Drug antagonism
Medicine preventing a biological response / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Drug antagonism refers to a medicine stopping the action or effect of another substance, preventing a biological response.[1][2] The stopping actions are carried out by four major mechanisms, namely chemical, pharmacokinetic, receptor and physiological antagonism.[2] The four mechanisms are widely used in reducing overstimulated physiological actions. Drug antagonists can be used in a variety of medications, including anticholinergics, antihistamines, etc. The antagonistic effect can be quantified by pharmacodynamics. Some can even serve as antidotes for toxicities and overdose.