Hallucinogen-Tranquilizer Interaction: Its Nature

The interaction between hallucinogens and tranquilizers at cerebral synapses and in animal behavior follows a competitive inhibitory pattern. As the tranquilizer dose increases, its effect shifts from protecting against hallucinogen effects to dominating and increasing tranquilizer toxicity. Behavioral data from cats and monkeys, along with rats, show that a sufficiently high tranquilizer dose can aggravate rather than protect, consistent with a competitive mechanism.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Study of the competition between hallucinogens and tranquilizers at cerebral synapses and on behavior in various species of animals indicates a continuum of effects from protection to dominance of tranquilizer toxicity as the dose of tranquilizer increases. Data on cat and monkey behavior, supplementing that on the rat, show that it is possible to arrive at a tranquilizer dose that can aggravate instead of protect, in accord with the competitive inhibitory nature of the interaction of hallucinogen and tranquilizer.