Misc Anyone have experience with baribituates?

[yardbyrd]

I (like most people on this forum) came of age after barbs had been phased out in favor of benzos, but apparently Seconal was still being produced until 2022. As far as I know, the only context in which they're still used are to taper Benzo addicts in the psych ward or serious seizure control. They gave me Pheno during this time but I was obviously too wrecked from withdrawal to feel anything. Curious to hear some first hand experiences with vintage downers, and if any modern drugs can compare. Soma perhaps?

 

[red22]

Haha, what a coincidence, I just got prescribed my first barbiturate and announced that on The Shroomery:

I finally get to try a barbiturate [Semi-private sub-forum, so the link won't work.]



My post ⇩

I was just prescribed Fiorinal. I asked for an alternative to Valium because of Valium's excessive memory impairment. I asked for Fiorinal, which is a combo of butalbital, Aspirin, and caffeine. I described it as like Soma, but longer lasting. I asked for it 2 mo. ago and the doctor said he doesn't like to do off-label prescribing (it's meant for headaches) and gave me Valium. This time around, the doctor took sympathy on me when he found out that I couldn't afford to see my psychiatrist again (the only one who is willing to renew my Parnate, which is an MAOI).

 

[red22]

Added a screenshot that shows the timestamp and added the post.

 

[shreddedlettuce]

I (like most people on this forum) came of age after barbs had been phased out in favor of benzos, but apparently Seconal was still being produced until 2022. As far as I know, the only context in which they're still used are to taper Benzo addicts in the psych ward or serious seizure control. They gave me Pheno during this time but I was obviously too wrecked from withdrawal to feel anything. Curious to hear some first hand experiences with vintage downers, and if any modern drugs can compare. Soma perhaps?

https://www.bluelight.org/community...o-they-produce-euphoria.942930/#post-16162330




They were fantastic.. too late now though, we all missed the bus.
A few got to sample.

End of an Era.

Sorry I don't have better news, but sometimes things work out for the best.

 

[red22]

They gave me Pheno during this time but I was obviously too wrecked from withdrawal to feel anything.

Phenobarbital is the worst example of a barbiturate if you're trying to get recreational effects out of it. When people talk about barbiturate abuse they are almost always referring to the barbs that used to be sold as fast acting sedatives/anxiolytics like amobarbital and secobarbital (Amytal, Seconal, Nembutal, Tuinal, etc). Those are quite a bit more powerful than benzodiazepines for sure.

@sekio, 2018-07-26, https://www.bluelight.org/community/threads/sar-of-meprobamate-analogues.843472/post-14378010

Curious to hear some first hand experiences with vintage downers, and if any modern drugs can compare. Soma perhaps?

I think I've heard that they're comparable to Soma. Soma is a prodrug for meprobomate and they have actually combined meprobomate with phenobarbital at the molecular level to make febarbamate.

 

[Gridlink]

I've done butalbital, sodium barbital, and secobarbital. All 3 produce decent euphoria and sedation, plus that slight tendency toward irresponsible behavior and redosing like I've noticed with soma. So yes, very comparable,

 

[Hoovering Schneef]

No, I've never done them

 

[jasperkent]

I've ODed on both butabarbitol & pentobarbital. It's easy to do-- there's a very fine line between feeling pleasantly relaxed & being in a coma or dead.

Last time I did barbs I woke up in ICU on a ventilator, having lost 3 days. The last thing I remembered was walking around feeling fine.

Barbs are not to be played around with!

 

[red22]

On that note, I need butalbital dosage advice. I have no benzo or alcohol tolerance.

 

[red22]

Curious to hear some first hand experiences with vintage downers, and if any modern drugs can compare. Soma perhaps?

"Carisoprodol can give you a taste of what a barbiturate is vaguely like (i much prefer carisoprodol to phenobarbital), as i find it closer to barbiturates than benzos. Carisoprodol plus a benzo would give you perhaps an even better idea of what a barb is vaguely like. Methaqualone analogs like etaqualone are even more barb like (though are very dangerous -- i nearly died from etaqualone + etizolam + phenazepam)."

negrogesic, 2020-04-15, https://www.bluelight.org/community...rimidone-and-other-barbs.884660/post-14802234

 

[96chanz]

I (like most people on this forum) came of age after barbs had been phased out in favor of benzos, but apparently Seconal was still being produced until 2022. As far as I know, the only context in which they're still used are to taper Benzo addicts in the psych ward or serious seizure control. They gave me Pheno during this time but I was obviously too wrecked from withdrawal to feel anything. Curious to hear some first hand experiences with vintage downers, and if any modern drugs can compare. Soma perhaps?

