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Barbiturates . By: Laurie Davis. Important Information. Barbiturates are medicines that act on the central nervous system (CNS). As a group, they are known as central nervous depressants or sedative-hypnotic drugs. They cause drowsiness and may control seizures (convulsions).
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Barbiturates By: Laurie Davis
Important Information.. Barbiturates are medicines that act on the central nervous system (CNS). As a group, they are known as central nervous depressants or sedative-hypnotic drugs. They cause drowsiness and may control seizures (convulsions).
……… Barbiturates make people very relaxed, calm, and sleepy. These drugs are sometimes used to help patients relax before surgery. In the past, barbiturates have been used to treat nervousness and sleep problems. Today they have generally been replaced by other medicines for these purposes. Barbiturates may become habit-forming and should not be used to relieve everyday anxiety and tension or to treat sleeplessness over long periods.
……… • Barbiturates should always be taken exactly as directed because of their tendency to become addicting and because of the way then interact with other drugs. Because barbiturates work on the central nervous system, they may add to the effects of alcohol and other drugs that slow the central nervous system, such as antihistamines, cold medicine, allergy medicine, sleep aids, medicinefor seizures, tranquilizers, some pain relievers, and muscle relaxants.
Effects on Barbiturates • People may feel drowsy, dizzy, lightheaded, or less alert when using these drugs. These effects may even occur the morning after taking a barbiturate at bedtime. Because of these possible effects, anyone who takes these drugs should not drive, use machines, or do anything else that might be dangerous untilthey have found out how the drugs affect them.
History of Barbiturates… • Barbiturates were first used in medicine in the early 1900s and became popular in the 1960s and 1970s as treatment for anxiety, insomnia, or seizure disorders. With the popularity of barbiturates in the medical population, barbiturates as drugs of abuse evolved as well.
……... • Barbiturates were abused to reduce anxiety, decrease inhibitions, and treat unwanted effects of illicit drugs. Barbiturates can be extremely dangerous because the correct dose is difficult to predict. Even a slight overdose can cause coma or death. Barbiturates are also addictive and can cause a life-threatening withdrawal syndrome.
Dangers in Barbiturates.. Barbiturates are among the most dangerous of the drugs used illegally. Here's why. • Your body quickly becomes tolerant to the drug's pleasant effects - meaning that you need a bigger dose to get the "high." But the body does not become tolerant to the effect the drug has on breathing - meaning that the more you take, the weaker your breathing. At some point you may become unconscious, go into a coma, or even die. • Mixing barbiturates with other "downers" such as alcohol, tranquillizers, or heroin, or even with some antihistamines, is very dangerous for the same reason. They also slow your heart and breathing rates.
……… • If you regularly take a lot of barbiturates and suddenly stop, you can suffer symptoms severe enough to cause death. • If you inject barbiturates you run even more risks, you run even more risks, such as tetanus or other infections from dirty needles - or hepatitis or AIDS from needles shared with others. • Pregnant women should not take barbiturates except under a doctor's supervision. Prolonged use may cause birth defects or, at the very least, babies may suffer withdrawal symptoms from their mother's drug use.
Reason People Take This Drug Some people take barbiturates for what they think is the "fun" of it. Others are trying to calm down from the effects of some other drug that speeds up their bodies - amphetamines or cocaine, for example.
Addiction Can you become addicted to barbiturates? Yes. Barbiturates used for pleasure - or even prescribed pills taken too long and too often - can cause a strong physical and psychological dependence. Withdrawal can be unpleasant, dangerous, and even deadly. If you are addicted to these drugs, make sure you get medical help to quit.
Medical Uses Doctors sometimes prescribe barbiturates for people who have a nerve disorder called epilepsy. They also prescribe them for people who can't sleep or are anxious or tense (but these days, they will more likely prescribe tranquillizers, which are less dangerous). These are the medical reasons for taking barbiturates.
Slang Names Barbs, barbies, blue bullets, blue devils, gorillas, nembies, pink ladies, red devils, sleepers, seccies and downers.
Category of Drug/Law Barbiturates are a Class B drug, which are only legally available on prescription.
