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Treatment of the barbiturate abstinence syndrome *
Author(s) -
Sullivan John T.,
Sellers Edward M.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1986.tb113873.x
Subject(s) - barbiturate , secobarbital , phenobarbital , abstinence , medicine , anesthesia , abstinence syndrome , delirium , pharmacotherapy , psychiatry , pharmacology , pentobarbital
Patients with the barbiturate abstinence syndrome require pharmacotherapy (and hospitalization) when there is a history of the ingestion of greater than 0.4 g of secobarbital or its equivalent for 90 or more days, or of 0.6 g for 30 or more days, or a previous history of barbiturate withdrawal seizures or delirium. The pharmacological management of withdrawal, which is rational, safe, efficacious and relatively simple, is described and recommended. This treatment relies on a phenobarbital loading‐dose technique which is titrated to clinical end‐points. The prolonged elimination of phenobarbital prevents the reappearance of withdrawal symptoms and, since repeated doses are not required, results in less manipulative drug‐seeking behaviour.