Posted by med_empowered on July 13, 2005, at 1:19:03
In reply to Re: meprobamate and benzos, posted by Declan on July 13, 2005, at 0:52:32
hey! OK, from what I read, meprobamate is kind of like a middle-ground between the barbiturates and benzos, with some odd characteristics all its own. It is a sedative, anticonvulsant, and hypnotic. In overdose, death is more likely than with a benzodiazepene, but less likely than with a barbiturate. The withdrawal syndrome is similar to that of benzos or barbiturates, with the intensity and severity of the symptoms depending upon the dosage and duration of administration, as well as any other medication co-prescribed. Unlike barbiturates, though, a meprobamate withdrawal-induced seizure is very unlikely to result in death. Now, in terms of effects on the brain...it is less selective in the GABA department than the benzos, but more so than the barbiturates. Just like the barbs, large doses result in intoxication similar to alcohol intoxication; this is what lead to the infamous "Miltown Parties" that popped up in affluent suburbs after Miltown gained popularity. Miltown has been used some in schizophrenia; from what I understand, it has a little-understood mild antipsychotic effect. It also is better at relieving the somatic symptoms of anxiety than benzos--to this day, Equagesic, a meprobamate-containing preparation, is used in the treatment of sprains, strains, and headaches (for some reason, it seems to be much less popular than Midrin or Fioricet/Fiorinal for headache treatment).
poster:med_empowered
thread:526470
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050708/msgs/527015.html