Barbiturates Addiction

Like most other sedatives, barbiturates have a high potential for addiction. Users can crave the relaxing effects they produce, and this can lead to a deadly cycle that leaves you isolated and with a dependency. Even though the use of barbiturates has declined since the 1970s, barbiturates addiction is still very real. Recent studies show that high school users are starting to use them more and more. Almost 400 people died from barbiturates overdoses in 2013.

Harmony Ridge can help treat your barbiturates addiction with comprehensive treatment.

What Are Barbiturates?

Barbiturates are medications classified as “sedative-hypnotics,” which are depressants. These are known for decreasing anxiety and inducing sleep in users. Although benzodiazepines like Xanax and Valium have largely replaced barbiturates for many conditions, they’re still commonly used to treat the following:

• Insomnia
• Headaches, anxiety, and tension
• Seizure disorders

As opposed to stimulants like methamphetamine and cocaine, which speed up your body’s functions, barbiturates slow these down. This is why they generally have the nickname “downers.” People who use barbiturates usually take them to mitigate the effects of stimulants.

Barbiturates became popular in the 1960s and 1970s as painkillers, and people eventually used them as recreational drugs. Although at one point there were more than 2,500 variations of barbiturates, there are now only about 10 different varieties that medical professionals prescribe.

How Are Barbiturates Used?

Barbiturates are usually taken in pill form, but they can also be injected into muscles or veins. Different barbiturates have street names attached to them based on the markings and colors of each pill, as well as the drug’s effect on the user.

About 452,000 people used barbiturates in 2015, compared to almost 30 million benzodiazepine users. This shows the major decline in people using the former drug.

As sedative-hypnotics, barbiturates slow down the central nervous system, which includes the brain. By reducing nerve activity, they induce feelings of relaxation, and as a result, they reduce blood pressure and heart rate.

Types of Barbiturates

Although all barbiturates virtually serve the same purpose, each one is slightly different. Here is a list of popular barbiturates and their slang names, both discontinued and not.

• Amobarbital (also known as blue heaven, downers, blue devils, blue velvet): This is available as an injection. A white crystalline powder, it has a slightly bitter taste and no smell. Sodium amobarbital has also been used as a truth serum.
• Mephobarbital: This comes in a tablet form and is an anticonvulsant used for seizures.
• Pentobarbital (yellow jackets, Mexican yellows, nembies, abbots): Available as an injection. This is known in the U.S. as Nembutal, although this was discontinued in 1999. It’s been used for executing convicted criminals. You can easily overdose on pentobarbital since it causes respiratory arrest.
• Phenobarbital (goof balls, purple hearts): This is commonly used for controlling seizures in young children. It can be injected or taken by mouth. Created in 1912, it’s the oldest anti-seizure medication that’s still used today. However, it’s also known to increase the risk of suicide in users.
• Secobarbital (reds, red devils, red birds, pinks, pink ladies, seggy, lilly, F-40s): This is commonly known as a sleeping pill. As Seconal, secobarbital is a highly abused barbiturate
• Tuinal (rainbows, tooies, double trouble, reds and blues, F-66s, gorilla pills): Discontinued in the late 1990s, it was largely replaced by benzodiazepines.

Side Effects of Barbiturates

Using barbiturates can lead to some mild side effects, including:

• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Abdominal pain
• Vomiting
• Slurred speech
• Shallow or slowed breathing
• Poor memory and attention

Just because a doctor prescribes you barbiturates doesn’t mean you can’t become addicted to them.

Signs of barbiturates addiction include:

• Using barbiturates more than you planned
• Taking more than you need to
• Combining barbiturates with other drugs like alcohol
• Crushing and snorting barbiturate pills for consumption
• Needing more barbiturates to achieve the same effect

Symptoms of barbiturates addiction include:

• Drowsiness
• Low inhibition
• Intoxication
• Staggering
• Slurred speech
• Confusion
• Lack of coordination
• Change in activities or interests
• Not meeting expectations or responsibilities at work or school

People who abuse barbiturates get “high” in a way that’s almost like being drunk.

A good portion of people who use barbiturates also combine them with other substances, especially alcohol. Many celebrities who abused barbiturates in the 1960s and 1970s  Users will do this to achieve the following:

• Enhance a barbiturate’s euphoric effects: When you combine barbiturates with alcohol or benzodiazepines, the high is intensified, but this can be dangerous for your body. You increase your chances of overdose and death.
• Limit the effects of stimulants. Taking barbiturates with stimulants like methamphetamine can slow down their effects and ease the “comedown.”
• Increase the drug’s anti-anxiety effects: It’s common for people to self-medicate with barbiturates and benzodiazepines if they have undiagnosed anxiety disorders. This might seem like an easy way to relieve your feelings, but this is only temporary. Self-medicating isn’t healthy, and you could hurt yourself if you don’t know the proper amount of medication to take.

At Harmony Ridge, we understand that barbiturates addiction treatment is a complex condition that must be treated carefully. We’ll take you through several steps to ensure that you achieve a complete recovery from your substance abuse. Our licensed staff is always on hand to answer any questions you have during the process.