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Amobarbital (formerly known as amylobarbitone) is a drug that is a barbiturate derivative. It has sedative-hypnotic and analgesic properties. It is a white crystalline powder with no odor and a slightly bitter taste. If amobarbital is taken for extended periods of time, physical and psychological dependence can develop. In pharmacology and toxicology, a route of administration is the path by which a drug, fluid, poison or other substance is brought into contact with the body. ... Look up IM, im, Im in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... IV may refer to: The Roman number for four — meaning one (I) less than five (V). ... Barbituric acid, the basic structure of all barbiturates Barbiturates are drugs that act as central nervous system depressants, and by virtue of this they produce a wide spectrum of effects, from mild sedation to anesthesia. ... A sedative is a substance that depresses the central nervous system (CNS), resulting in calmness, relaxation, reduction of anxiety, sleepiness, and slowed breathing, as well as slurred speech, staggering gait, poor judgment, and slow, uncertain reflexes. ... Hypnotic drugs are a class of drugs that induce sleep, used in the treatment of severe insomnia. ... An analgesic (colloquially known as a painkiller) is any member of the diverse group of drugs used to relieve pain (achieve analgesia). ...

Pharmacology

According to an in vitro study conducted at the University of British Columbia, amobarbital works by activating GABA_A receptors, which decreases input resistance, depresses burst and tonic firing, especially in ventrobasal and intralaminar neurons, while at the same time increasing burst duration and mean conductance at individual chloride channels; this increases both the amplitude and decay time of inhibitory postsynaptic currents.^[1] Wiktionary has a definition of: In vitro In vitro (Latin: within glass) means within a test tube, or, more generally, outside a living organism or cell. ... The GABAA receptor is one of the three ligand-gated ion channels responsible for mediating the effects of Gamma-AminoButyric Acid (GABA), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. ... The input impedance or load impedance of a circuit or electronic device is the impedance actually experienced by a signal which is connected to it. ... A. A schematic view of an idealized action potential illustrates its various phases as the action potential passes a point on a cell membrane. ... A. A schematic view of an idealized action potential illustrates its various phases as the action potential passes a point on a cell membrane. ... The thalamus (from Greek θάλαμος = bedroom, chamber, IPA= /ˈθæləməs/) is a pair and symmetric part of the brain. ... The thalamus (from Greek θάλαμος = bedroom, chamber, IPA= /ˈθæləməs/) is a pair and symmetric part of the brain. ... Drawing by Santiago Ramón y Cajal of neurons in the pigeon cerebellum. ... Conductance can refer to: Electrical conductance, the reciprocal of electrical resistance. ... Ion channels are present in the membranes that surround all biological cells. ... A synapse is a connection between two neurons: presynaptic and postsynaptic. ... In electricity, current refers to electric current, which is the flow of electric charge. ...

It has an LD50 in mice of 212 mg/kg s.c. An LD50 test being administered In toxicology, the LD50 or colloquially semilethal dose of a particular substance is a measure of how much constitutes a lethal dose. ...

Metabolism

Amobarbital undergoes both hydroxylation to form 3'-hydroxyamobarbital,^[2] which has both levorotatory and dextrorotatory isomers^[3] and N-glucosidation^[4] to form 1-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)amobarbital.^[5] Hydroxylation is any chemical process that introduces one or more hydroxyl groups (-OH) into a compound (or radical) thereby oxidising it. ... Levorotation (also spelled laevorotation) is the counterclockwise rotation of plane polarized light. ... Dextrorotation is the property of rotating plane polarized light to the right. ... In chemistry, isomers are molecules with the same chemical formula and often with the same kinds of chemical bonds between atoms, but in which the atoms are arranged differently (analogous to a chemical anagram). ... A glucoside is a glycoside that is derived from glucose. ...

Indications

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Approved

• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Epilepsy

Anxiety is a physiological state characterized by cognitive, somatic, emotional, and behavioral components (Seligman, Walker & Rosenhan, 2001). ... This article is about the sleeping disorder. ...

Unapproved/Off-Label

A vial of amytal sodium.

