Barbiturates are a type of depressant that act on the central nervous system, meaning the brain and spinal cord. They can be used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and seizures, but they do have significant addiction potential and no known overdose cure. As a result, benzodiazepines have largely replaced barbiturates for medical uses, although barbiturates are still used for general anesthesia and epilepsy and migraine treatments. In high doses, barbiturates are deadly, which is why they have been used for euthanasia in animals, physician-assisted suicide, and capital punishment.
Sodium thiopental is a fast-acting sedative that is given to patients receiving general anesthesia to help them relax. You might also have heard it referred to as truth serum, because it suppresses certain brain functions and makes people more talkative and cooperative. For a long time, it was used as part of the cocktail of lethal injection drugs, but the U.S. manufacturer that provided it stopped making it, and the European Union prohibited its export in 2011. Because this medication is strictly controlled by doctors, the most likely addicts are actually anesthesiologists.
In contrast, phenobarbital (branded as Solfoton and Luminal) is a drug commonly prescribed for seizures, meaning the potential for abuse by the user or someone they give or sell it to is higher. It produces a calming effect in the brain that fights anxiety, and it can make you feel drowsy, disinhibited, and drunk, which is why some people abuse it.
The following are more barbiturates still in use today: Butabarbital (Butisol Sodium, Busodium) and Secobarbital (Seconal Sodium) are more barbiturates that slow the activity of the brain and nervous system. They can be used as a sedative or for short-term treatment of insomnia. Pentobarbital (Nembutal Sodium, Nembutal) is an injection that can be used as a sedative before surgery or treatment for insomnia. It can also be used as an emergency treatment for seizures. Primidone (Mysoline) is another anti-epileptic drug, also called an anticonvulsant. It is typically taken two to four times a day.
Some of the common side effects of barbiturates are confusion, diarrhea, dizziness, drowsiness, headache, irritability, low blood pressure, nausea and vomiting, and vertigo. Symptoms of an overdose may include difficulty concentrating, impaired judgment, poor coordination, sluggishness, speech disturbances, staggering, unusually slow and shallow breathing, coma and death. Those who do survive an overdose may end up with permanent kidney damage.
Addiction to medications used for sedation are fairly rare, since they are used strictly in hospital settings, but the drugs themselves do have the potential to be addictive. Anticonvulsants are far more likely to be abused because they are more widely available. According to one paper from a London hospital, women are more likely to use barbiturates for their effect as a “downer,” similar to how women are more likely to use alcohol than other drugs. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to be on other drugs such as amphetamines and take barbiturates in order to get to sleep at night.
If you or a loved one need help with quitting drugs or alcohol, consider Asana Recovery. We offer medical detox, along with both residential and outpatient programs, and you’ll be supervised by a highly trained staff of medical professionals, counselors, and therapists. Call us any time at (949) 438-4504.
