Adrenergic
constricts lumen of a vessel (epinephrine)
Anesthetic
brings about inability to feel pain (lidocaine)
Antianxiety
reduces anxiety (ativan)
Antibiotic
kills pathogens (amoxicillin)
Anticoagulant
decreases the clotting time (coumadin)
Antidepressant
decreases depression (zoloft)
Antihistamine
counteracts histamines (zyrtec)
Antihypertensive
decreases blood pressure (lopressor)
Antiinflammatory
decreases inflammation (advil)
Antitussive
decreases cough (robitussen)
Bronchodilator
relaxes smooth muscle of resp. system (proventil)
Cathartic
irritates lining of the bowel (dulcolax)
Decongestant
relieves congestion (sudafed)
Diuretic
inhibits reabsorption of sodium, chloride, and water (lasix)
Hypnotic
induces sleep (dalmane)
Hormone replacement
replaces deficient hormones (synthroid)
Narcotic
decreases central nervous system activity (demerol)