Ethchlorvynol is a
sedativeA sedative is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement.At higher doses it may result in slurred speech, staggering gait, poor judgment, and slow, uncertain reflexes...
and
hypnoticHypnotic drugs are a class of psychoactives whose primary function is to induce sleep and to be used in the treatment of insomnia and in surgical anesthesia. Because drugs in this class generally produce dose-dependent effects, ranging from anxiolysis to production of unconsciousness, they are...
drugA pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
. It has been used to treat
insomniaInsomnia is a symptom of any of several sleep disorders, characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep despite the opportunity. Insomnia is a symptom, not a stand-alone diagnosis or a disease. By definition, insomnia is "difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or both"...
, but has been largely superseded and is only offered where an intolerance or allergy to other drugs exists.
Along with expected sedative effects of relaxation and drowsiness ethchlorvynol can cause skin rashes, faintness, restlessness and
euphoriaEuphoria is medically recognized as a mental/emotional state defined as a sense of great elation and wellbeing. Technically, euphoria is an affect, but the term is often colloquially used to define emotion as an intense state of transcendent happiness combined with an overwhelming sense of wellbeing...
. Early adjustment side effects can include nausea and vomiting, numbness, blurred vision, stomach pains and temporary dizziness.
Ethchlorvynol is a
sedativeA sedative is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement.At higher doses it may result in slurred speech, staggering gait, poor judgment, and slow, uncertain reflexes...
and
hypnoticHypnotic drugs are a class of psychoactives whose primary function is to induce sleep and to be used in the treatment of insomnia and in surgical anesthesia. Because drugs in this class generally produce dose-dependent effects, ranging from anxiolysis to production of unconsciousness, they are...
drugA pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
. It has been used to treat
insomniaInsomnia is a symptom of any of several sleep disorders, characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep despite the opportunity. Insomnia is a symptom, not a stand-alone diagnosis or a disease. By definition, insomnia is "difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or both"...
, but has been largely superseded and is only offered where an intolerance or allergy to other drugs exists.
Along with expected sedative effects of relaxation and drowsiness ethchlorvynol can cause skin rashes, faintness, restlessness and
euphoriaEuphoria is medically recognized as a mental/emotional state defined as a sense of great elation and wellbeing. Technically, euphoria is an affect, but the term is often colloquially used to define emotion as an intense state of transcendent happiness combined with an overwhelming sense of wellbeing...
. Early adjustment side effects can include nausea and vomiting, numbness, blurred vision, stomach pains and temporary dizziness. An overdose is marked by confusion, fever,
peripheralA peripheral is a device attached to a host computer but not part of it whose primary functionality is dependent upon the host, and can therefore be considered as expanding the host's capabilities, while not forming part of the system's core architecture....
numbness and weakness, reduced coordination and muscle control, slurred speech, reduced heartbeat.
It is addictive and after prolonged use can cause withdrawal symptoms including convulsions, hallucinations, and memory loss. Due to these problems, it is unusual for ethchlorvynol to be prescribed for periods exceeding seven days. During the late 1970's, Placidyl was sometimes overprescribed causing a minor epidemic of persons who became addicted to this powerful drug. Occassional deaths would occur when addicted persons would try to inject the drug directly into a vein or an artery; Ethchlorvynol is not compatible with I.V. injection - serious damage and death can occur when it is used in this manner.
Ethchlorvynol is a member of the class of sedative-hypnotic tertiary carbinols, which includes
methylparafynolMethylpentynol is a hypnotic/sedative with anticonvulsant effects. It was developed in the 1950s, and was previously used for the treatment of insomnia but has been replaced by newer drugs with better safety profiles....
. It is not a
barbituric acid derivativeBarbiturates are drugs that act as central nervous system depressants, and, by virtue of this, they produce a wide spectrum of effects, from mild sedation to total anesthesia. They are also effective as anxiolytics, hypnotics and as anticonvulsants. They have addiction potential, both physical and...
. The systematic name of ethchlorvynol is usually given as ethyl 2-chlorovinyl ethynyl carbinol or 1-chloro-3-ethyl-1-penten-4-yl-3-ol. Its empirical formula is C
7H
9ClO. In the United States
Abbott LaboratoriesAbbott Laboratories is a diversified pharmaceuticals health care company. It has 72,000 employees and operates in over 130 countries. The corporate headquarters are in Abbott Park, Illinois, located near North Chicago, Illinois....
used to sell it under the tradename
Placidyl. During their heyday, they were known on the street as "jelly-bellies". Since Abbott and Banner Pharmacaps, which manufactured the generic version, discontinued production in 1999, ethchlorvynol is no longer available in the United States.