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Drugs and body weight

fryingsquirrel

fryingsquirrel

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Oct 9, 2006
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Which drug require a higher dose for a larger person, and which don't? Alcohol clearly does, everything I've heard suggests LSD (and I assume other psychedelics) does not. But what about some of the other six trillion drugs out there?
 
The proper answer to this is rather elaborate, and I haven't the time to give you the lecture. You are correct in your assumption that drugs such as LSD are, for the most part, do not have a direct correlation between body weight and subjective effects.

Weight alone, however is not the sole determinate of general anesthetics.....this mistake has been made by many physicians (particularly in the elective surgery realm, where cosmetic surgeons try to play dual roles, or cut cost by hiring an anesthetist's assistant rather than the anesthetist himself). Higher end cosmetic surgeons almost always use anesthetists, but at the low end (for which there is a huge, gritty market), you are going to run far more "complications from surgery" deaths (the term can mean a number of things, including OD from improperly dosed or administered anesthetics). Yes, weight is a certain a factor, but age, gender, comorbs, baseline vitals etc etc etc....the list goes on......
 
Thanks. Yes, I realize the answer this will be long and complex. I don't expect one poster to answer the whole thing, if someone can contribute info about one drug or class of drugs that would be great.
 
calano22 said:
It would be a impossible answer to give as weight may or may not play a roll what so ever. Some would be dependent on if injected/or oral. Empty stomach, some on quality of weight ie;muscle or fat. Type of drug etc.. to many variables to give a quality response.
Click to expand...

I know that, perhaps I should rephrase my question.

Does the affect of weight has on dosing for amphetamines more closely resemble alcohol or LSD?

For benzos?

Opiates?

Not unanswerable questions.
 
You would have to look at the Ksp value for each individual drug and see how fast the drug will be absorbed into the bloodstream. Weight does matter but like calano22 said they're many other variables that will change the dosage. The route of exposure also has a profound affect on how much you need and how fast it is absorbed into your bloodstream. Do you have a specific drug you are wondering about?
 
A lot of opiates present 25% higher blood plasma concentrations when taken by orally by females in comparison to males. The reason for this phenomenon is unknown.

Is this the kind of answer you are after?
 
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