Besides those two groups of drugs, other sedatives are also used for that purpose.
Barbiturates are nonselective CNS depressants that used to be the mainstay of treatment to sedate patients or to induce and maintain sleep.
Sometimes you may also get an itchy rash on your skin, called hives.
Antihistamines reduce or block histamines, so they stop allergy symptoms.
The representatives of this group are: Benzodiazepines are the most widely used group of sedative drugs.
Due to their safety and improved effectiveness, they have largely replaced barbiturates as drugs of choice in the treatment of anxiety.
The representatives of this group are: Nonbenzodiazepine “Z-drugs” sedative-hypnotics are drugs that differ in structure from benzodiazepines, but acts on a subset of the benzodiazepine receptor family known as BZ1.
In modern medicine they have been largely replaced by the benzodiazepines, primarily because they can induce tolerance, physical dependence and serious withdrawal symptoms.
Nevertheless, certain barbiturates are still employed as anticonvulsants (phenobarbital) and to induce anesthesia (thiopental).
Some common kinds you can buy over the counter include: Note: Some antihistamines are mixed with other medicines.
These could include pain relievers or decongestants.