General Drug Categories (Part 4)

Learn about the classification and function of common drugs by taking this quiz.

Quick Review for the Quiz
Drug Category Use or Purpose
Antianxiety Suppress anxiety and relax muscles.
Antidepressants Used to treat depression.
Antidiarrheals Used to relieve diarrhea.
Calcium channel blockers Lower blood pressure.
Diuretic Causes the kidneys to produce more urine.
H2 blockers Used in the treatment of acid-peptic diseases
Hypnotic Treat insomnia.
Muscle relaxants Relieve muscle spasms.
Nitrates Management and treatment of angina.
Psychotropic Used to treat mental health disorders.

  • Question of

    By preventing calcium from entering the arteries and heart cells, these medications reduce blood pressure.

    • Calcium channel blockers
    • Barbiturate
    • Beta-adrenergic blocking agents, or beta-blockers
    • Antiemetics

    Correct Wrong

    Calcium channel blockers are medications that lower blood pressure. Calcium is prevented from entering the cells of the heart and arteries by these drugs. Calcium increases heart and arterial contractions. In order to relax blood vessels, calcium channel blockers work by blocking calcium. The drugs amlodipine, felodipine, and isradipine are some calcium channel blockers.

  • Question of

    Are useful in the management and treatment of angina.

    • Nitrates
    • Vitamins
    • Laxatives
    • Tranquilizer

    Correct Wrong

    The use of nitrates for the management and treatment of angina is beneficial. Nitrates dilate venous vessels, coronary arteries, and small arterioles. Common nitrates include nitroglycerin and isosorbide.

  • Question of

    The drug causes the kidneys to produce more urine.

    • Diuretic
    • Antiparasitic
    • Antipyretics
    • Muscle relaxants

    Correct Wrong

    [ Diuret/ic = Diuret is a word root that pertains to "increase urine output", and -ic is a suffix term that refers to "pertaining to".] A diuretic is a drug that makes the kidneys produce more urine and rids the body of excess fluid. Diuretics are used to treat mild cases of high blood pressure. Drugs such as bumetanide and furosemide are examples of diuretics.

  • Question of

    Drugs used to relieve diarrhea.

    • Antidiarrheals
    • Tranquilizer
    • Antihypertensives
    • Antidiabetic

    Correct Wrong

    [ Anti/dia/rrhea/l = Anti- is a prefix term that means "against", dia- is another prefix that means "through", -rrhea is a suffix term that means "flow" or "discharge", and -al is another suffix term that refers "pertaining to".] The purpose of antidiarrheals is to relieve diarrhea. An antidiarrheal may be an adsorbent (eliminates the toxins from the GI tract), an antimotility (slows peristalsis), or a probiotic (restores the normal bacterial population). Some examples of antidiarrheals are diphenoxylate and loperamide.

  • Question of

    These drugs are widely used in the treatment of acid-peptic diseases, such as duodenal and gastric ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and common heartburn.

    • Histamine type 2 receptor antagonists/blockers
    • Anti-inflammatories
    • Immunosuppressives
    • Antidiarrheals

    Correct Wrong

    A wide variety of acid-peptic disorders are treated with histamine type 2 receptor antagonists/blockers (H2 blockers), including duodenal and gastric ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease and common heartburn. Examples of these drugs are famotidine and ranitidine.

  • Question of

    Commonly known as sleeping pills.

    • Hypnotic
    • Antihistamines
    • Narcotics
    • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

    Correct Wrong

    [ Hypn/o/tic = Hypn/o is a combining form that means "sleep", and -tic is a suffix term that refers "pertaining to".] Also called hypnotic drugs, sleeping pills are psychoactive drugs that induce sleep and treat insomnia. Zolpidem Tartrate, a common yet effective sedative-hypnotic.

  • Question of

    Muscle spasm-relieving drugs that are prescribed for disorders such as backache.

    • Muscle relaxants
    • Psychotropic
    • Antipyretics
    • Antacids

    Correct Wrong

    In disorders such as back pain, muscle relaxants relieve muscle spasms. In most cases, antianxiety drugs (minor tranquilizers) that also relax muscles are used. Examples of muscle relaxants are baclofen and cyclobenzaprine.

  • Question of

    Drugs that affect the nervous system and lead to alterations in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, or behavior and are used to treat mental health disorders.

    • Psychotropic
    • Antifungals
    • Decongestant
    • Expectorant

    Correct Wrong

    [ Psych/o/tropic = Psych/o is a combining form that means "mind", and -tropic is a suffix term that refers to " turning or changing".] Psychotropic drugs are chemical substances that alter nervous system function, resulting in changes in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, and behavior. Anxiolytics, antidepressants, and antipsychotics are the most commonly used psychotropic drugs.

  • Question of

    Medications that suppress anxiety and relax muscles.

    • Antianxiety
    • Calcium channel blockers
    • Diuretic
    • Antitussive

    Correct Wrong

    [ Anti/anxiet/y = Anti- is a prefix term that means "against", anxiet is a word root that means "uneasy" or "anxious", and -y is a suffix term that refers to "condition".] Known as anxiolytics, sedatives, or minor tranquilizers, antianxiety agents suppress anxiety and relax muscles. Benzodiazepines and alprazolam are examples of these drugs.

  • Question of

    Medicines used to treat depression.

    • Antidepressants
    • Antidiarrheals
    • Antianxiety
    • Hypnotic

    Correct Wrong

    [ Anti/depress/ant = Anti- is a prefix term that means "against", depress is a word root that means "press down" or "make sad, depressed", and -ant is a suffix term that turns the word to a person or agent.] There are three main types of mood-lifting antidepressants: tricyclics, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Citalopram and fluoxetine are two types of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).