• Sodium amobarbital has a reputation for having activity as a truth serum, where the person under the influence of the drug will submit to almost any request given by another person. It has been used to convict murderers such as Andres English-Howard, who strangled his girlfriend to death but claimed innocence. He was surreptitiously administered the drug, by his attorney, and under the influence of it he revealed why he strangled her and under which circumstances. A year later he confessed, on the stand, and was convicted on the basis of these statements; he later committed suicide in his cell.^[6] The use of amobarbital as a truth serum has lost credibility due to the discovery that the subject can be coerced into having a 'false memory' of the event. In controlled doses, it is used in the Narco Analysis test to trace crime and criminals in modern forensics.^{[citation needed]}

• Catatonic mutism, sometimes combined with caffeine to combat somnolence.^[7]

• It was also used in the Battle of the Bulge as a healing pill to send people back to the front.^[8]

Image File history File linksMetadata TruthSerum. ... Image File history File linksMetadata TruthSerum. ... Truth Serum is an independent comic book series created, written and drawn by author Jonathan Adams. ... For the novel, see False Memory (novel) It has been suggested that Synthetic memory be merged into this article or section. ... Narco Analysis Test or Narco Test: This is the tool of modern forensics to catch the culprits and trace the criminals and decipher their modus operandi by administering hypnotics or similar drugs into the suspects. ... The word forensic (from Latin: forensis - forum) refers to something of, pertaining to, or used in a court of law. ... This is a page about catatonic state. ... Speech disorders or speech impediments, as they are also called, are a type of communication disorders where normal speech is disrupted. ... Caffeine is a xanthine alkaloid compound that acts as a stimulant in humans. ... Somnolence (or drowsiness) is a state of near-sleep, a strong desire for sleep, or sleeping for unusually long periods. ... For the 1965 film, see Battle of the Bulge (film). ...

Contraindications

The following drugs should be avoided when taking amobarbital:

• Alcohol
• Caffeine^{[citation needed]}
• Chloramphenicol
• Chlorpromazine
• Cyclophosphamide
• Ciclosporin
• Digitoxin
• Doxorubicin
• Doxycycline
• Methoxyflurane
• Metronidazole
• Quinine
• Theophylline
• Warfarin
• Benzodiazepines, such as diazepam, clonazepam or nitrazepam
• Antiepileptics, such as phenobarbital or carbamazepine
• Antihistamines, such as doxylamine and clemastine
• Narcotic analgesics, such as morphine and oxycodone
• Steroids, such as prednisone and cortisone
• Antidepressants ^{[citation needed]}
• Antihypertensives, such as atenolol and propranolol
• Antiarrhythmics, such as verapamil and digoxin

