Seconal For Insomnia (Top voted first)

My physician prescribed every benzo drug imaginable (Ambien, Lunesta, sp?) and they were ineffective for my occasional insomnia, at best. He gave me a prescription for Seconal to use as needed. When I tried to fill it you would have thought the Rx said "Opiates" or "LSD". The younger pharmacists had not a clue as to what it was, and the older ones acted like they had seen a ghost. Anyway, I finally found the medication via my home delivery pharmacy and when I need it, I take it and it works. No wiped out memory, no sleepwalking, so groggy aftermath. Any drug when taken in excess or with other drugs can be dangerous...this includes simple OTC drugs, Tylenol, aspirin etc. This drug has been so vilified. I know that there is another use for the drug (in Oregon), however this has made it almost impossible for use for insomnia and it truly does work when used as directed.

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What state are you in? Need to fill an RX ..having difficulty... Where did you fill your prescription?

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Re: Nygoldengirl (# 12)

I had filled my prescription at Walgreens for an entire year after the pharmacist ignored the ‘out of stock’ message and placed an order. Now, AmerisourceBergen, Walgreen’s supplier, initially said they would restock with Seconal on September 14. So I wait a month on my rx to restock, without sleep, and their supplier is now saying October 12th.

This date is likely to change and be postponed monthly or they could get up off their deadass and restock the pharmacies with Seconal. Try independent pharmacies, speciality pharmacies, and last bet would be home delivery pharmacies, as I hear they have a better chance of being able to get it.

Be careful with Seconal though, never exceed the doctor’s amount, and definitely don’t exceed 500 mg’s a night. It can be dangerous beyond this as the lethal dose is 1000mgs-3000mgs (Judy Garland had just 1000mgs in her system and Jimi Hendrix had around 1350, though Hendrix was murdered by being waterboarded with alcohol by his Manager and didn’t overdose from barbiturates. Seconal will eventually restock at suppliers, I think the manufacturer, Bausch Health (Valeant), are the ones to blame this on.

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No, it was prescribed by my regular doc. Seconal is not an expensive drug to produce. All of this craziness and vilification has made the cost go up. My cost was less than .25 per capsule.

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@David,

David, yes you are correct, I would imagine that the control on various pain meds and sleeping meds will tighten, however, my point is that the new version of the benzo drugs are really as addictive as the older versions. They are less likely to be lethal with an overdose however, they still have the potential. Just as with the others I listed in my original post. Anything misused, is just that.."mis" used. The "additional use" that I mentioned for Seconal, in Oregon, is for assisted suicide. Obviously that was not my intent for the Rx. I will reiterate that, when I really am having a bout of insomnia, there really is not a better med, for me.

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Hi David, thanks for the note. I am not sure that there is a new or "updated" version of Seconal. I believe it is the same Secobarbital that has been around for many years. I My real reason for posting was to advise that I think that since there has been some cases of abuse and lethal consequences, it has been vilified and not widely prescribed. Thankfully, I have never been addicted to a medication and thus never experienced a withdrawal period or symptoms. I do understand that some of the commonly prescribed medications (Xanax, Ambien, Klonopin etc) have really bad withdrawal problems that compare to the older barbiturates such as Seconal. I do not take the medication on a nightly basis and only as needed, however when I do take the medication it works and I do not feel the need for more and more. So again, I was just lamenting on the rap that Seconal has now and being so difficult to obtain when there are other medications that are readily available and so easy to obtain that can be very dangerous. I have absolutely no medical training or pharmaceutical training so this is totally personal experience and with a physician that completely understands the medication and how it is best used.

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I hear you about every benzodiazepines available!!! I'm currently plodding through with the max dose of klonpin which is 2mg 2x/day... Well I'm taking three all at once to help me sleep. I thing the doctors now a days don't appreciate the value of these old tried and true medicines!! Now yes, I'm only 33 yeas fabulous, but at some point they've go to do something besides send you home with a benzodiazepine and day good luck junior!!! I have a very REAL generalized anxiety disorder, not to mention I'm a flight attendant/air host to you lovely brits! God save the queen... And this one leaving this message as well. Any suggestions?

