Direct Agonists

Muscarinics = Methacholine
Affect
= Acetylcholine
Cardiac
= Carbachol
Pulse
= Pilocarpene
But
= 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
Physicians
Endure
Pimping

= Neostigmine
= Physostigmine
= Edrophonium
= Pyridostigmine

Alzheimer's Drugs (also Anti-AChE's):

Grandma
= Galantamine
Doesn't
= Donepezil
Remember
= Rivastigmine
Today
= Tacrine
Hints:
1. For the Ach antagonists, just remember that most of them look similar to atropine
(they have trop, rop, or pine in them). Exceptions are scopolamine, tolterodine, and
oxybutynin.
2. For skeletal muscle relaxants (neuromuscular inhibitors), they all look similar to
tubocurarine (have a cur in them). Exception is mecamylamine, which has a different
mechanism anyways.
3. ACh agonists generally elicit the "rest and digest" response from the body, such as
slower HR, increased secretions, increased GI motility, etc.
4. ACh antagonists (atropine) do the opposite: the "fight or flight" response. This
includes increased HR, decreased secretions and motility, pupil dilation, etc.