GB791644A - Barbiturate pharmaceutical preparations - Google Patents

Abstract

A pharmaceutical preparation, which may take the form of tablets, capsules or elixirs, comprises a medicinal barbiturate and a proportion of b ,b -methyl ethyl glutarimide insufficient to interfere with a therapeutic dose of barbiturate but sufficient to overcome the toxic effects of overdose. The glutarimide is present in the proportion of 5 to 30 per cent by weight of the barbiturate. Examples of suitable barbiturates are phenobarbitone, amylobarbitone, butobarbitone, pentobarbitone sodium, quinalbarbitone sodium or hexobarbitone sodium, and when a long acting barbiturate such as phenobarbitone is used the preparation may embody an agent that will delay the release of the b ,b -methyl ethyl glutarimide in the gastro-intestinal tract, such an agent may be cellulose acetate phthalate. Clinical trials with animals and humans using barbiturate dosages of from 15 to 100 mgm. show no significant difference in the sleeping times whether b ,b -methyl ethyl glutarimide is present or not, but in trials using dosages of barbiturates that normally produce a coma lasting 30 to 36 hours, e.g. 2 gms. of phenobarbitone or 1.3 gms. of pentobarbitone, the sleeping time was reduced to about 6 to 8 hours and vital body functions such as blood pressure were not seriously depressed, if 15 to 20 per cent by weight of the glutarimide was contained in the preparations administered. The preparations may also contain stimulants such as caffeine or amphetamine, mild sedatives such as sodium bromide, hypnotics such as chloral or paraldehyde, analgesics such as aspirin, phenacetin or codeine, antiasthamatics such as ephedrine, anticholinergics such as atropine, or anticonvulsants such as hydantoins.