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Is Seconal available in Arizona?

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Re: Frank (# 13)

Thanks for the info, Frank. I hear the same story from Walgreens, we can’t get any from our supplier. They didn’t name their supplier, but I complained to Walgreen’s corporate office and got a call back from the pharmacist very annoyed, denying she had EVER said that, she said she needed a script. Of course I have a script, it’s an electronic script in NYS. But I had already had my Dr send one to my insurance mail med company and they said they don’t carry it. My Drs nurse reminded me it doesn’t look good for my wonderful Dr to be sending multiple scripts in an attempt to get one filled. Never mind that there is no SECONAL epidemic, there is an OPIOID epidemic and these pharmacies have no problem filling narcotic scripts! Which by the way my Drs always write me an opioid script for even minor procedures despite my telling them narcotics make me sick! I don’t take them I stick with extra strength Tylenol. What hypocrisy! Seconal’s price is incredible too here. A bottle of 100 100mg capsules is $4K? For an 80 year old drug? Valeant has just run wild with its price and even with my insurance covering part (and I hope they do!) it’s outrageous.

Yes you can fill RX medications over the internet but you would need a paper script, I’m not sure my highly regarded Dr is going to send electronic scripts for Seconal to web-based pharmacies. The reputable ones apparently don’t fill Seconal scripts. The ones who do...I used PharmacyCheck to find reputable web-based suppliers and they do not endorse any. Plus I don’t want my Dr getting in trouble by using a dubious supplier. Yes people illegally order prescription drugs over the internet without a script but with THOSE pharmacies you have no idea what you’re getting. Bad idea. I will pursue Walgreens and try a few small drugstores but the reaction I get is like a hot potato so far! Never stocked it, can’t get it, etc. Any opioid they stock in quantities but Seconal? Some say they never heard of it! I don’t know whether this is a Nyc problem, or a country wide one. I took Seconal some years ago yes I’m aware to be careful with dosage. But it WORKS! I now have terrible insomnia, I’m not in favor of long term constant use if you can get your insomnia under control, but I never had any bad reactions from it some years ago and Ambien is a weird drug that doesn’t work for me but also can have users doing things in their sleep with no memory. Any ideas? Thanks so much for your reply. I’m not giving up, I just find such total resistance!

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Re: Nygoldengirl (# 14)

BTW Frank I got the same story from my Walgreens plus a small pharmacy. We are not Dr. Kavorkian, we just have a sleep program. And the prices? Insane. I had terrible side Effects with Ambien, and would never use it again. We’re up the creek!

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Re: Frank (# 13)

Frank, I got exact same 10/12 date! I don’t believe this story. Who controls the availability of an established medication? Do all pharmacies use the same “wholesaler"? If Walgreens is giving this story will every pharmacy, chain or local, have the same issue? And the reactions I’ve gotten! Silence, astonishment, ignorance, etc. I guess my question is, does one wholesaler control the availability of a particular LEGAL medication? Thanks, any elucidation appreciated. I would NOT order this medication from the web-based pharmacies that are not linked to an insurance plan because I don’t know what you’re getting. I’m not a criminal so I wouldn’t buy this on the “street”. I’m a professional in fields that require licensing and I’m not jeopardizing this, plus “street” drugs can contain anything. Thanks.

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Re: Nygoldengirl (# 16)

Mckessian (spelling) who supplies CVS, among others, behave as though it is beyond their ability to order, which as an FDA approved medicine being manufactured and supplied, is blatantly wrong. Cardinal supplied pharmacies explain that they simply haven’t the ability to order, another fallacy or FDA violation.

