BUTABARBITAL

Toxicity

Patients experiencing an overdose may present with unsteady gait, slurred speech, nystagmus, confusion, poor judgement, irritability, and insomnia. Acute overdoses may present as CNS depression, respiratory depression, oligouria, tachycardia, hypotension, low body temperature, coma, and shock. An extreme overdose can lead to a flat EEG, resembling death, that is reversible provided there is no hypoxic brain damage. Overdose can be treated with symptomatic and supportive treatment.

Description

Butabarbital (CRM) (Item No. 20088) is a certified reference material categorized as a barbiturate. It has a high abuse potential and increases risk of overdose morbidity and mortality in recreational drug users. Butabarbital is regulated as a Schedule III compound in the United States. Butabarbital (CRM) (Item No. 20088) is provided as a DEA exempt preparation. This product is intended for research and forensic applications.

The Uses of BUTABARBITAL

Butabarbital is also used as a soporific drug in various forms of insomnia and as a sedative. The most frequently used synonym is butizone.

The Uses of BUTABARBITAL

Controlled substance (depressant). Sedative, hypnotic.

Indications

Butabarbital is indicated for use as a sedative or hypnotic. Butabarbital should not be used to treat insomnia for longer than 2 weeks.

Background

Butabarbital, or Butisol, is a fast onset barbiturate with short duration of action compared to other barbiturates. This makes butabarbital a useful drug for treating severe insomnia and pre-operative anxiety. Butabarbital is less commonly used in recent years, as more patients are typically prescribed benzodiazepines. Its short duration of action gives butabarbital a high abuse potential, comparable to secobarbital.
Butabarbital was granted FDA approval on 5 June 1939.

Definition

ChEBI: Butabarbital is a member of barbiturates.

brand name

Butabarb (Alpharma); Butalan (Lannett); Buticaps (Medpointe); Butisol Sodium (Medpointe); Sarisol (Halsey).

Pharmacokinetics

Butabarbital potentiates GABAergic neurons while inhibiting neuronal acetylcholine and glutamate receptors to produce sedation. Butabarbital is an intermediate acting barbiturate with a duration of action of approximately 6-8 hours. The therapeutic index is quite wide as doses vary considerably from patient to patient. Patients should be counselled regarding the risk of worsening insomnia, drowsiness, falls, and complex behaviour while not fully awake.

Synthesis

Butabarbital, 5-ethyl-5-isobutylbarbituric acid (4.1.11), is also synthesized in an analogous manner by condensation of |á-ethyl-|á-isobutylmalonic ester with urea [9].

Metabolism

Data regarding the metabolism of butabarbital in humans are not readily available. In dogs, butabarbital undergoes metabolism to a final glucuronide metabolite.