The Phenomenology of Doriden (Glutethimide) Dependence Among Drug Addicts

Abstract

There are now an increasing number of drugs available to the physician which can be subsumed under the rubric of nonbarbiturate hypnotics or sedatives. One such drug is Doriden (glutethimide), or “Cibas” as the tablets are more familiarly known among street addicts. Probably an important factor in the heightened interest in nonbarbiturate sedatives was the published reports of Isbel and his associates (1950) confirming the addictive properties of barbiturates in a series of controlled experiments. Since 1955 there have been many clinical investigations dealing with the basic pharmacology of Doriden, its general effectiveness and safety in clinical practice, and, more recently, reports on the abstinence syndrome following Doriden intoxication (Bartholomew, 1961; Johnson and Van Buren, 1962; Doriden product brochure from Ciba, 1964; Essig, 1964). It is noteworthy that Isbel (1960) subsumes Doriden under the alcohol-barbiturate subclassification of “drugs causing both emotional and physical dependence and requiring withdrawal treatment when such dependence has occurred.” Similarly, the product brochure in the section “Chronic Overdosage” carries a warning concerning possible abusive use and the development of dependence in emotionally unstable persons (Doriden, 1964).