Butabarbital: addiction and overdose

• April 26, 2024

Butabarbital is one of the drugs prescribed for seizures or epileptic seizures. It is also used as a sleep medication (hypnotic) or as a daytime sedative (anticonvulsant).

Like other barbiturates, butabarbital works by interfering with nerve impulses to the brain. By itself, it may not be as effective in epileptic seizures, but in conjunction with other anti-seizure agents, the result can be dramatic.

Butabarbital is a potent drug that should be used only under medical prescription. It can diminish the mental and physical reflexes of the patient, so he must be very careful in his ingestion when operating complex machinery, driving or performing any other dangerous activity.

Those who abuse this medicine, show nervousness and confusion. The drug is broken down in the liver and eliminated from the body by the kidneys. That is why, those who suffer from liver or kidney diseases are particularly at risk. The drug can cause skin rash, difficulty breathing and allergic reactions, including sore throat, loose nose and watery eyes.

Prolonged use can cause addiction, causing lethargy, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. More severe symptoms include anemia and jaundice. Its sedative effect increases when mixed with alcohol or tranquilizers.

It should be noted that those who have already been addicted to sedatives, are allergic to barbiturates, or suffer from a disease that affects the respiratory system, are advised not to use butabarbital.

The normal dose prescribed by doctors is 15 to 30 milligrams three times a day (as a sedative in the day) and 50 to 100 milligrams at bedtime (as hypnotic for sleep). In children the recommended dose is from 7 to 30 milligrams, determined by age and weight.

Using butabarbital for other purposes than those prescribed by the doctor can lead to serious symptoms, such as fluid buildup in the lungs, decreased body temperature (which becomes a fever over time), decreased size of the pupils, difficulty breathing and eventually coma.

Severe overdose can be fatal. In fact, the drug has been used many times in suicide attempts. A suspect of the use of the drug or who has an overdose, should be taken to the hospital for immediate medical treatment.

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