PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
ED  - ,
TI  - Naloxone (narcan)
AID  - 10.1136/dtb.13.19.75
DP  - 1975 Sep 12
TA  - Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin
PG  - 75--76
VI  - 13
IP  - 19
4099  - http://dtb.bmj.com/content/13/19/75.short
4100  - http://dtb.bmj.com/content/13/19/75.full
SO  - Drug Ther Bull1975 Sep 12; 13
AB  - Naloxone (Narcan - Winthrop), the N-allyl derivative of oxymorphone, is a narcotic antagonist whose most important clinical property is reversal of narcotic-induced respiratory depression. Like nalorphine (Lethidrone - Wellcome) and levallorphan (Lorfan - Roche), it also antagonises the sedative, analgesic and miotic effects of narcotic analgesics.1 There is, however, an important difference. When not preceded by the administration of a narcotic or when given in excess, nalorphine and levallorphan themselves have narcotic effects; by contrast, naloxone has none.2 It is, for all practical purposes, a pure antagonist, whereas nalorphine and levallorphan are partial agonists, with agonist as well as antagonist effects.3