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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Sad Panda on August 20, 2004, at 10:55:54
Now that you are back, do Barbiturates have any advantages over the Benzos? My understanding is that the barbiturates depress the respiration centre on the brainstem much more than benzos do.
Cheers,
Panda.
Posted by chemist on August 20, 2004, at 12:52:19
In reply to A question for Chemist - Benzos Vs Barbs, posted by Sad Panda on August 20, 2004, at 10:55:54
> Now that you are back, do Barbiturates have any advantages over the Benzos? My understanding is that the barbiturates depress the respiration centre on the brainstem much more than benzos do.
>
> Cheers,
> Panda.
>
hi panda, here we go, right? your comment above is spot on in re: depression of respiration, and the barbs fell out of favor on this side of the pond upon the dawn of chloral hydrate (shortly) then benzos for anxiolytics, and anti-seizure/anti-epilepsy meds like phenytoin...largely safety issues, and high abuse potential, too. the first and last time i actually laid eyes on a barbiturate (well, the bottle, to be precise) was in the mid 1980s, a terminally ill grandparent of a good friend was taking nebutal (pentobarbital) for sleep. i am guessing that potential advantages are for people who do not respond favorably to the anti-seizure meds on the market today and/or cases of insomnia that are too severe to clobber with a benzo or z-drug. otherwise, i'm out of ideas....all the best, chemist
Posted by jerrympls on August 21, 2004, at 0:21:49
In reply to Re: A question for Chemist - Benzos Vs Barbs » Sad Panda, posted by chemist on August 20, 2004, at 12:52:19
> > Now that you are back, do Barbiturates have any advantages over the Benzos? My understanding is that the barbiturates depress the respiration centre on the brainstem much more than benzos do.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Panda.
> >
> hi panda, here we go, right? your comment above is spot on in re: depression of respiration, and the barbs fell out of favor on this side of the pond upon the dawn of chloral hydrate (shortly) then benzos for anxiolytics, and anti-seizure/anti-epilepsy meds like phenytoin...largely safety issues, and high abuse potential, too. the first and last time i actually laid eyes on a barbiturate (well, the bottle, to be precise) was in the mid 1980s, a terminally ill grandparent of a good friend was taking nebutal (pentobarbital) for sleep. i am guessing that potential advantages are for people who do not respond favorably to the anti-seizure meds on the market today and/or cases of insomnia that are too severe to clobber with a benzo or z-drug. otherwise, i'm out of ideas....all the best, chemistHI all-
I've have severe periods of insomnia where nothing would work - Restoril, Ambien, Halcion, tricyclics, benedryl, atarax, chloral hydrate...etc.etc...so my doc finally prescribed Nembutal. He said to me in a kind of secretive voice "All the hype over the dangers of barbituates are highly overrated - but you grow tolerant to them rapidly - within a month or two." So, 200mg/night for 2 months I had THEE BEST SLEEP I have EVER had. My energy during the day increased as did my mood. Even with my asthma, I had No troubles with breathing while on the med. That was 8 years ago. Now when I tell my pdoc that it's the best insomnia med I've ever taken he recoils in horror! "NO! Those are so dangerous and they don't use them at all anymore."
yeah right - he's a 4th year psych resident. I know more about meds than he does.
Jerry
Posted by chemist on August 21, 2004, at 10:47:13
In reply to Re: A question for Chemist - Benzos Vs Barbs » chemist, posted by jerrympls on August 21, 2004, at 0:21:49
hello there, chemist here....thanks for the heads-up: it seems that the (obvious) use for refractory insomnia worked well, but you hit the wall in terms of getting a script ever again. too bad, as you certainly were not abusing them, and they worked quite well in your case....i do hope a suitable remedy is in place, although from your post, it would seem unlikely.....all the best, chemist
>
> HI all-
>
> I've have severe periods of insomnia where nothing would work - Restoril, Ambien, Halcion, tricyclics, benedryl, atarax, chloral hydrate...etc.etc...so my doc finally prescribed Nembutal. He said to me in a kind of secretive voice "All the hype over the dangers of barbituates are highly overrated - but you grow tolerant to them rapidly - within a month or two." So, 200mg/night for 2 months I had THEE BEST SLEEP I have EVER had. My energy during the day increased as did my mood. Even with my asthma, I had No troubles with breathing while on the med. That was 8 years ago. Now when I tell my pdoc that it's the best insomnia med I've ever taken he recoils in horror! "NO! Those are so dangerous and they don't use them at all anymore."
>
> yeah right - he's a 4th year psych resident. I know more about meds than he does.
>
> Jerry
>
Posted by Sad Panda on August 23, 2004, at 5:02:12
In reply to Re: A question for Chemist - Benzos Vs Barbs » chemist, posted by jerrympls on August 21, 2004, at 0:21:49
> > > Now that you are back, do Barbiturates have any advantages over the Benzos? My understanding is that the barbiturates depress the respiration centre on the brainstem much more than benzos do.
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > > Panda.
> > >
> > hi panda, here we go, right? your comment above is spot on in re: depression of respiration, and the barbs fell out of favor on this side of the pond upon the dawn of chloral hydrate (shortly) then benzos for anxiolytics, and anti-seizure/anti-epilepsy meds like phenytoin...largely safety issues, and high abuse potential, too. the first and last time i actually laid eyes on a barbiturate (well, the bottle, to be precise) was in the mid 1980s, a terminally ill grandparent of a good friend was taking nebutal (pentobarbital) for sleep. i am guessing that potential advantages are for people who do not respond favorably to the anti-seizure meds on the market today and/or cases of insomnia that are too severe to clobber with a benzo or z-drug. otherwise, i'm out of ideas....all the best, chemist
>
> HI all-
>
> I've have severe periods of insomnia where nothing would work - Restoril, Ambien, Halcion, tricyclics, benedryl, atarax, chloral hydrate...etc.etc...so my doc finally prescribed Nembutal. He said to me in a kind of secretive voice "All the hype over the dangers of barbituates are highly overrated - but you grow tolerant to them rapidly - within a month or two." So, 200mg/night for 2 months I had THEE BEST SLEEP I have EVER had. My energy during the day increased as did my mood. Even with my asthma, I had No troubles with breathing while on the med. That was 8 years ago. Now when I tell my pdoc that it's the best insomnia med I've ever taken he recoils in horror! "NO! Those are so dangerous and they don't use them at all anymore."
>
> yeah right - he's a 4th year psych resident. I know more about meds than he does.
>
> Jerry
>
>Hi Jerry,
How high did you go with the doseage on the benzos?
Cheers,
Panda.
This is the end of the thread.
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