Phenobarbital is a psychotropic drug with a powerful anticonvulsant, sedative and hypnotic action widely used today, but few people know exactly what it is, under what brands it is presented and what effects it has. Today, we tell you everything you need to know about this barbiturate.
The first thing you should know about phenobarbital is that it is a substance that belongs to a group of medications known as barbiturates. That is, a family of drugs that acts on the central nervous system (CNS) and that produces a sedative effect in the person who ingests it. The result is slower brain function.
This substance is used primarily to control seizures. However, this element is also used in many cases to control anxiety problems, which is why it is part of many medications such as anxiolytics.
Phenobarbital is an addictive substance. For this reason, it is an element that must always be consumed under strict medical supervision, since if the treatment is taken for a long time, adverse effects may occur, in addition to a tolerance to this substance that entails the need for greater consumption of it.
Some of the contexts in which this substance is indicated are, for example, in cases of acute seizures, although always under medical prescription. It is also widely used as a sedative and to treat insomnia, given the hypnotic effect it produces..
The phenobarbital doses must be appropriate for each type of patient, depending on the age and physical complexion of the person. Thus, it is possible that it is also indicated in babies, mainly in cases of children with seizure problems due to various factors, such as febrile episodes..
Some of its most famous trade names are: Luminal, Gardenal and Luminaletas.
Phenobarbital, as we said before, is a substance widely used in people with difficulty falling asleep. This is one of the most common problems in today's society, since there is a large number of people who at some point in their lives, constantly or occasionally, suffer from insomnia problems.
The consequences of this disorder translate into a poorer quality of life, which is why it is usual to resort to medications that help to fall asleep. The most common are those that contain phenobarbital.
This last assumption, that of insomnia, is one of those that requires the greatest control when taking this type of medicine, since it usually generates enormous dependency in the people who consume it..
The level of tolerance and dependence generated by this substance can cause that, in the long term, it stops having an effect, so it will be necessary to consume a higher dose to obtain the effect that was achieved at the beginning of its consumption..
For this reason, one must be very careful when consuming this drug, since in a high dose it can be lethal. Thus, it is calculated that from 6 grams of consumption it can cause death in the person who consumes it.
This is even worse if it is mixed with other drugs, such as alcohol or other toxic substances or medications. In these cases, it can be lethal for those who take it with an even less ingested amount, since the concentration in the blood together with that of the other substance can be really dangerous and kill life..
Therefore, it must always be taken with strict medical supervision, since it is a drug that, although it is legal, produces an important effect on the brain that leads to the patient's addiction, tolerance, dependence and, in definitively, to the need for increasing consumption.
Being a type of drug that creates enormous physical and psychological dependence, stopping phenobarbital is something that has to be done gradually. Specialists recommend reducing your consumption little by little.
The problem is that after taking it for a long time, the sudden interruption of this substance can cause a withdrawal syndrome that is very difficult for the patient to bear, with symptoms ranging from delirium to seizures..
This is due to the fact that it acts directly on the central nervous system, so the brain has to be accustomed little by little to dispense with this substance with which it is used to living..
As you can see, phenobarbital is a drug with a great presence in our societies today. It is important that you know the information we have given you, whether you use it personally or if someone close to you uses it ... You have to know what you consume!!
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