 What are Barbiturates and Barbiturate-like Drugs?
Barbiturates were first introduced for medical use in the early 1900s, as antianxiety medicine. More than 2,500 barbiturates have been synthesized, and at the height of their popularity, about 50 were marketed for human use. Only about a dozen are in medical use today. Barbiturates produce a wide spectrum of central nervous system depression, from mild sedation to coma, and have been used as sedatives, hypnotics, anesthetics, and anticonvulsants. The primary differences among many of these products are how fast they produce an effect and how long those effects last. Barbiturates are classified as ultra short, short, intermediate, and long-acting.
Barbiturate Abuse
Barbiturates are usually swallowed or injected. As similar effects are produced, they are often abused as a substitute for alcohol. People use this substance to get a sense of euphoria and relaxation. It is illegal to take barbiturates without a doctor’s prescription and supervision. Often they are used to counteract the unpleasant effects of illicit stimulants or to reduce anxiety. On the street, they are often used in combination with substances such as cocaine, amphetamines, and crystal meth.
Short Term Effects
Short term effects include: slurred speech, shallow breathing, sluggishness, fatigue, disorientation, lack of coordination, dilated pupils, impaired judgment, irritability, mild euphoria, and relief of anxiety and sleepiness.
Long Term Effects
Long-term effects include: chronic tiredness, general lack of coordination, vision problems, dizziness, slowed reflexes, sexual dysfunction, breathing disorders.
Withdrawal
Withdrawal symptoms include: tremors, elevated blood pressure and pulse, sweating, seizure, muscle pain, nausea, confusion, and hallucinations. Because barbiturates decrease rapid eye movement sleep, during which dreaming takes place, withdrawal often results in sleep disruptions such as nightmares, insomnia, or vivid dreaming.
Treatment
Barbiturates have a narrow therapeutic index and can cause coma or death if taken inappropriately. The amount of support required depends on the person’s symptoms. If the person is drowsy but awake and can swallow and breathe without difficulty, the treatment may consist of just watching the person closely.
Most people receive a liquid form of activated charcoal to bind to any drugs in their stomach. This may be done by placing a tube into the stomach (through the nose or mouth) or by having the person drink it. Many people that are admitted to the hospital are observed in the emergency department. Someone who is addicted to barbiturates requires some form therapy to avoid the symptoms of withdrawal, as they are very dangerous. Addicted individuals are treated with small, reduced doses of barbiturate until they are drug free.
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