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British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology logoLink to British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
. 1984 Aug;18(2):163–167. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1984.tb02448.x

The effect of chlormethiazole on the hypoxic drive to breathing in normal man.

P M Calverley, G L Carmichael, D B Scott
PMCID: PMC1463529  PMID: 6487455

Abstract

We have studied the effects of chlormethiazole infusion on the ventilatory response to progressive isocapnic hypoxia in seven healthy volunteers, during both normocapnia and induced hypercapnia. The dose of chlormethiazole was such that it produced the same degree of hypnosis as would be expected from oral administration of two capsules each containing 192 mg of base in arachis oil. Ventilation did not change significantly during chlormethiazole administration. The ventilatory response to hypoxia was unaffected by chlormethiazole during normocapnia and was enhanced during hypercapnia. In these subjects, giving chlormethiazole intravenously was not associated with depression of the resting ventilation nor the hypoxia ventilatory response.

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Selected References

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