Amobarbital has been known to decrease the effects of hormonal birth control, sometimes to the point of uselessness. Being chemically related to phenobarbital, it might also do the same thing to digitoxin, a cardiac glycoside. Ethyl alcohol, also known as ethanol or grain alcohol, is a flammable, colorless chemical compound, one of the alcohols that is most often found in alcoholic beverages. ... Caffeine is a xanthine alkaloid compound that acts as a stimulant in humans. ... Chloramphenicol is a bacteriostatic antibiotic originally derived from the bacterium Streptomyces venezuelae, isolated by David Gottlieb, and introduced into clinical practice in 1949. ... Chlorpromazine was the first antipsychotic drug, used during the 1950s and 1960s. ... Cyclophosphamide (the generic name for Cytoxan, Neosar) is a nitrogen mustard alkylating agent, used to treat various types of cancer and some autoimmune disorders. ... Ciclosporin (INN), cyclosporine or cyclosporin (former BAN), is an immunosuppressant drug. ... Species Digitalis ferruginea Digitalis grandiflora Digitalis lanata Digitalis lutea Digitalis obscura Digitalis purpurea Digitalis is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous biennials, perennials and shrubs in the foxglove family Scrophulariaceae. ... Doxorubicin or Adriamycin® or hydroxyldaunorubicin is a DNA-interacting drug widely used in chemotherapy. ... Doxycycline (INN) (IPA: ) is a member of the tetracycline antibiotics group and is commonly used to treat a variety of infections. ... Methoxyflurane (C3H4Cl2F2O) is an inhalation anesthetic used in the 1960s, but withdrawn because of detrimental effects on the kidneys. ... Metronidazole (INN) (IPA: ) is a nitroimidazole anti-infective drug used mainly in the treatment of infections caused by susceptible organisms, particularly anaerobic bacteria and protozoa. ... Quinine (IPA: ) is a natural white crystalline alkaloid having antipyretic (fever-reducing), antimalarial, analgesic (painkilling), and anti-inflammatory properties and a bitter taste. ... Theophylline is a methylxanthine drug used in therapy for respiratory diseases such as COPD or asthma under a variety of brand names. ... Warfarin (also known under the brand names of Coumadin, Jantoven, Marevan, and Waran) is an anticoagulant medication that is administered orally or, very rarely, by injection. ... Alprazolam 2mg tablets The benzodiazepines (pronounced , or benzos for short) are a class of psychoactive drugs considered as minor tranquilizers with varying hypnotic, sedative, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant and amnesic properties, which are brought on by slowing down the central nervous system. ... Diazepam (IPA: ), first marketed as Valium by Hoffmann-La Roche, is a drug which is a benzodiazepine derivative. ... Clonazepam (marketed by Roche under the trade-names Klonopin in the United States and Rivotril in Europe, South America, Canada, India, and Australia) is a drug which is a benzodiazepine derivative. ... Nitrazepam (marketed under the trade names Mogadon®, Nitredon®, Nilandron®) is a powerful hypnotic drug, which is a benzodiazepine derivative. ... The anticonvulsants, sometimes also called antiepileptics, belong to a diverse group of pharmaceuticals used in prevention of the occurrence of epileptic seizures. ... Phenobarbital (INN) or phenobarbitone (former BAN) is a barbiturate, first marketed as Luminal by Farbwerke Fr. ... Carbamazepine (CBZ) is an anticonvulsant and mood stabilizing drug, used primarily in the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder. ... An antihistamine is a drug which serves to reduce or eliminate effects mediated by histamine, an endogenous chemical mediator released during allergic reactions, through action at the histamine receptor. ... This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ... Clemastine is an over-the-counter antihistamine sold in the United States under the name Tavist. ... 19th century Heroin bottle This article is about the drug classification. ... An analgesic (colloquially known as a painkiller) is any member of the diverse group of drugs used to relieve pain (achieve analgesia). ... Morphine (INN) (IPA: ) is a highly potent opiate analgesic drug and is the principal active agent in opium and the prototypical opiate. ... Not to be confused with oxytocin. ... This article is about the chemical family of steroids. ... Prednisone is a synthetic corticosteroid drug which is usually taken orally but can be delivered by intramuscular injection and can be used for a great number of different conditions. ... Cortisone (IPA:ˈkôrtəˌsōn) is a steroid hormone. ... A recent form of antidepressant medication - Prozac Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, Venlafaxine An antidepressant, in the most common usage, is a psychiatric medication taken to alleviate clinical depression or dysthymia (milder depression). ... Antihypertensives are a class of drugs that are used in medicine and pharmacology to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). ... Atenolol is a drug belonging to the group of beta blockers, a class of drugs used primarily in cardiovascular diseases. ... Propranolol (INN) (IPA: ) is a non-selective beta blocker mainly used in the treatment of hypertension. ... Antiarrhythmic agents are a group of pharmaceuticals that are used to suppress fast rhythms of the heart (cardiac arrhythmias), such as atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular fibrillation. ... Verapamil (brand names: Isoptin®, Verelan®, Calan®) is a medical drug that acts as an L-type calcium channel blocker. ... Digoxin (INN) (IPA: ) is a purified cardiac glycoside extracted from the foxglove plant, Digitalis lanata. ... Phenobarbital (INN) or phenobarbitone (former BAN) is a barbiturate, first marketed as Luminal by Farbwerke Fr. ... Species Digitalis ferruginea Digitalis grandiflora Digitalis lanata Digitalis lutea Digitalis obscura Digitalis purpurea Digitalis is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous biennials, perennials and shrubs in the foxglove family Scrophulariaceae. ... Cardiac glycosides are drugs used in the treatment of congestive heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia. ...

In 1988, Miller et al reported that amobarbital increases benzodiazepine receptor binding in vivo with less potency than secobarbital and pentobarbital (in descending order), but greater than phenobarbital and barbital (in ascending order).^[9] The GABAA receptor is one of two ligand-gated ion channels responsible for mediating the effects of Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid (GABA), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. ... In vivo (Latin for (with)in the living). ... Secobarbital (marketed under the brand names Seconal® and Tuinal) is a drug which is a barbiturate derivative. ... Pentobarbital is a short acting barbiturate that is available as both a free acid and a sodium salt, the former of which is only slightly soluble in water and ethanol. ... Barbital (marketed under the brand name Veronal), also called barbitone, was the first commercially marketed barbiturate. ...

Overdose

Some side effects of overdose include confusion (severe); decrease in or loss of reflexes; drowsiness (severe); fever; irritability (continuing); low body temperature; poor judgment; shortness of breath or slow or troubled breathing; slow heartbeat; slurred speech; staggering; trouble in sleeping; unusual movements of the eyes; weakness (severe). Death can result.

See also

• Depressants
• Barbiturates
• Wada test

See also sedative. ... Barbiturates are drugs that acts as central nervous system (CNS) depressants, and by virtue of this they produce a wide spectrum of effects, from mild sedation to anesthesia. ... The Wada test, also known as the intracarotid sodium amobarbital procedure (ISAP), is used to establish which cerebral functions are localised to which hemisphere. ...

References and End Notes

1. Controlled Substances in Schedule II Office of Diversion Control, Drug Enforcement Administration.
2. Controlled Substances in Schedule III Office of Diversion Control, Drug Enforcement Administration.

This article is about the CBS news magazine. ...

External links