What it was like when barbiturates were being "deprescribed" ..

During the 1950's & 1960's, there were many deaths associated with the use & abuse of barbiturates. Prescriptions for their use was drastically curtailed after the Marilyn Monroe's overdose and death.

I can't find many stories relating to how the 'deprescribing' process occurred during that time.

Does anyone know of any articles that explain how the government and doctors took patients off these drugs?

I wonder if doctors had their patients cold turkey, taper the use or had them cross over to benzodiazepines when those were approved for use?

I suspect many patients increased their consumption of alcohol to try to relieve the symptoms which of course is not advised.

I suspect 'Quaalude' served as a 'transitional' drug for some until benzodiazepine became readily available and accepted:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methaqualone

I suspect 'Quaalude' served as a 'transitional' drug for some until benzodiazepine became readily available and accepted:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methaqualone

This is pretty much off the subject, but I was reading this in the Wiki link you gave: Methaqualone is a sedative that increases the activity of the GABA receptors in the brain and nervous system. When GABA activity is increased, blood pressure drops and the breathing and pulse rates slow, leading to a state of deep relaxation.

Now I know why my bp dropped recently and has been low ever since. It's still stabilizing. My body is finally healing. Also, I feel much more relaxed. I never equated GABA with low blood pressure because when I took Ativan, the bp was always fluctuating wildly. It has been unbearably high, ranging in the 200+ category sometimes. Numerous ER visits.

That's why I can't take pills that boosts GABA. When the pill wears off, all hell breaks loose. I have been plagued with very high bp ever since I started Ativan because of the wearing-off action that caused excessive benzo anxiety leading to scary, white-knuckle, bp. No bp drugs ever helped for this type of benzo anxiety. Doctors just kept prescribing because they didn't know what else to do. Now my kidneys are doing poorly because the bp remained unchecked and because my body can't process pills as they did in the past. And of course I made many stupid mistakes, not understanding what I was up against.

No wonder so many people on here have low bp. I can see why I didn't connect the dots. I was never lucky enough to have that reaction.

Thank you!!

I suspect 'Quaalude' served as a 'transitional' drug for some until benzodiazepine became readily available and accepted:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methaqualone

 

This is pretty much off the subject, but I was reading this in the Wiki link you gave: Methaqualone is a sedative that increases the activity of the GABA receptors in the brain and nervous system. When GABA activity is increased, blood pressure drops and the breathing and pulse rates slow, leading to a state of deep relaxation.

 

Now I know why my bp dropped recently and has been low ever since. It's still stabilizing. My body is finally healing. Also, I feel much more relaxed. I never equated GABA with low blood pressure because when I took Ativan, the bp was always fluctuating wildly. It has been unbearably high, ranging in the 200+ category sometimes. Numerous ER visits.

 

That's why I can't take pills that boosts GABA. When the pill wears off, all hell breaks loose. I have been plagued with very high bp ever since I started Ativan because of the wearing-off action that caused excessive benzo anxiety leading to scary, white-knuckle, bp. No bp drugs ever helped for this type of benzo anxiety. Doctors just kept prescribing because they didn't know what else to do. Now my kidneys are doing poorly because the bp remained unchecked and because my body can't process pills as they did in the past. And of course I made many stupid mistakes, not understanding what I was up against.

 

No wonder so many people on here have low bp. I can see why I didn't connect the dots. I was never lucky enough to have that reaction.

 

Thank you!!

It's really not off subject at all. Benzodiazepines have many of the same affects on individuals as their predecessor medications (barbiturates, quaaludes, etc.), like the affects on blood pressure. I hope you will be able to get and maintain your's within healthy ranges.

best wishes

Thank you, Fi!!!

I can’t take credit for this, abcd shared this with me some time ago. This is an interesting podcast about Miltown a predessor to Valium marketed in the 1950’s.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-drugs/id1246879992?mt=2&i=1000390772588

I can’t take credit for this, abcd shared this with me some time ago. This is an interesting podcast about Miltown a predessor to Valium marketed in the 1950’s.

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-drugs/id1246879992?mt=2&i=1000390772588

Thank you for that link. One thing I continue to enjoy from the bb board is the quest for & depth of knowledge of its members. Whether or not society is better or worse for some scientific discoveries, I believe the history associated with those discoveries is something that should not be ignored. best wishes

During the 1950's & 1960's, there were many deaths associated with the use & abuse of barbiturates. Prescriptions for their use was drastically curtailed after the Marilyn Monroe's overdose and death.

 

I can't find many stories relating to how the 'deprescribing' process occurred during that time.

 

Does anyone know of any articles that explain how the government and doctors took patients off these drugs?

 

I wonder if doctors had their patients cold turkey, taper the use or had them cross over to benzodiazepines when those were approved for use?

 

I suspect many patients increased their consumption of alcohol to try to relieve the symptoms which of course is not advised.

My poor Mum was on barbiturates back in the 1960's. I know when she was hospitalised they decided she was addicted and took her off them cold turkey. She said the WD was horrendous  she later ended up taking Valium for several years.

Sorry about your Mum. During WWII, the military called them "goofballs" & issued them to help the soldiers deal with the heat, humidity & all other things called 'war". Found this 1960's clip narrated by Paul Newman:

Conversely, there was this clip from 1957 which eerily yet humorously addresses the issue of tension & anxiety called "The Relaxed Housewife". Note: may adversely affect symptoms