Barbiturates, often called “yellow jackets,” “downers,” and “reds” on the streets are a very dangerous group of drugs known as “sedative-hypnotics.” These drugs seek to induce sleep and reduce anxiety. While once a well-known and documented problem, barbiturates fell out of favor as their lethal side effects became evident. The dosage that is prescribed to induce sleep or reduce anxiety is markedly close to the dose that can lead to coma and death.
Barbiturates have a high potential for addiction as these downers can cause psychological and physical addiction symptoms after taking just one pill a day for thirty days. Daily usage for a month can cause significant changes in the structure and function of the brain. Barbiturate withdrawal can lead to devastating consequences if not safely executed.
Generally used in pill form, some people have injected barbiturates to produce a fast-acting high. The barbiturates class does involve many types of drugs that mostly vary in the length of time that the drug remains effective in the system. Fast-acting barbiturates may only last several minutes, while longer-acting barbiturates may last up to two days.
First used as medicine in the early 1900’s, barbiturates became popular in the 1950’s and 1960’s to treat sleep disorders, seizures, and anxiety. As the popularity of these downers grew, so did the abuse. Many people became addicted to barbiturates and were ultimately labeled as the cause of death for Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland. As the danger of barbiturates came to light, a safer drug class called “benzodiazepines” were created and largely replaced barbiturates.
An overdose from barbiturates is often the result of mixing the drug with another illegal drug. Frequently, people mix barbiturates with opiates, hydrocodone, alcohol, and oxycodone. This is an especially serious combination as all these drugs cause respiratory depression. Using these drugs together is considered a medical emergency. The initial symptoms of a barbiturate overdone may appear to be intoxication, the life-threatening symptoms often appear in an unpredictable and irregular manner.
While physicians rarely prescribe barbiturates due to safety concerns, the street use of “yellow jackets” has increased, likely because many of the people who are using barbiturates do not recall the narrow therapeutic-to-toxic dosage window. People who abuse barbiturates cite that the effects are similar to that of alcohol intoxication. There may be a resurgence of barbiturate abuse due to the ever-increasing usage of stimulants such as cocaine and meth. Many use barbiturates to counter the effects of these powerful stimulants.
There is no safe way to treat and manage barbiturate abuse at home. Withdrawal symptoms can be lethal; immediate inpatient detoxification is necessary to safely withdraw from barbiturate addiction. Prompt medical attention for barbiturate addiction and a safe detoxification program are the first steps in recovering from addiction to barbiturates. After supervised detoxification from barbiturates is complete, the newly sober individual will require long-term therapies often in an inpatient setting to help understand the causes of their addiction.
Statistics
While less commonly abused, barbiturate addiction is still a problem today. Approximately 9% of all people in the United States will abuse a barbiturate; and 5% of children will grow up in a home in which barbiturates or another substance is abused.
Co-Occurring Disorders
- Other substance abuse and addiction
- Alcoholism
- Antisocial personality disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Stimulant abuse
- Anxiety
- Conduct disorders
- Schizophrenia
Causes
Most people who become addicted to barbiturates do so for a number of factors. There is not a single prognostic factor defining who will become addicted and who will not; rather there are a multitude of factors that play a role in addiction. These include:
Genetic: Those who have a first degree relative who has an addiction to barbiturates or other substances are at greater risk for developing an addiction at some point in their lifetime. While this is not a definitive indicator, there is a correlation between genetics and addiction.
Biological: It has been theorized that certain individuals are born lacking appropriate levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter, in the brain. As dopamine is responsible for pleasurable sensations, a person with a deficiency in this neurotransmitter may use barbiturates to correct this deficiency.
Environmental: With the steady increase of stimulant abuse (such as methamphetamines), barbiturates are often used as a way to counteract the unpleasant side effects of stimulant abuse. These individuals often do not remember the dangers of barbiturates as they were not alive during the dangerous period of the 1960’s when barbiturates were widely abused.
Psychological: Many individuals who abuse barbiturates have addictions to other substances which can only intensify the effects of barbiturate addiction. In addition, many people who are suffering from mental illnesses may use barbiturates to “self-medicate” the symptoms of their illness.
Symptoms of Barbiturate Abuse
Barbiturates are often called “brain relaxers,” that mimic the effects of alcohol intoxication when abused. Many of the symptoms experienced by those abusing barbiturates are similar to those caused by antihistamines, sleeping pills, pain medications, and alcohol. Symptoms may include:
Mood:
- Intense pleasure
- Mood swings
- Profound relaxation
- Irritability
- Inability to properly think
- Feeling high or “wasted”
- Sense of wellbeing
- Euphoria
- Agitation
- Pleasure
Behavioral:
- Acting high or wasted
- Behaving boldly
- Lack of normal inhibitions
- Inability to concentrate
- Recklessness
- Violent behavior
- Inability to fulfill responsibilities at work, home, or school
- Slurred, slow speech patterns
Physical:
- Tolerance
- Insomnia
- High core body temperature
- Physical dependence
- Withdrawal symptoms if barbiturates are not used
- Dizziness
- Sleepiness
- Hypotension
- Infections of the respiratory tract
- Tremors
- Kidney malfunctions
- Cardiovascular shock
- Loss of coordination
- Shallow breathing
- Respiratory depression
- Respiratory arrest
- Coma
- Death
Psychological:
- Memory loss
- Inability to think clearly
- Addiction
- Confusion
- Disorientation
- Hallucinations
- Paranoia
- Combativeness
- Delirium
Effects of Barbiturates
- Loss of memory
- Impairment of thinking
- Respiratory depression
- Respiratory arrest
- Coma
- Death
Effects of Withdrawal
Withdrawal from barbiturates is considered a medical emergency as the symptoms can quickly progress from mild to severe and without proper medical intervention, can lead to dire consequences. Withdrawal from barbiturates should only occur on an inpatient basis under the trained eye of proper medical staff. Effects of withdrawal include:
- Tremors
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Agitation
- Dangerously high fever
- Hallucinations
- Seizures
- Respiratory depression
- Respiratory arrest
- Coma
- Death