Ethchlorvynol is a sedative and hypnoticdrug. It is been used to treat insomnia but has been largely superseded and is only offered where an intolerance or allergy to other drugs exists.
Along with expected sedative effects of relaxation and drowsiness ethchlorvynol can cause skin rashes, faintness, restlessness and euphoria. Early adjustment side effects can include nausea and vomiting, numbness, blurred vision, stomach pains and temporary dizziness. An overdose is marked by confusion, fever, peripheral numbness and weakness, reduced coordination and muscle control, slurred speech, reduce heartbeat.
It is addictive and after prolonged use can cause withdrawal symptoms including convulsions, hallucinations and memory loss. Due to these problems it is unusual for ethchlorvynol to be prescribed for periods exceeding seven days.
It is a barbituric acid, the systematic name of ethchlorvynol is usually given as ethyl 2-chlorovinyl ethynyl carbinol or 1-chloro-3-ethyl-1-penten-4-yl-3-ol. Its empirical formula is C7H9ClO. In the United States it is sold by Abbott Laboratories under the tradename Placidyl.
He labored successfully to return power to the states, treated colleagues with warmth and respect, was said to be a gregarious boss, and, inspired by a judge's costume he saw in the performance of a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, added four silly gold stripes to each sleeve of his judicial robe.
So great was Rehnquist'sPlacidyl habit, dependency, or addiction—depending on how you regard long-term drug use—that by the last quarter of 1981 he began slurring his speech in public, became tongue-tied while pronouncing long words, and sometimes had trouble finishing his thoughts.
The abuse potential of Placidyl has always been rated as high: An associate professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University told the Post in 1986 that it was "a strong drug I would use only under very exceptional circumstance" and that he wouldn't give it to people for more than one or two weeks.
Patients who are taking PLACIDYL or other [central nervous system]-acting drugs should be cautioned about the possible combined exaggerated effects with alcohol, barbiturates, tranquilizers or other central nervous system depressants [that] might result in blurring of vision, paralysis of accommodation and profound hypnosis.
PLACIDYL should be administered with caution [to] patients with suicidal tendencies and large quantities of the drug should not be prescribed.
The risks associated with Placidyl and Valium are cited here only as examples; virtually all prescription drugs carry lists of "contraindications," "precautions," "warnings," and "adverse reactions." Those hazards of prescription drugs should be borne in mind when the hazards of fl-market drugs such as LSD (Part VII) and marijuana (Part VIII) are evaluated.
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