Barbiturates are a group of drugs that are derivates of barbituric acid. For many years, barbiturates were used as sedatives. Today, their use is very limited in many countries, mainly because they cause addiction and people soon develop a tolerance.

People with a drug tolerance will need a higher dosage of the drug to get the same effect as before.^[source?] After a while, the drug becomes useless for these people. This increased use often leads to physical dependence as the body becomes used to the constant presence of barbiturates. When the person abruptly (suddenly) stops taking the drug or reduces the dose, withdrawal symptoms may arise.^[1]

Adolf von Baeyer was the first to produce Barbituric acid in 1864, and in 1879 it was perfected by chemist from France called Edouard Grimaux.^[2] Barbiturates were once used as a primary treatment for epilepsy; this is especially true for the substance called phenobarbital or phenobarbitone. The sedative effect of the drug made it increasingly unpopular, and it is now prescribed less for epilepsy in favor of other drugs that do not have unpopular side effects.

Benzodiazepines are another group of drugs which have sedative properties. They make people sleepy, and help them sleep. On the other hand, Barbiturates force people to sleep. In the case of severe sleeping problems which cannot be controlled by other drugs, Barbiturates are sometimes used as off-label drugs.

Barbiturate withdrawal symptoms may include:

• Abdominal cramps
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Restlessness
• Insomnia
• Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Tremors
• Seizures
• Delirium
• Hallucinations

Some of these withdrawal symptoms can be fatal. Seizures can be dangerous, and the delirium some users experience can lead to agitation, hyperthermia, and cardiovascular failure.

1. ↑ "Barbiturate Withdrawal". Withdrawal. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
2. ↑ López-Muñoz, Francisco; Ucha-Udabe, Ronaldo; Alamo, Cecilio (2005-12). "The history of barbiturates a century after their clinical introduction". Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. 1 (4): 329–343. ISSN1176-6328. PMC2424120. PMID18568113. Barbiturates were synthesized in 1864 by Adolf von Baeyer, though the synthetic process was developed and perfected by the French chemist Edouard Grimaux in 1879{{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)