Pentobarbital
Aliases: Nembutal, Novopentobarb, Pentobarbitone, Yellow jackets
Summary
Pentobarbital is a Schedule II controlled substance in the United States and similarly restricted internationally. It has largely been replaced by benzodiazepines for medical use due to its narrow therapeutic window and high addiction potential. The drug is currently used primarily in veterinary medicine for euthanasia and in some jurisdictions for physician-assisted suicide.
Dose Information
| ROA | Light | Common | Strong | Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 50-100mg | 100-200mg | 200-300mg | 200-300mg+ |
| Intramuscular | 100-150mg | 150-200mg | - | 200mg+ |
| Intravenous | 50-60mg | 60-100mg | - | 100mg+ |
Light
Common
Strong
Heavy
Onset, Duration & After-effects
| ROA | Onset | Comeup | Peak | Offset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 15-60 min | 30-60 min | 1-3 hrs | 1-2 hrs |
| Intramuscular | 10-25 min | - | 3-4 hrs | - |
| Intravenous | 1 min | - | 15-20 hrs | - |
Tolerance
Build-up
develops over 1–4 weeks of daily use; hypnotic tolerance faster than anxiolytic tolerance
Reset
weeks to months depending on half-life and duration of use; taper recommended
Tolerance Decay
Full tolerance
3d
Half tolerance
37d
Baseline
~60d
Effects
Aggregated from 4 Erowid experience reports
Positive Effects 1
Stimulation
75.0%
70%
Adverse Effects 0
Combinations
Pentobarbital's nerd page
Pharmacology, chemical data, effect profiles, and more
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