Narcotic analgesics, drug interactions

Narcotic analgesic. A drug that alleviates pain by interacting with the morphine receptor. 

Discuss the uses, general drug action, general adverse reactions, contraindications, precautions, and interactions of the narcotic analgesics. 

Drugs with a CNS depressant effect (antihistamines, hypnotics, sedatives, narcotic analgesics, alcohol, etc.) will have an increase in effect caused by interaction with neuroleptic drugs. 

Interactions. Rifampicin is a powerful enzyme inducer and speeds the metabolism of numerous drugs, including warfarin, steroid contraceptives, narcotic analgesics, oral antidiabetic agents, phenytoin and dapsone. Appropriate increase in dosage, and alternative methods of contraception, are required to compensate for increased drug metabolism (see also paracetamol overdose, p. 287). 

Finally, the demonstration that narcotic analgesics interact with brain amines suggests that these analgesics may interact with other psychotropic drugs, like the MAO inhibitors, the tricyclic antidepressants and the neuroleptics. 

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