Cholinergic Drug Mnemonics

Direct Agonists Musc Muscar arin inic icss = Meth Methac acho holi line ne Affect = Acetylcholine Cardiac = Carbachol Pulse = Pilocarpene Bu t = Bethanechol  Nicotinics = Nicotine Clench = Cevimeline

**This one's a two for one since it also hints at how the diff receptors work (muscarinics affect the heart rate, while nicotinics affect the neuromuscular junction). Anti AchE's:  New Phy Physicians ans Endure Pimping Alzheimer's Grandma Doesn't Remember Today

= Neostigmine = Phys hysostigmine = Edrophonium = Pyridostigmine

Drugs (also Anti-AChE's): = Ga Galantamine = Donepezil = Ri Rivastigmine = Tacrine

Hints: 1. For the Ach antagonists, just remember that most of them look similar to atropine atropine (they have trop, rop, or pine in in them). Exceptions are scopolamine, tolterodine, tolterodine, and oxybutynin. 2. For skeletal muscle relaxants (neuromuscular inhibitors), inhibitors), they all look similar to to tubocurarine (have a cur in them). them). Exception is mecamylamine, which has a different mechanism anyways. 3. ACh agonists generally generally elicit the "rest and digest" response from the the body, such as slower HR, increased secretions, increased GI motility, etc. 4. ACh antagonists antagonists (atropine) (atropine) do the opposite: the "fight or flight" flight" response. response. This includes increased HR, decreased secretions and motility, pupil dilation, etc.