Methaqualone Abuse and Addiction
July 5, 2010 by Summit Malibu
Filed under Prescription Drug Addiction and Abuse
Methaqualone (brand name Quaalude) is a sedative and hypnotic drug with central nervous system depressant effects similar to barbiturates. It was most commonly prescribed in the 1960s and 1970s as a treatment for insomnia, and as a sedative and muscle relaxant.
Methaqualone is currently listed as a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States.
The common side effects of Methaqualone include euphoria, drowsiness, reduced heart rate, reduced respiration, increased sexual arousal, and numbness in the fingers and toes. Large doses can cause respiratory depression, headache, and sensitivity to light.
Methaqualone overdose symptoms include delirium, convulsions, extreme muscle contractions and spasms, vomiting, renal insufficiency, coma, and death through cardiac or respiratory arrest. Methqualone overdose resembles barbiturate poisoning but with increased motor difficulties and a lower rate of cardiac or respiratory depression.
Methaqualone became a popular recreational drug in the 1960s and 1970s because it heightened sensitivity and euphoria.
Smoking Methaqualone, by itself or added to legal and illegal smoking blends, became popular in the U.S. during the mid-1970s. This created a serious health risk due to ingredients that became toxic when smoked.
