title: Treatment of the barbiturate abstinence syndrome.
abstract: Patients with the barbiturate abstinence syndrome require pharmacotherapy (and hospitalization) when there is a history of the ingestion of greater than 0.4 g of secobarbital or its equivalent for 90 or more days, or of 0.6 g for 30 or more days, or a previous history of barbiturate withdrawal seizures or delirium. The pharmacological management of withdrawal, which is rational, safe, efficacious and relatively simple, is described and recommended. This treatment relies on a phenobarbital loading-dose technique which is titrated to clinical end-points. The prolonged elimination of phenobarbital prevents the reappearance of withdrawal symptoms and, since repeated doses are not required, results in less manipulative drug-seeking behaviour.
mesh_terms: D001463:Barbiturates / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D006801:Humans; D010424:Pentobarbital / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D001463:Barbiturates; D010424:Pentobarbital; D010634:Phenobarbital