What is Seconal (Secobarbital)?
Seconal is a barbiturate drug that is given to patients to calm them before surgical procedures. Also known by its generic name secobarbital, this medication is used to temporarily treat epilepsy and insomnia as well. Seconal has hypnotic, anesthetic, anticonvulsant, anxiolytic and sedative properties.
Common side effects of Seconal include sleepiness, trouble waking up, dizziness, excitation, headache, tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. If these side effects get worse, call your doctor. Get medical help as soon as possible if you experience any serious Seconal side effects such as agitation, confusion, depression, hallucinations, thoughts of suicide, slurred speech, staggered walking, clumsiness, double vision, memory problems, slow or shallow breathing, fainting or slowed heartbeat.
In some cases, taking Seconal can cause sleepwalking. In more rare cases, people have operated vehicles after taking Seconal without any memory. Avoid taking large doses of Seconal or drinking alcohol as these practices can increase your risk of sleepwalking or doing other activities while asleep.
What Are Common Seconal (Secobarbital) Withdrawal Symptoms?
Even if you are taking Seconal exactly as instructed by your doctor, you may still develop a physical dependence upon the drug or form an addiction. If you have used Seconal for a long period of time, you may experience severe withdrawal symptoms. Common withdrawal symptoms of Seconal include anxiety, insomnia, lack of appetite, seizures, tremors and, in some very serious cases, death.
Seconal (Secobarbital) Withdrawal Timeline and Symptom Durations
The timeline for Seconal withdrawal symptoms is different for everyone. Several factors like age, metabolism, dosage, genetics, among others, all influence how quickly the drug is removed from the body.
Managing Withdrawal Symptoms of Seconal (Secobarbital)
If you are struggling with any Seconal withdrawal symptoms, it may be necessary to enter a medically-assisted detoxification program. In this program, patients benefit from being in the care of medical professionals while the body detoxes from Seconal. Patients will also learn how to identify and manage their individual Seconal withdrawal symptoms in a medically-supervised environment.
Seconal (Secobarbital) Medications and Detox
It is important to keep a current list of any medications you use, including over-the-counter drugs and herbal supplements. Share this list with your doctor as some products have the potential to produce an adverse reaction to Seconal.
The following medications have been known to interact with Seconal: darunavir, isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, rasagiline, safinamide, selegiline and tranylcypromine. Certain medications like disulfiram, phenytoin, valproic acid and St. John’s Wort can affect the removal of Seconal from your body and should be avoided.
Using Seconal can also speed up the removal of other drugs from your body, such as doxycycline, estrogens, griseofulvin, ranolazine, warfarin, prednisone, felodipine, nimodipine, among others. This can, in turn, influence the efficacy of these medications.
Seconal can also react with hormonal birth control drugs, such as pills, patches, and rings, and lower their effectiveness –which can sometimes lead to pregnancy. Talk to your doctor about any other birth control methods which would work for you during your Seconal treatment. Mention any spotting or breakthrough bleeding that occurs to your doctor as well as this could be a sign that your birth control is not working properly.
How to Choose a Seconal (Secobarbital) Detox and Addiction Treatment Center
Making an informed decision on which Seconal detox and addiction treatment center is right for you is an important step in your journey to recovery. Set up a meeting with your doctor to discuss what you are looking for in a detox and treatment center.
If you or someone you love is suffering from Seconal addiction or another substance use disorder, do not delay in getting the help you need. The Recovery Village offers a variety of resources and programs to help patients live happier, healthier, substance-free lives.
Although the road to recovery is never easy, we will be with you every step of the way during your journey.
The Recovery Village aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers.