While barbiturates and benzos have many similarities such as drug class and similar names, it is quite understandable why they are often mistaken for each other.
However, barbiturates and benzos are not the same thing. The main barbiturates vs benzos point is their mechanism of action which has a direct influence on how strong they are, the duration of their effects, their intensity of addiction, and how dangerous they are.
Know about barbiturates
Barbiturates are sedatives that calm and relax like alcohol. They are primarily used for the treatment of specified conditions like seizures, anesthesia for surgery, and anxiety. As they act on the central nervous system, therefore they decrease the nerve activities that result in muscle relaxation, slower heart rate, and breathing. Barbiturates are known as schedule II substances that have a high potential for getting misused and start habit forming.
Different kinds of barbiturates are
- Amytal
- Donnatal
- Ascomp
- Fortabls
- Esgic
- Butisol
- Seconal
- Nembutal
How do barbiturates work?
Barbiturates lead to depression of the central nervous system by having an impact on the gamma-aminobutyric acid neurotransmitter also called GABA. How long barbiturates stay in your system depends on how strongly they bind to GABA channels making them stay open for a long period thereby creating a negative change. This change makes the brain cells respond less to the nerve impulses that are responsible for the sedative and analgesic properties of the barbiturates.
Barbiturates are used mostly for pre-operative settings. Because of the high chance of getting abused or addicted, this kind of sedative is less prescribed for the management of ailments. When it is used, it is for a short time frame. Barbiturates have been replaced by benzodiazepines because of their high risk of fatal overdose. These limitations have caused illegal barbiturates facing difficulties to come by and thus, those drugs are not easily found in black markets.
Interaction of barbiturates with drugs and their potential risks
Barbiturates have a narrow range of therapeutics which means that it is easy for overstepping from safe to unsafe dosages. A small difference in doses can yield several side effects. Such a fine line between a secure and dangerous dosage enhances the chance of barbiturates having unrequired outcomes. Furthermore, barbiturate drugs do not mix well with others. They are dangerous when mixed with other depressants of the central nervous system causing excess sedation, or coma. Barbiturates can rapidly cause fatal consequences when they are combined with opioids, antihistamines, alcohol, and close pharma-relative benzodiazepines.
Know about benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines, also called benzos, belong to a class of sedative and central nervous system depressants. Same as barbiturates, benzos are mainly prescribed for the treatment of conditions like anxiety, insomnia, etc. But they are also common medicines for the treatment of alcohol and a much-favored drug.
When compared with barbiturates, benzodiazepines are safe even if they have more chance of causing physical and emotional dependency, even if dosage instructions are well-followed. Thus, benzodiazepines are mainly prescribed for use in the short term.
Different types of benzodiazepines
Some of the most common types of benzos are the widely prescribed medicines in the US. These involve diazepam, clonazepam, and alprazolam, many of which are controlled substances. But there are several kinds of benzos and many of them focus on treating some specified ailment.
- Benzos that are used for treating anxiety disorders are valium, Librium, Tranxene, and Ativan
- Benzos for the treatment of seizures such as Klonopin, Ativan, Onfi, and Valium
- Benzos for the treatment of insomnia are Prosom, Doral, Halcion and Dalmane
- Benzos used as Anesthesia are Valium, Ativan, and Versed
How do Benzos work?
Like barbiturates, benzos also affect the body through the GABA neurotransmitter that sends calming messages to the body. Benzos also changes the voltage of the brain from positive to negative and makes the brain cells less sensitive. The main difference between the two is benzodiazepines do not stimulate the GABA receptor which makes them more effective. Still, they produce a calm effect but are not as depressive on the central nervous system as the barbiturates. The difference that lies in how they work is the reason why benzos are considered weaker among the two and also safe. But their potential is considerable and is risky nonetheless.
Barbiturates vs Benzos: Key differences
Mechanism of work
Barbiturates act directly on gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors, and keep them open for a long time, resulting in negative charge and decreased responsiveness of nerve cells. On the other hand, Benzodiazepines increase the effectiveness of the GABA receptors but do not stimulate them directly. They bring changes in the brain chemistry, leading to decreased sensitivity of the brain cells to the nerve impulses.
Depressive effects
Barbiturates have a more distinct depressive impact on the central nervous system resulting in slower breathing and heart rate other than muscle relaxation. Benzos creates a calming impact without much substantial depressive impact on the central nervous system. This means benzos are considered safer.
Dependency risk
Barbiturates have more risk of physical and emotional dependency, even after being prescribed for a shorter duration. Benzos have the risk of dependency but are considered safe when compared with barbiturates. Dependency risk is there when it is used for a longer duration.
Patterns of prescription
Barbiturates use is limited to pre-operative settings while benzos are prescribed for various conditions which include anxiety, insomnia, and alcohol withdrawal.
Interaction with drugs
Barbiturates have a slight range of healing dosages. Even small differences in dosage can cause potential side effects. Benzos also have the risk of interactions with other drugs that can lead to lethargy, coma, and sometimes excess sedation.
Availability and abuse potential
Barbiturates are not available easily because of the high likelihood of abuse as well as addiction. Benzos on the other hand are available widely and contribute to high rates of addiction and abuse.
Conclusion
To conclude, the key difference between barbiturates and benzos lies in their mechanism of action, safety profile, and their clinical uses. While both of them bring in changes in the GABAergic transmission, their different interactions with the GABA-A receptor, combine with their safety and dependency risks, resulting in substantial change in medical uses.
