Seconal From 2006

I received a prescription for seconal 100mg in 2006. It has not been opened and kept in the dark. What are the chances that it is still active? If it is not 100% active can you estimate it's activity? Could it be 50% active? Thank you.

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Hello, Jack! How are you?

Is it in a bottle from your pharmacy, or the original factory sealed bottle?

If it's in a pharmacy bottle, then that does count as being opened, since it was removed from the original container and it would have expired one year from the date of dispensing.

And no, I can't even guess at the level of effectiveness that may remain, but I doubt its much, if any. It would be best to dispose of them and see your doctor for a new prescription.

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The seconal is in an official looking container from Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc. Princeton, N.J. by Ohm Laboratories, Inc. The directions are from my pharmacy but the container says Ranbaxy. I won't be able to get another prescription and I don't want to open it until I am fairly sure of it's potency. Thank you.

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IMHO many controlled substances are temperature sensitive. Some Rx meds such as antibiotics have a notoriously short shelf life. For good reason!!!

I have stored up C-II legally prescribed Dexedrine Spansules, written to me by my Psychiatrist; I have stored, in, either tight pharmacy bottles in a temperature controlled environment, of temp F never to exceed, 80 degrees, or never drop below 65 degrees both F, and, my supplies are 100 percent as potent as they were when prescribed in the years 2001 and 2002, for C-II Brand Dexedrine Spansules, and for even 1999 prescribed Dexedrine 5 mg E-19 orange hearts embossed SKF and for Richwood Adderall 10 mg still in the the latter in the factory sealed unbroken pharmacy bottle prescribed to me in the year summer of 2000, and, some in the Walgreen's bottle, prescribed to me in the year 1999 "Brand Adderall" mixed amphetamine salts, by then, Richwood Pharma of Kentucky. "Blue round pills embossed AD". for 10 mg.

All meds are not left near a bathroom of humidity, vanity shelf, as humidity and heat can effect the potency especially of benzodiazepines, and, other opiates pills, I have had my stimulants recently checked with a chemist contact with access to a Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer, and the potency was spot on, on 15 year old meds "properly stored" or even in glass mason jars with tight lids, in a cool dark place with small temp range differences, and, sealed air tight, and, so on and so on.

My experience with barbituates, such as, rare Seconal or Tuinal, or both by former Eli Lilly and, Abbott Nembutal, by former Abbott Labs, and by Parke Davis, for, Carbital Kapseals, all fast acting barbituates, and, Strasenburgh Biphetamine 20
"Black Beauties" stored from 1968 until 1976, were long past expiration date, but, were in very high quality potency due to proper storage procedures, Expiration dates on the bottles or even pharmacy former sample large matchbooks were for the year 1970.

My experience with downers, such, as, Benzo's and sedatives, are more spotty, but I had one friend, who, had William H Rorer Quaalude prescribed, and, left in original prescription bottles sealed tight, held in a USA bank vault, from like the year 1978 until, around 1996, and, he had no reason to lie to me, he told me, when his friend died, the kid brother who eventually gained access to the bank safety deposit box, my "acquaintence" told me, the Quaalude's, like about all fifty of the 300mg tablets, were as potent, as my "acquaintence" had remembered from the late 1970's when methaqualone was the rage in the USA. embossed "Rorer 714 the real deals without the fully enclosed number "4" of the 714 as many were counterfeited, from
around 1979 until around 1985 in the USA, and/or imported into the USA from Latin America, or, were made within USA from chemists, with 50% of them were counterfeit, with many other ingredients, to dupe the consumer, such as from, Diazepam to Benadryl to OTC Sleep Eze / Unisom (Doxlamine Succinate).

Point being a bank safety deposit box, I doubt would be subjected to harsh temperature control wide ranges, nor humidity wide ranges, and the pills were allegedly stored in the original prescription bottles, not air tight factory bottles, like from the USA pharmacy wholesaler.

Do not let movies like "Wolfman on Wallstreet" (2013) be your only guide for a movie script about some alleged 1981 Lemmon Quaaludes embossed 714 in original mfg bottles, spoof you. The movie was alleged to be in a time frame of around the mid to late 1990's, and, the drug in the movie was alleged to be some 13 to 15 years past expiration dates, "the script, or movie, I also saw did not mention the method of storage of those pills in the black comedy of a "massive delayed reaction" of two actors taking handfuls of Quaaludes, to feel no initial response, but, in the movie to receive, the classical, very heavy sedation that Methaqualone was known for. Been there done that, many times, but my RX's were all legitimate, and, I also stored some of my Rorer Quaaludes, no longer made, but they were only about 3 years in a US bank safety deposit box, not, for 15 years!!! You will never know how much I regret not storing some classic sedatives, like I now store my stimulants!! Many are just "Gone With the Wind".

In retrospect, my friends who are still around, beg, me or wish upon a falling star, I would have properly stored my Methaqualone from the 1970's or the Seconal, and Tuinal, and the Nembutal, and the USV/later Rorer Doriden 500mg tablets, as the only survivor of those sedatives are the very, very rare Marathon Seconal or the first patent purchaser of Seconal, that was Ranbaxy, world hdqts India, who kept the wholesale price very inexpensive, until the DEA/FDA revoked the license from Ranbaxy, a controversial manufacturer, now, with alleged USA plants in 2 states in the USA. I do not think Ranbaxy has mfg any Seconal since around a general time span of from 2001 until around 2006 or 2007. A independent pharmacy might have had some old stock of Ranbaxy Seconal, left around on the pharmacy shelves, as Marathon, by the year 2008/2009 increased the price like ten fold+ when they got the go ahead from Eli Lilly the FDA and DEA.

Example of how meds can decompose: I have seen Diazepam, that appeared to sit in a hot warehouse, or, sit in 100 degree heat, on the tarmac at airports humid and hot foreign countries, awaiting shipment, to the USA, and, the potency is harmed
from excessive heat especially prolonged heat in even relatively "fresh" ethical pharmaceutical middlemen, due to things out of their control in the international shipping process, and short term storage!

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Though Ranbaxy and Marathon were manufactures, and have ceased to produce any more, Valeant currently does manufacture Seconal. So, it is still being produced and prescribed as a C-II medication for treatment resistment insomnia. I'm currently prescribed this and have had it filled from Walgreens after having to convince them of its existence as though I was discussing Bigfoot. Low and behold it wasn't out of stock or out of production. Im glad it wasn't heart heath medicine or I'd be dead due to their ignorance to its availability. To the point; it obliterates benzos, and those crappy Z-drugs out of the water and has produced restful sleep for once in my life with no side effects. Thankfully, there are still some competent MD's still out there willing to allow me this life saving medicine. Don't abuse it and you'll be fine. Also, seriously screw those Z-drugs and Belsoma, what a waists of space.

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Re: Frank (# 4)

Hi there, how did you manage to convince your psych to prescribe Seconal to you? Are you still prescribed it despite the manufacturing coming to a halt?

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Archives of Internal Medicine October 8, 2012 studied 8 medications for activity long after their expiration dates of from 28 to 40 years. Seconal (secobarbital) was one of the products tested. 79% of the drugs tested had at least 90% potency left. The initial reason for expiration dates on pharmaceuticals was to address antibiotic degradation over time. You might look up the reference that I have given. My guess is that your Seconal is still good.

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