Secobarbital is used on a short-term basis to treat insomnia (difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep). It is also used to relieve anxiety before surgery. Secobarbital is in a class of medications called barbiturates. It works by slowing activity in the brain.
Why is Seconal no longer available?
It was widely abused, known on the street as "red devils" or "reds." Among barbiturates, secobarbital carries a particularly high risk of abuse and addiction, which is largely responsible for it falling out of use.
What is another name for Seconal?
What are Barbiturates? Depressant drug used to help sleep, relieve anxiety, muscle spasms, and prevent seizures. Prescribed names: Fiorina®, Pentothal®, Seconal®, or Nembutal®.
What is the Red Devil drug?
Doxorubicin is sometimes called the “red devil chemo” both because of its distinctive color and because it may cause serious side effects. Chemotherapy is widely known to cause difficult side effects in most cancer patients, including hair loss, an increased risk of infection, nausea and vomiting.


