Addiction Drug Use Prescription Medications How Long Do Barbiturates Stay in Your System? By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial process Buddy T Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on October 07, 2020 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on October 08, 2020 Print Tom Grill / The Image Bank / Getty Images Barbiturates are sedative-hypnotic drugs that may be prescribed for controlling seizures, acute migraine, and in medical anesthesia. They are very hazardous when interacting with alcohol, opiates, and other sedating drugs. If you are prescribed barbiturates, you need to know how to avoid interactions and overdoses. How Long Barbiturates Remain in Your System If you have been prescribed barbiturates and you will be having a toxicology screen for employment or other purposes, be sure to disclose to the testing authority which medications you are taking. Barbiturates are often part of the typical screening panel. By disclosing your prescriptions the lab and pathologist will be able to better interpret the results. Several factors are involved in determining how long barbiturates are detectable in the body, including which kind drug test is being used. Detection Windows Depending on the type of test used, barbiturates can be detected for as long as: Blood: 72 hours Saliva: 3 days Urine: 6 weeks Hair follicle: 3 months There are a number of factors that play a role in how long barbiturates can be detected in your system, including your body mass index, hydration levels, age, food intake, sex, metabolism, the amount taken, and the frequency of use. How Long Barbiturates Affect You Because barbiturates come in many different formulations, they vary quite a bit in how long they stay in your system. Barbiturates come in ultra-short acting, short-acting, intermediate-acting, and long-acting formulations. Amobarbital and butalbital are intermediate-acting while pentobarbital and secobarbital are short-acting. This influences how long they stay in your system. The shorter-acting varieties have a short half-life and are eliminated from the body faster. Discuss the time frames of the specific drug with your doctor. Other medications and substances can influence the effect that barbiturates have. Tell your doctor about any other prescriptions or other substances you are taking so your dosage can be adjusted. Never start or stop taking any medication without discussing it with your doctor. Substances that may interact with barbiturates include medications for anxiety, depression, pain, asthma, colds, or allergies, blood thinners, hormone replacement therapy, oral steroids, and any sleeping pills. Do not drink alcohol while taking barbiturates until your doctor has said it is allowable and it what ways and amounts. There is a large danger of overdose when you drink alcohol while any barbiturates are still in your system. When taking a prescription of a barbiturate such as phenobarbital, do not suddenly stop taking it or you may go through withdrawal. It is important that you work with your doctor for an appropriate dosing schedule if the medication is going to be discontinued. Barbiturate Dependence Can Develop at Prescribed Doses Types of Barbiturates Common types are Amytal (amobarbital), Fiorinal (butalbital), Nembutal (pentobarbital), Donnatal (phenobarbital), and Seconal (Secobarbital). Besides appropriate medical uses, they are also diverted as drugs of abuse, either by themselves or mixed with other drugs. Street names for barbiturates include downers, blue heavens, yellow jackets, purple hearts, reds, and rainbows. You can look up the specific drug you are taking to see the precautions for that medication on the Medication Guide on the FDA website. Preventing Barbiturate Intoxication or Overdose Barbiturates work by slowing activity in the brain. They cause relaxation and sleepiness. Because Barbiturates are depressants, even low doses can cause someone to seem like they are drunk or intoxicated. The risk of overdose is great, especially when combined with alcohol or opiates. Mixing with those substances can result in overdose, coma, and death. If you are prescribed barbiturates, discuss this with your doctor. Symptoms of Barbiturate Intoxication and Overdose Symptoms of barbiturate intoxication and overdose can include: Altered level of consciousness Difficulty thinking Drowsiness or coma Faulty judgment Incoordination Shallow breathing Slowness of speech Sluggishness Slurred speech Staggering If someone you know has taken an overdose and seems extremely tired or has breathing problems, call 9-1-1 or the National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222). Recognize the Signs of a Drug Overdose Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Skibiski J, Abdijadid M. Barbiturates. Updated March 18, 2019. Toxicology Screen. National Institutes of Health. MedlinePlus. Reviewed January 12, 2019. Fritch D, Blum K, Nonnemacher S, Kardos K, Buchhalter AR, Cone EJ. Barbiturate detection in oral fluid, plasma, and urine. Ther Drug Monit. 2011;33(1):72-9. doi:10.1097/FTD.0b013e3182018151 Barbiturate Intoxication and Overdose. National Institutes of Health. MedlinePlus. Reviewed June 23, 2019. Speak to a Therapist for Addiction Advertiser Disclosure × The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Verywell Mind receives compensation.