[Guiness187055]

Are barbituates still prescribed?

[AspiringAuthor]

"Phenobarbital is most likely to be used for treating seizures. The World Health Organization (WHO) list it as a first-line treatment for epilepsy for adults and children in the developing world, because of its low cost and proven effectiveness."
Barbiturates: Uses, side effects, and risks

[still_crazy]

Fioricet....its for really intense tension headaches and some milder migraines. there's a low dose barbiturate in the mix.

seconal is back on the US market (weird). I did a goodrx search out of curiosity. looksl ike its used as the suicide pill in states where physician assisted suicide is legal. maybe that explains the high mark up?

i read a woman's blog for a while...she wrote about a psych doc prescribing phenobarbital for her agitation and also to help her sleep. has a long half life, so I suppose a night time dose would carry thru the day. i dont see why the psych doc didnt go for something more modern, though.

amobarbital (the barbiturate part of the infamous Dexamyl, part dexedrine, part barbiturate) was once used in psychiatry. injections were (are?) used to treat catatonic states, and some psych docs used it to "facilitate" psychotherapy. there was a case in the late 80s, maybe early 90s...a prominent psych doc used it to sedate and then assault a female patient, and she also developed a nasty dependence on the stuff.

a quick internet search leads me to believe that rich people doctors are still prescribing the more pleasant barbiturates, now and then. can't say im all that surprised...

for the rest of us, there's benzodiazepines, on a good day. except...meprobamate (miltown, equanil...the stuff soma metabolizes into) is still available, not crazy $$$, and still conveniently in Schedule IV, just like ativan, etc. I wonder what that's about...

[BonsaiGuy]

Phenobarbital was prescribed to me as a detox supplementation for Benzodiazepines when I was in rehab. However, I must mention that this was in a very controlled and heavily monitored in-patient setting. Not sure if they'll let you walk around with 30 or 60 of them in the USA. Especially with the LD50 being so low in relation to the therapeutic dosage. The biggest concern I believe is respiratory depression.