Barbiturates
Common Street Names
- Barbs
- Red Dolls
- Downers
- Rainbows
- Sleepers
- Pink Ladies
- Stumblers
- Blue Bullets
- Yellow Jackets
Barbiturates affect sleep, attention, integration of the senses, and maintenance of blood pressure and body temperature. The primary use for these drugs is for insomnia, preoperative sedation and certain seizure disorders. They may also be used by veterinarians for anesthesia and euthanasia. High doses have also been used in assisted suicides and capital punishment lethal injections.
Possible Effects:
- Sleepiness or deep sleep
- Constricted Pupils
- Reduced REM Sleep
- Slowed Breathing
- Slurred Speech
- Addiction
- Poor Coordination & Falling
- Over-Dose
- Poor Thought Process & Comprehension
- Tolerance
- Memory & Judgment Difficulty
- Dependence
- Involuntary Jerking of the Eyes Death! (especially when combined with alcohol)
- Mood Swings
Common RX Names
- Secobarbital
- * Seconal Amobarbital
- * Amytal
- Pentobarbital
- * Nembutal Phenobarbital
- * Luminal
- * Brand Names
Famous Deaths from Barbiturates
- Marilyn Monroe
- Judy Garland
- Jimi Hendrix
Sodium Pentothal, the so called ‘truth serum’, a barbiturate, actually works by lowering inhibitions and increasing talkativeness
Withdrawal from barbiturates, as with most drugs, is not pleasant. It can however be dangerous if done too abruptly. Withdrawal symptoms can include anxiety, insomnia, nausea, hallucinations, and seizures.
The effects of barbiturates range from mild sedation to anesthesia. The biggest problem with this group of drugs is that the difference between a therapeutic dose and a lethal dose is quite small. Since chronic users develop tolerance this may lead to higher doses to achieve the desired effect resulting in accidental overdose. This narrow therapeutic window is what led to the current infrequent use of barbiturates in favor of the safer benzodiazepines.
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