Awesome to hear you got adequate wd relief while going through benzo wd. Phenobarbital from my understanding is the least recreational barbiturate due to its slow onset amongst other things. But it tends to be a lifesaver for some with epilepsy and Benzo Withdrawal like you said.
it.

I do have some experience with barbiturates, specifically Butalbital (Fioricet, 50/40/300 mg: Butalbital/Caffeine/APAP). I get 90 pills per month. In some states, it is classified as a Schedule III controlled substance, but fortunately, it is not in mine. It’s on the exemption list when formulated with acetaminophen (APAP). I was prescribed it a few years ago after switching from full agonist opioids to buprenorphine (bupe). It has been a lifesaver for me. My primary care physician introduced it as a safer alternative for chronic teeth pain relief and migraines. It can be hard to obtain a prescription for it, especially for the long term; however, I have been seeing the same doctor since I was 15 (I'm now 28).

From what I’ve heard, Butalbital is not as effective as secobarbital or pentobarbital, but it is still quite effective both therapeutically and recreationally. A dose of 150-200 mg takes effect within 10 minutes and lasts about 4 hours. Here are some effects I've noticed:

- Noticeable muscle relaxation
- Moderate analgesia, especially for headaches
- A solid buzz similar to alcohol or Soma, which lasts about 75% of the drug's therapeutic duration
- Anxiety relief
- Drowsiness
- mood lift similar to alcohol
Additionally, there are formulations of Butalbital without any caffeine added. In my opinion, unless you are very sensitive to caffeine, its stimulant effects are instantly overshadowed by Butalbital, especially when combined with my Klonopin (3 mg) and either bupe (2 mg) or oxycodone (30 mg). I take it every evening, so the combination of the benzo & barbiturate potentiates each other.

 

[red22]

Butalbital is very weak; you have to take like 9 pills to get a good effect…and you shouldn't do that because of the caffeine (and the Tylenol, in the case of Fioricet (Fiorinal contains Aspirin)). It's my understanding that the caffeine can be removed via a cold water extraction. Get the water really cold, mix the powder into it, and run through a coffee filter. Repeat. Caffeine isn't that soluble in water, let alone frigid water.

 

[red22]

Update: The CWE filtration (to lower the caffeine content) definitely works because I'm on 18 capsules right now [see update below! 02-13-2026] and I'm not that jittery. How much butalbital did I lose in the process, I don't know. Feels like a semblance of alcohol, but without the bite that alcohol has and with a smoother effect. I've heard barbs have less memory impairment than benzos and that's probably especially true for the weaker ones like butalbital and phenobarbital. Definitely a very underrated and therapeutic-feeling effect. I hope I can score an ongoing phenobarb prescription so I don't have to experience the nasty edge of the caffeine. Between the reluctance to prescribe barbs and the contaminating of butalbital with caffeine, it shows that the people in charge are just bastards.

ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ

"note that butalbital also has low water solubility (about 0.17 g per 100 mL at room temperature, even less in cold water), so such a method wouldn't effectively separate the two." –Grok

I just did this with 9 Fiorinal capsules. The effect was faint. I then consumed all the stuff that was filtered out and now I feel a substantial effect. I think CWE does work to increase the proportion of butalbital to caffeine, but only very wastefully.

 

[Them Witches]

I was born in the 70's. I started using Gorilla Biscuits on a regular to "fire" a trip.

Barbs work on stopping the heart. Start mixing them with other GABA, CNS, sedative/hypnotics, opioids is playing with fire. Bradycardia can last for 36hrs after being given all kinds of hospital meds to bring the heart up.

There is a reason why they are given to transition living things. They do the job effectively.

The psych wars loves to give them for 3 days. They can tell right there how much you can handle of them or in comparison to other drugs that cause sedation and for mental care.

 

[Them Witches]

Between the reluctance to prescribe barbs and the contaminating of butalbital with caffeine, it shows that the people in charge are just bastards.

Well Chloral Hydrate me and call me Mickey Finn.. I do believe I found my long lost brother