WARNINGOVERDOSE, COMBINATIONS, & WITHDRAWAL CAN BE FATAL
High doses alone or ordinary doses in combination with other depressants can fatally stop breathing. After prolonged dependency, stopping suddenly can cause seizures, delirium, or death.
Amobarbital
Amobarbital is a barbiturate derivative with sedative-hypnotic properties, first synthesized in Germany in 1923.citation needed Classified as a short to intermediate acting barbiturate,1 it has been used clinically for sedation, short-term insomnia management, and acute seizure control.citation needed Once widely misused, its popularity declined as benzodiazepines offered safer alternatives in overdose. Amobarbital carries a high risk of dependence with continued use, and dose-related central nervous system depression remains a primary safety concern.
Dosage & Duration
Dosage
Doses are population estimates that vary widely between individuals.
Absorption is faster when taken on an empty stomach.
Duration
Subjective Effects
Legacy content. A statistically backed ontology from Mindstate Design Labs is coming soon.
The amobarbital experience is dominated by heavy sedation and anxiety relief, producing an intoxication that closely resembles alcohol in its disinhibition, sloppiness, and impaired judgment. As the dose increases, cognitive impairment and physical incoordination become pronounced, and memory of the period after ingestion may become patchy or absent. There is little in the way of sensory alteration; the character of the experience is one of suppression rather than enhancement.
Physical
Powerful sedation, muscle relaxation, and a loss of motor coordination define the body experience, manifesting as staggering, clumsiness, and slurred speech. At overdose levels, breathing slows, heart rate drops, and body temperature falls.
Sedation
Uncomfortable
Cognitive
The headspace is clouded and disinhibited, with slowed thinking, reduced anxiety, and impaired judgment. Users may divulge information they would normally withhold, and anterograde amnesia is common at moderate to high doses.
Emotional
Suppressions
Pharmacology
Pharmacodynamics
Amobarbital acts primarily as a positive allosteric modulator of the GABAA receptor, binding at the barbiturate site on alpha or beta subunits, which is distinct from both the GABA and benzodiazepine binding sites.citation needed This potentiates GABAergic inhibition by increasing chloride channel conductance and prolonging inhibitory postsynaptic currents.2 It also antagonizes AMPA and kainate-type glutamate receptors, reducing excitatory neurotransmission, and acts as an antagonist at neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (alpha-4 and alpha-7 subtypes).
Pharmacokinetics
Amobarbital is metabolized via hydroxylation to form 3'-hydroxyamobarbital3 and via N-glucosidation to form 1-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-amobarbital.4
Caution
Use cautionThese combinations are not usually physically harmful, but may produce undesirable effects, such as physical discomfort or overstimulation. Extreme use may cause physical health issues. Synergistic effects may be unpredictable. Care should be taken when choosing to use this combination.
Tolerance
Tolerance timelines are rules of thumb, not exact schedules, and vary widely between individuals and use patterns.
Barbiturates, Other GABAergic depressants
Harm Potential
Addiction & Dependence
Psychological
HighHigh abuse potential with significant risk of psychological dependence.citation needed Amobarbital was widely misused recreationally, known on the street as 'Blue Heavens,' 'blue angels,' and 'blue devils,' and is classified as habit-forming.5
Physical
Extremely HighPhysical dependence develops with extended use.citation needed Withdrawal mimics delirium tremens and may be life-threatening, requiring medical supervision for discontinuation.
History & Culture
Discovery and Commercial Development
Amobarbital was first synthesized in Germany in 1923, emerging as a short to intermediate acting barbiturate derivative.citation needed The compound gained commercial prominence through Eli Lilly and Company, which manufactured it in the United States under the brand name Amytal. The medication…
Legality
By Country
NetherlandsIllegal
UkraineRestricted
United KingdomRestricted
United StatesPrescription only
GermanyPrescription onlyReferences
Source Pages
Citations
- Francisco López-Muñoz, Ronaldo Ucha-Udabe, & Cecilio Alamo. (2005). The history of barbiturates a century after their clinical introduction. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 1(4). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2424120/1
- H‐S Kim, X Wan, D A Mathers, & E Puil. (October 2004). Selective GABA-receptor actions of amobarbital on thalamic neurons. British Journal of Pharmacology, 143(4), 485–94. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bjp.07059741
- W Kalow, B K Tang, D Kadar, & T Inaba. (1978). Distinctive patterns of amobarbital metabolites. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 24(5), 576-82. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/699482/1
- Tang BK, Kalow W, & Grey AA. (July 1978). Amobarbital metabolism in man: N-glucoside formation. Research Communications in Chemical Pathology and Pharmacology, 21(1), 45–53. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/684279/1
- AMYTAL SODIUM (amobarbital sodium) for injection, USP — DailyMed Label (setid: a2523317-e071-4e04-9d9f-9053286e0ce2). (n.d.). https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/fda/fdaDrugXsl.cfm?setid=a2523317-e071-4e04-9d9f-9053286e0ce2&type=display1
- Death in Hollywood: Walker, Robert – Strangers on a Train. Emanuel Levy (n.d.). https://emanuellevy.com/profile/death-in-hollywood-walker-robert-age-38-strangers-on-a-train/1
- Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Schedule IV; section 5. laws-lois.justice.gc.ca (n.d.). https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-38.8/section-sched95660.html1
- Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Schedule IV; section 5. laws-lois.justice.gc.ca (n.d.). https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-38.8/section-5.html1
- Anlage III BtMG. gesetze-im-internet.de (n.d.). https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/btmg_1981/anlage_iii.html1
- § 13 BtMG. gesetze-im-internet.de (n.d.). https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/btmg_1981/__13.html1
Further Reading
- Clarke's Analysis of Drugs and Poisons, 4th Ed.
DailyMed: Amytal Sodium (amobarbital) label
Drugs.com – Amytal Sodium Package Insert- PubChem: Amobarbital (CID 2164)
Article Status
Step 1 · Automated synthesisAn autonomous workflow built by Josie Kins compiled this article's foundation from information published across the web.
- Step 2 · First-pass review
A first pass manual review and edit of article prose and copy has been performed by subject-matter expert Lyrea. This does not guarantee factual accuracy. An additional human review for each of this article's citations is yet to be performed.
- Step 3 · Citation reviewPending
No one has reviewed this article's citations yet. That second pass checks each claim against the source it cites.
Recent changes8 human edits · latest
Times are UTCNewest first
21 August 2026
Lyrea · Changed a word in Dosage & Duration › Routes 1 › Dose ranges › Heavy
Lyrea · Changed a word in Dosage & Duration › Routes 1 › Dose ranges › Strong
24 January 2026
Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more
Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more
Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more
Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more
Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more
Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more
Suggest an edit
Spotted a mistake, an outdated claim, or something missing from the Amobarbital article? Send the editors a private note. Feedback lands in a moderation queue and is never shown on the site.
Wish to give generalised feedback? You can do so here.