In medicinal use, the word drug refers to any substance that is used to treat an illness, relieve a symptom or modify a chemical process in the body for a specific purpose. These drugs have been important to mankind since ancient times. Although, as there was no proper 'Medicinal Sciences' present a millennium ago, people used natural products as drugs without prior knowledge of how those natural products work. For example, ancient Romans observed that sucking the bark of a willow tree relieved them from headaches and had been using it since the early eras of their civilization,although; they had no idea how it happened. Similarly, Aspirin, the most famous painkiller, had been in use since the beginning of the 18th century but its basic mechanism of action wasn't known until 1960s. So, the evolution of Medicine and 'Medical Sciences' enabled us to know the actual effects of drugs on a body and revealed answers to such questions as 'Why' and 'How'. Or, has it? In this era of highly revolutionized and modern Medicine, there are drugs whose actual mechanism of action is not known and some of them don't even require a doctor's prescription. The number of such drugs is around 55 to 60 but here, I am going to discuss the 3 most common of them:
Benzoyl peroxide:
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| Benzoyl Peroxide( 2.5 w/w) ointment |
According to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, around 660 million people were found to be affected with Acne or Acne vulgaris. It is a superficial condition developed usually at puberty and manifests itself as blackheads, whiteheads, greasy and oily skin and pimples. To counteract this disease, which ranks 8th on the 'Most Common Diseases' list, the most prescribed ointment along with certain antibiotics, preferably Doxycycline, is Benzoyl Peroxide. Due to its mild side effects, which usually include Dermatitis and increased Photo-sensitivity, and observable effectiveness, it is the first-line treatment of Acne and comes in the form of ointment, mixed with certain other compounds to decrease its acidity, for external use on the affected areas. With so widespread use, the actual mechanism of action of this drug has not yet been discovered.
Cyclobenzaprine:
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| Flexeril (Cyclobenzaprine) course pills |
Brand-named Amrix, or formerly Flexeril, Cyclobenzaprine is technically a muscle relaxer. It is used to relieve from acute musculoskeletal conditions and skeletal muscle spasms. It has also been used to treat the condition of heightened pain response to pressure or Fibromyalgia.
As a common treatment of muscle spasms resulting from injuries or muscle twists, it is one of the cheapest drugs available in the US. Cyclobenzaprine, as being such a common medication, hasn't been a completely resolved mystery. The mechanism of action of this drug is also not quite known.
Paracetamol:
Discovered in 1877, Acetaminophen or Paracetamol is the globally most common analgesic and is used to relieve from pain and fever. As being globally used, it is produced under many brand names most notably under Panadol, Tylenol or Calpol and is shown to be more effective than Ibuprufen.
As a safe,recommended countermeasure to mild/moderate pain, paracetamol does not require a doctor's prescription and can be bought from almost any store. With very insignificant anti-inflammatory activity, how paracetamol works is not entirely clear and the mechanism of action of this analgesic drug is not yet revealed.
