: Akineton Diseases Disipal Medicine Parkinson

 

A few case studies have suggested that anticholinergic antiparkinson drugs used to alleviate adverse effects of antipsychotics are abused. New findings from the Norwegian Prescription Database at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health indicate that it is not a widespread phenomenon.

The new study shows that medicines such as orphenadrine (Disipal) and biperiden (Akineton) do not stand out as abused drugs from a pharmacoepidemiological perspective. Previously, some smaller studies have been published that indicate that these drugs have abuse potential.

Anticholinergic anti-Parkinson medicines are very fat-soluble and many may experience a “kick” when they take these medicines. However, from an epidemiological perspective, we have not been able to confirm abuse in the Norwegian population.

Pharmacoepidemiological methods are relatively coarse and the study cannot exclude that abuse takes place. However the findings indicate that it is not a widespread phenomenon.

The drugs were originally introduced to treat Parkinson’s disease, but are not often used for this today. The study shows that orphenadrine and biperiden are used to treat Parkinson-like adverse effects after use of anti-psychotic medicines.
The study builds on figures from the Norwegian Prescription Database in 2004. Orfenadrin was withdrawn from the Norwegian market in 2005.

Reference: Gjerden P, Bramness JG, Slørdal L. The use and potential abuse of antichiolinergic antiparkinson drugs in Norway: a pharmacoepidemiologcal study. Br. J. Clin. Pharmacology, 2008 Dec 16 (e-pub ahead of print)

 

Contact: Nasjonalt folkehelseinstitutt, Tel: 21 07 70 00, Telefax: 22 35 36 05
Source: Folkehelseinstitutt

480 Views E-Mail Newsletter RSS Feed

Related News

Categories: Akineton Diseases Disipal Medicine Parkinson

Three Brain Diseases Linked by Toxic Form of Same Neural Protein,... 2 February 2010, 11:05
PHILADELPHIA - For the first time, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of...

Alcohol-Based Cleanser Found Superior to Iodine Formula in Battling... 27 January 2010, 12:05
Cleansing a patient's skin prior to surgery with chlorhexidine alcohol - instead of the more...

Genetic "Atlas" Of Cells Will Pinpoint Causes Of Disease,... 25 January 2010, 09:59
TORONTO, ON - Scientists at the University of Toronto have discovered a way to map the...

Common heart medications may also protect against Parkinson's... 22 January 2010, 02:44
UCLA researchers have discovered that a specific type of medication used to treat...

Compounds That Help Protect Nerve Cells Discovered by Duke Team 20 January 2010, 09:25
Scientists at Duke University Medical Center have found some compounds that improve a cell's...

Women May Be Better Able to Regulate Stress 13 January 2010, 09:36
Boston, MA – Stress can have substantial impact on both the mind and body. Chronic stress in...

Small molecules found to protect cells in multiple models of... 29 December 2009, 08:03
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–Several structurally similar small molecules appear capable of protecting...

Global measles deaths drop by 78% 3 December 2009, 14:51
450 deaths a day is still too many - stalled momentum puts millions more children at risk.3...

Scientists Get Up Close To Bacteria's Toxic Pumps 30 November 2009, 08:17
Scientists are building a clearer image of the machinery employed by bacteria to spread...

Plasma produces KO cocktail for MRSA 26 November 2009, 08:51
MRSA (methicillin-resistant Straphylococcus Aureus) and other drug-resistant bacteria could face...

Newsletter