Barbiturates began to be widely prescribed in the 1920s.
Barbiturate is a group of sedative-hypnotic (tranquilizing/ sleep-inducing) drugs that slows down or "depresses" functions of the central nervous system. Because of this, barbiturates are also called CNS depressants or "downers." Even though there are various kinds of barbiturates, they are all derived from the chemical compound, barbituric acid. Virtually all sedatives and tranquilizers were barbiturates up until the 1950s, according to the National Institutes of Health. Benzodiazepines are the leading sedative-hypnotic drugs prescribed to individuals today; however, barbiturates are still used in many hospitals and other medical facilities.
Categories
Since their inception in 1864, approximately 2,500 barbiturates have been created, 50 of which were accepted in the market. But ultimately, only half of these have been used in clinical applications. Of these numerous forms of barbiturates, reports the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, all can be grouped in one of four categories: "Ultra Short-Acting," "Short-Acting," "Intermediate-Acting" and "Long-Acting."
Ultra Short-Acting
Ultra short-acting barbiturates have an onset of 0 to 45 seconds, last 15 minutes to 3 hours and are used as anesthetics for surgical procedures. Examples of ultra short-acting barbiturates include thiopental sodium, which is sold as Pentatho, and methehexital sodium, sold under the brand name Brevital.
Short-Acting
Short-acting barbiturates have an onset of 10 to 15 minutes and last 2 to 4 hours. Two of the many short-acting barbiturates include secobarbital and pentobarbital. Secobarbital, sold under the brand name Seconal, is used as a sedative or pre-anesthetic for surgery. Prior to the development of benzodiazepines, secobarbital was one of the most commonly prescribed barbiturates for insomnia (difficulty falling and/or staying asleep). Pentobarbital is sold as Nemutal and is used as an agent to treat seizures under emergency conditions, a pre-anesthetic for surgery and a short-term treatment for insomnia.
Intermediate-Acting
Intermediate-acting barbituates have an onset of 15 to 30 minutes and last 4 to 6 hours according to the Drug Test Success website. Examples of Intermediate-acting barbiturates include butabarbital and tuinal. Butabarbital is used to treat insomnia and anxiety on a short-term basis. Tuinal is combination of the drugs amobarbital and secobarbital and is used to control seizures, and to also treat insomnia and anxiety on a short-term basis.
Long-Acting
Long-acting barbiturates have an onset of 30 to 60 minutes and last 6 to 8 hours. Amobarbital and phenobarbital are forms of long-acting barbiturates. Amobarbital is sold under the market name Amytal and is generally used as a sedative. However, it is also occasionally used to calm, or tranquilize, patients who are in the process of recalling repressed information during psychiatric analysis and evaluation (referred to as Amytal interviews). Phenobarbital is sold as Solfoton or Luminal and is primarily used to treat short-term insomnia and to control epileptic seizures.
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