Barbiturate Misuse and Addiction

Barbiturates are sedative-hypnotics, meaning they cause sedation and sleepiness.(1) They’re often used to control seizures and unwanted muscle twitches, treat insomnia, and relieve anxiety. Doctors prescribe them; you won’t find barbiturates for sale in grocery stores or pharmacies, like ibuprofen or Tylenol. You need a prescription, including instructions on when to take the pill, how much to take, and potential side effects.

Barbiturates work by slowing down the activity in your brain and depressing your central nervous system, which can relieve intense anxiety, help you sleep, and control seizures.(2) Some barbiturates are more focused on anxiety, sleep, headaches, pre-surgery calmness, or seizure treatment. Notably, only a tiny difference in dosage produces desired clinical results versus coma and death. It’s difficult to get the dose correct, and many providers avoid barbiturates for this reason (and its addictive nature and life-threatening withdrawals).(3)

People may use them outside clinical bounds to feel more disinhibited and to self-medicate unwanted effects of illicit drugs like cocaine.(4).

Are Barbiturates Really Dangerous?

Barbiturates have a very high risk of misuse, addiction and unintentional overdose. Misuse of these central nervous system depressants can cause impaired daily functioning and toxicity. Barbiturates slow, and can even stop, vital life functions. Consequently, barbiturate dosing must be carefully medically monitored to prevent overdose.

With illicit or recreational use, these risks increase. Lack of medical supervision, the tendency to take progressively increasing amounts, and the combination of barbiturates with other substances such as alcohol all contribute to negative outcomes in non-medical use.

Because of their relatively quick onset of intoxicating effects, the risk of misuse and addiction is potentially greater with the faster-acting variety of barbiturates. Time-release barbiturates, however, can cause unintentional overdoses when abused because users may ingest more of the drug in an attempt to enhance the immediate effects.

Signs, Symptoms and Side Effects of Barbiturate Use

Even at low doses, barbiturates can have powerful depressant effects. At higher doses, or after prolonged periods of misuse, more chronic and serious effects can occur.Some effects of barbiturate abuse are:(5)

• Slurred speech.
• Poor coordination.
• Drowsiness.
• Overall sluggishness.
• Poor judgment.
• Confusion.
• Slowed respiration.
• Respiratory arrest.
• Cardiac arrest.
• Unconsciousness.
• Coma.
• Death

What Happens If Someone Stops Taking These Drugs?

Acute barbiturate withdrawal can involve distressing, life-threatening health risks. Withdrawal should be medically supervised to ensure safety. On average, withdrawal symptoms will manifest within 8-16 hours after decreasing or stopping use.

Barbiturate withdrawal symptoms are similar to those seen during acute alcohol withdrawal, but with a relatively-delayed period of onset. The most severe symptoms of barbiturate withdrawal are seizures and delirium, but more common symptoms include:

• Sweating/fever.
• Rapid heart rate.
• High blood pressure.
• Shaking hands.
• Insomnia.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Hallucinations.
• Restlessness.
• Anxiety.

Signs and Symptoms of Barbiturate Overdose

People often appear drunk in the early stages of an overdose, so neither the user nor those around him or her may realize an overdose is occurring.(6) Some of the signs and symptoms are:(7,8)

• Heart failure.
• Low blood pressure.
• Faint pulse.
• Possible kidney failure.
• Very slow breathing or stopped breathing.
• Headache.
• Drowsiness.
• Slurred speech.
• Low energy.
• Confusion.
• Agitation.
• Incoordination.
• Coma.
• Skin rash.
• Blisters.

If you suspect an overdose, call 911 immediately. If possible, be ready to provide the dispatcher with:

• The user’s age, height, and weight.
• Amount of the drug taken.
• When it was taken.
• Whether it was prescribed.

Do not spend time gathering this information if it prevents help from reaching the person as quickly as possible.

Treatment for Barbiturate Addiction

The first step in getting treatment will likely be setting up an appointment with your primary care doctor; or, you can start by reaching out to drug rehab and admit to their program for detox services and therapies targeted at comprehensive recovery.

Detox

Medical detox removes toxins from your body. This step is especially important for barbiturates as their withdrawal symptoms can be deadly3. Providers will likely use a tailored blend of medications to make the detox process safe and comfortable, preparing you for the next step: therapeutic care.

Inpatient rehab

Inpatient or residential treatment involves living at the treatment center and can last from several days to several months. The length of stay in the facility will vary depending on many factors, such as emotional and physical health, the presence of multiple addictions or mental health disorders, the length of time a person has been abusing drugs, and the relative severity of the addiction. These programs often include detox, individual and group therapy, medical supervision, and a variety of other therapeutic activities, such as meditation, yoga, physical recreation, and art and music activities.

Therapy

Therapy gets to the heart of addictions, helping you discover what drives it emotionally and how you can cope with distress in new ways. You’ll likely meet with a therapist 1:1 and with other patients in group therapy. Many drug treatment programs also offer family therapy, or you can seek it out yourself. Common therapies include

1. Cognitive behavioral therapy, which often uses ‘homework’ and practical strategies to catch and challenge untrue thoughts leading to distress, retraining your brain to help you heal.
2. Dialectical behavioral therapy focuses more on adapting to thoughts and adjusting how you react to them, rather than challenging them with another belief. Coursework and group support are key components.
3. Therapies like eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) focus on addressing and processing trauma at a comfortable pace.

Ongoing Support

Attending support groups can maintain your progress once you graduate from drug rehab or outpatient care for addiction. These types of peer support groups can include 12-Step-based groups, like Pills Anonymous (PA), or secular groups not associated with the 12 Steps.

Any social activity can also support your recovery by surrounding you with people who want you to get better and/or maintain your progress. For example, you could schedule regular meetings with friends and commit to calling a loved one every day.

Find a Prescription Drug Rehab Center

Many rehabs recognize barbiturates as one of the most addictive drugs and offer comprehensive care centered on long-term recovery. At a prescription drug rehab you’ll stay in a recovery-conducive environment for 28+ days, with each structured week filled with therapeutic care, activities, relapse prevention training, aftercare planning, and more.

You can use Recovery.com to find prescription drug rehabs, filtering by your insurance, location, reviews, and more to find the best treatment for you.