Barbital
Encyclopedic
Encyclopedic
Typical encyclopedia coverage. Cross-reference for important decisions.
- 2 corroborating sources
- partial dose data
- duration data present
- 2 corroborating sources
- partial dose data
- duration data present
Summary
The first commercially available barbiturate. Was used commonly as a sleeping aid until the 1950s.
Dose Information
| ROA | Common |
|---|---|
| Oral | 650-970mg |
Onset, Duration & After-effects
| ROA | Onset | Peak | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 15-30 min | 6-12 hrs | 6-12 hrs |
Tolerance
No tolerance chart. Our decay curves for these drugs were estimates, and a curve can make tolerance look longer-lasting than it is, which is the dangerous direction.
How fast tolerance to these drugs fades after a break has not been measured well enough to draw, so don't count on a dose you used to take still being safe: after time off, start with a much smaller amount and don't use alone. Mixing sedatives with each other, with alcohol or with opioids sharply raises the risk of a fatal overdose. If you've been using regularly, don't stop suddenly: withdrawal from benzodiazepines, alcohol or GHB/GBL can cause seizures or delirium, so get medical help to cut down gradually. With barbiturates, you get used to the effects much more than to a dangerous dose, so the gap between a dose that works and one that kills shrinks the more you use. Stopping suddenly after regular use can cause convulsions and delirium.
Sources: FRANK: benzodiazepines · Alcohol and Drug Foundation: GHB · FDA 2020: benzodiazepine boxed warning · FDA 2019: gabapentinoids and breathing · NHS: alcohol use disorder · Phenobarbital label: drug abuse and dependence
Effects
Effect glossary — · full glossary
Helpful Links
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The PsychonautWiki Journal logging app doesn't include every substance. To track Barbital there, start adding an ingestion, search for the name, and choose to add it as a custom substance. Paste these values:
Barbital Source: SubstanceSearch (substancesearch.com) Oral dose (mg): common 650-970 Oral duration: onset 15-30m · peak 6-12h · total 6-12h Note: ranges are harm-reduction guidance, not a prescription. Start low, go slow, and test your substances.
Tip: for quicker logging you can also add a Custom Unit in the app, e.g. common dose ~ 810 mg (Oral).
The app keeps custom substances simple, so the full dose ranges live in the description text above. Ranges are harm-reduction guidance, not a prescription.
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