Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Detoxication
Introduction
The major metabolites formed from most drug metabolism are detoxication products.
There are two common patterns observed:
- A drug with potent pharmacological activity is converted to a major metabolite with markedly reduced or no pharmacological activity (e.g., Pentobarbital and Hydroxypentobarbital)
- A drug is converted to a metabolite with roughly equivalent or slightly lower pharmacological activity.