Medication Information

Common Medications

Sedatices & Hypnotic Medication
This class includes the barbituates, which are among the first drugs to be used in clinical psychiatric treatment, being introduced in the US in 1903. One of the oldest sedative-hypnotic drugs still in use, chloral hydrate, has been used since 1869. Because of their high abuse potential and lower therapeutic index, the barbituates are now less commonly prescribed than the newer anxiolytic compounds, such as the benzodiazepines and buspirone, which are considered much safer. Four others of the class, carbamates, piperidinediones, cyclic ethers, and tertiary carbinols, are still available for use, but are used so rarely because of their high abuse potential and toxic effects, that they are not listed below.

Side Effects
A high abuse potential is associated with these drugs, the barbituates in particular. Drowsiness, confusion, constipation, blurred vision, edema, vertigo, paradoxical dysphoria, hyperactivity, cognitive disorganization, lethargy, fatigue, headache, syncope, ataxia, and in rare cases, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, megaloblastic anemia, and osteopenia. Many of the adverse side effects are similar to those of the benzodiazepines.

Generic Names
Some of the generic names follow (trade names in parenthesis)

• amobarbital (Amytal)
• aprobarbital (Alurate)
• butabarbital (Butisol)
• chloral hydrate (Noctec)
• ethchlorvynol (Placidyl)
• L-tryptophan (not in use in US)
• mephobarbital (Mebaral)
• methohexital (Brevital)
• nitrazepam (Mogadon)
• pentobarbital (Nembutal)
• phenobarbital (Luminal, Barbita, Solfoton)
• secobarbital (Seconal)
• zolpidem (Ambien)