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Drugs That Contain Barbiturates

There are many disorders and conditions in the world that many people struggle to deal with. A lot of people turn to drugs to cope with stress, anxiety, seizure disorders and insomnia. Barbiturates produce a calming effect by acting on your central nervous system, thus controlling convulsions, causing you to get drowsy and inducing sleep. There are a lot of medications that have barbiturates in them. You may have taken barbiturates and not even been aware of it.

  1. Function

    • Barbiturates, commonly known as central nervous system depressants, fall into a category of drugs called sedative-hypnotic. Like the name suggests, barbiturates have anesthetic, anti-convulsant, and respiratory depressant effects on your body. This means that the drug reduces the activity in the central nervous system allowing you to be calm and sleep.

    Types

    • Barbiturates are not illegal, as long as you have a prescription. Drugs that are prescribed for people suffering from headaches, seizures, insomnia or gastro-intestinal complications all have barbiturates in them and could cause you to flunk a drug test. Secobarbital, used for insomnia, Primodone, Butalbital, Seconal and Phenobarbital are the most common barbiturates found in prescribed medications.

    History

    • Barbiturates, derived from barbituric acid, were introduced in the early 1900s. In those days, science and medicine were not very advanced, and many people became addicted to the drug. Barbiturates have since been replaced by benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines are more widely used and preferred because tolerance develops more slowly, reduces the risk of a lethal dose and has a wider therapeutic index.

    Warning

    • Although they are prescribed for a variety of conditions, barbiturates can be dangerous if not taken as directed by a medical professional. When taken regularly, barbiturates can be both physically and psychologically addictive. It is imperative that people who are on barbiturates be gradually withdrawn to avoid serious withdrawal symptoms. Abuse of barbiturates can cause coma or even death.

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