Posted by Quintal on December 14, 2006, at 11:56:03 [reposted on December 23, 2006, at 10:49:21 | original URL]
In reply to Re: Phenobarbital as a benzo detox, posted by psychobot5000 on December 13, 2006, at 22:19:17
>Many docs are under the impression that merely because a drug is old, it is inferior--thus the impression of barbiturates being used for anything as 'barbaric.'
I think the author may be referring to the severe and unpleasant side effects of Phenobarbital. It is often viewed as an 'incapacitating' drug by people who have taken it on medical prescription.
>Barbiturates are, as I understand it, analogous to benzodiazepines, but with a smaller therapeutic index, making them in, theory, highly appropriate for detox.
The benzodiazepines are selective to a unique set of receptors that inhibit activity in specific parts of the brain, while barbiturates are non-selective CNS depressants and inhibit activity all throughout the brain.
Perhaps they are indeed better than quitting cold turkey so long as it is done in a controlled setting, but I imagine withdrawing from Phenobarbital is not much fun either. I'd never heard much about barbs being used in benzo withdrawal before I stumbled upon that article by chance. From a pharmacological perspective it's going out of the frying pan, into the fire though and I suspect that's why doctors are not so enthusiastic about using it.
I wonder if there is any more info on Phenobarbital being used as a benzo detox. Is it still being used now?
Q
poster:Quintal
thread:715851
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20061010/msgs/715854.html