special offer

Generic Name: Seconal Sodium (secobarbital)

Seconal Sodium Reviews

For Insomnia "I've suffered from chronic insomnia and severe panic attacks since early childhood and was given many medications, but they didn't help me. I eventually was put on Seconal Sodium (secobarbital) by a new physician, and I sleep well and don't experience panic attacks anymore. I was taught to take my Seconal under my tongue with NutraSweet and on a four-hour empty stomach. Also, I never experienced withdrawals when I was without this medication for two months. Seconal has made my life much better now that I can get restful sleep and no longer have panic attacks."


For Insomnia "Seconal is not the vilified, evil drug that it has been made to be. Any medication has to be taken as directed and with caution. This medication works better for me than any of the benzo type drugs (Ambien, Lunesta - not sure of the spelling). I take Seconal as needed for insomnia and I sleep. I wake not feeling drugged or groggy and my memory is intact. The aforementioned are terrible about memory loss and the hangover effect, in my experience. Thankfully I have a physician that knows the correct history and use of this drug. It is very, very difficult to find a pharmacy that carries Seconal. Bottom line when taken as it should be taken, it works wonderfully."


For Insomnia "I’m a working professional in a field that mandates absolute attentiveness and have battled lifelong insomnia. I’ve been through sleep studies and all other sleep aids and sleep clinics that really didn’t help at all. A new physician recommended Seconal to me as he had success with his other patients suffering from treatment-resistant insomnia. I take 200 mg a night, and it has given me my life back and hasn’t lost effectiveness after being on it for 3 years. Beautiful sleep at last! I highly recommend it."


For Insomnia "I've only used Seconal twice, and it works very well and quickly. 90% of doctors I've seen refuse to prescribe me even small quantities of, say, 10-12 capsules per month for my insomnia due to the fact I'm a sufferer of M.S. and am on Fentanyl patches for the chronic pain. It's a damn shame people with legitimate need of certain medications are denied use due to the ignorance of some medical professionals who have no clue what it's like to have severe insomnia, which for me lasts up to 4 nights in a row. I've been an Ambien user for over a decade (not every night!) and it does help me nicely some nights with no odd behaviors. But at times I have to repeat the dose when I'm still wide awake over an hour later (which is not recommended to do, but sometimes is necessary). It would be a blessing to be able to get an RX of Seconal in low monthly quantities."


For Insomnia "I've tried every new 'miracle sleeping aid' that's hit the market over the past 45 years. Nothing works as consistently or as well as Seconal. Taken at therapeutic levels, it eases you into sleep within about 20-30 minutes after taking it. Most people sleep for 7 to 8 hours and wake refreshed and do not experience a drug hangover. It's vital to avoid any alcohol use with this drug. Alcohol potentiates the drug and can cause CNS suppression and even death in large enough doses. Of course, this is true for most sleeping aid-type medications. Some people use this drug for long periods of time and develop dependency on it. This can be avoided by not using it more than one or two days in a row. Seconal works when others do not."


For Insomnia "I have severe insomnia secondary to serious problems with my back. Basically, I need help falling asleep and staying asleep, as something as simple as rolling over will cause me to bolt right awake. I take secobarbital (Seconal Sodium) and temazepam (Restoril). Usually, I take temazepam with Seconal at bedtime and another temazepam during my nightly awakening. Seconal is not used as a 'first line' insomnia treatment any longer. However, if the weaker sedatives fail you, it really will get you to sleep. Absolute caution is needed, the reputed strength and history of this medication is no joke."


For Sedation "When I was younger I had bad lead poison really bad and it damaged my nerves and my nervous system. I suffered with bad headaches and other problems almost every day as a child. My neuro gave my parents this it was a life saver. I wish that doctors these days would use this to help people like me live with horrible nerve damage and pain."


For Insomnia "I have never tried any barbiturates although I am taking phenobarb for insomnia. I will know what to expect and therefore can control the amount of the medicine. Obviously no alcohol use at time to taking tis pill. But 7-8 hours of sleep without a hangover sounds pretty good!"


For Insomnia "This was the best sleeping pill there was, along with Tuinal. You were guaranteed a great night's sleep in short order after taking the capsule. I know Seconal and drugs like it were abused and led to many overdoses. With that said, I took this medication on and off for years, and when used correctly with the utmost caution, it was a godsend. It's a shame it's been discontinued, it was the last thing you were given in the latter 20th century only after failing treatment with other sleep medications. I feel Seconal should still be available to those who need it when truly indicated."


For Insomnia "When I was just six weeks old, the ob/gyn prescribed Seconal for me for 90 days because, I am told, "all I did was cry and eat" after my mother and I survived an extremely difficult delivery in which I crowned but became stuck for 20 hours. The ob/gyn was going to perform a forceps delivery when I was finally born naturally. It is no wonder that I cried so much, and I think my parents were more interested in THEIR ability to get some sleep than they were interested in MY sleep. I suppose this is excusable, but the decision to prescribe a powerful barbiturate to me at an extremely early age has led to my lifelong dependency on all substances with a sedating, narcotic or hypnotic effect. I have struggled with alcohol, benzodiazepines, opiates and opioids, and atypical sedatives and hypnotics such as Ambien, Quaaludes (decades ago), and Lyrica. My six-week-old nervous system equated the ability to relax and sleep with the availability of the substances I have listed here. Truly dreadful."


For Insomnia "This medicine was great for sleeping. It was the best that I ever had because I have sleeping problems. Rate it as a 10."


For Insomnia "Blessed and complete sleep."


For Light Sedation "Great when used safely!"

More about Seconal Sodium (secobarbital)

  • Check interactions
  • Compare alternatives
  • Drug images
  • Side effects
  • Dosage information
  • During pregnancy
  • Drug class: barbiturates
  • Breastfeeding

Patient resources

  • Seconal patient information

Professional resources

  • Seconal Sodium prescribing information

Related treatment guides

  • Insomnia
  • Light Sedation
  • Sedation