A 77-year-old female is having problems sleeping, and her physician prescribed flurazepam, a sleep aid. The patient reports that she feels "groggy" for about 2 days after having taken the drug. Flurazepam is
A) destroyed by the acidic conditions in the stomach
B) inactivated by pepsin in the stomach
C) denatured by trypsin in the duodenum
D) inactivated by the P-450 enzyme system of the liver
E) destroyed by proteasomes in the jejunum

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Flurazepam is metabolized by the P-450 enzyme system in the liver. The fact that the patient feels groggy for 2 days after taking the drug suggests that it has a long half-life, which is consistent with being metabolized by the liver rather than being destroyed or inactivated in the stomach or intestines.

A 77-Year-Old Female Is Having Problems Sleeping, and Her Physician