Fortunately, AmerisouceBergen supplied pharmacies, like Walgreens, at least will have the ability to order once restocked on October 12th, or a concurrent date. There is no shortage or back order from manufacturer so my estimate is that the wholesalers aren’t prioritizing restocking Seconal. I’ve also heard that a certain supplier isn’t restocking until December because the batch they could’ve (SHOULD’VE) received in September would have expired on December 2018, thus they are waiting until then.

If by December this is not resolved I’m going to contact the FDA and State Boards of Pharmacy against the appropriate wholesalers and pharmacies report this matter as a formal complaint. With this sleepless night particularly in mind. Hope I helped

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Re: Frank (# 17)

Good idea! Legal medication being withheld from patients while opiates are dispensed the same day. We should file a complaint. I’ll go along with that. As for the incredible price, the answer of course is the FDA can’t tell companies what to charge. There is no one I know of who is making a generic although the patent has long ago expired. Let’s see what happens 10/12. Then if there’s another excuse for a delay I agree. Let’s file a complaint.

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U got seconal. I bet it was high. My research has found it cost over $17 a pill anyway, this drug is unheard of due to price even though it's been around for 80 years its high potential for abuse and likelihood of death in overdose docs stray from it because of this and dea scrutiny for prescribing it. I would like to find a doc that would prescribe because my medication can't be mixed with benzodiazepines but can with barbs.

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@Mike,

What was the other use for Seconal in Oregon? Is it an off-label use? When I look up information on drug monographs it states that Seconal is used on a short term basis for insomnia..NIH.gov also notes that it is used to relieve anxiety before surgery. Apparently this medication works by slowing down activity in the brain.

Concerning Seconal's high potential for abuse and overdose related deaths, it would seem that pain medications are also facing the same type of scrutiny and reluctance to prescribe them. I don't think the strict regulations will go away anytime soon when it comes to Seconal and other drugs with a high abuse potential, but one can be sure that if you're honest and open with your doctor you'll have a much better chance at persuading them to prescribe whatever it is you need. Perhaps the main issue is just whether pharmacies will be willing and able to fill the script...?

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Thanks for the update Mike. It's much appreciated. I haven't taken Seconal myself, but looking at the feedback from others, I'd agree with you on several points. Being somewhat less lethal in the event of an overdose doesn't seem like too much of a safety net though, especially with how reckless some people can be these days. Yet, then again, certain people who accidentally take more than prescribed without being aware of the magnitude of the consequences of their actions probably deserve a second chance in my opinion, which is something the new version of Seconal might offer as an advantage to the older formula, or so it seems. At any rate, I'm glad to hear that its been working so well for you! I hope other responsible patients aren't dissuaded by the possible addictive habits of taking something that actually works as a sleep aid for insomnia; a typically tough drug classification to meet demands for in today's society with so many people being overburdened by constant stress.

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I have taken this drug in 1990 for insomnia. I need a Dr. who will not try to get me to try things I know don't work. I'm 55 yrs old and live in Houston, TX. Can anyone recommend a Dr?

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Ambian Danger! Had a friend who was sleep walking on this drug jump into someone's truck that they left running and killed a 2 people and he didn't remember. That is how powerful it is. I too was getting ready to walk out the door and drive my car while on Ambian luckily my roommate stopped me.

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I have a legal script of Seconal from a legit smite Dr in NYC, but Walgreens and CVS say they cannot get it. The script is for severe insomnia. Where can I go to get the script filled? In NYC? This is far less dangerous than opiates. Why so difficult to obtain?

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Re: Nygoldengirl (# 18)

Social media, dontcha just love it. You want to take a medication used in end of life protocols? You would think they would call birth control pills that instead of a sleeping medication. What ever gets ya through the night!

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Re: Mike (# 7)

For years I was prescribed Halcion and it was a life saver. I am disabled from the Marines and have morbid insomnia my brain just won't shut down. I had a TBI in the Mediterranean while deployed off of Lebanon and finally when I was sleepy I fight it so he prescribed Halcion and I woke up refreshed and it really helped me.

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