Methaqualone (Quaalude): history, effects and uses

It was widely used as a recreational drug in the 1970s, and there are still illegal laboratories manufacturing it today.

Methaqualone, commonly referred to as "Quaalude", one of its trade names, is a sedative that was very popular as a recreational drug in the 1970s, and there are still illegal laboratories manufacturing it today. a sedative that was very popular as a recreational drug in the 1960s and 1970s. in the 1960s and 1970s. References to this drug can be found in movies such as "The Wolf of Wall Street" and "Scarface", as well as in songs by David Bowie or Frank Zappa.

In this article we will discuss the pharmacological properties, history, effects and uses of methaqualone.. Although it has been replaced by other less addictive anxiolytics and is not currently manufactured legally, this drug played a striking role in the development of drug therapy that is worth analyzing.

What is methaqualone?

Methaqualone is a drug with depressant effects on the nervous system It is classified in the category of hypnotic and sedative drugs, as well as anxiolytics. It is part of the pharmacological class of quinazonlinones.

Anxiolytic and sedative psychotropic drugs are used to treat symptoms such as anxiety or insomnia, and some of them have effects that make them susceptible to physical and psychological addiction. The most commonly used today are the benzodiazepines, although azapirones are gaining in popularity, especially buspirone.

The best known trade name for methaqualone is "Quaalude", an abbreviation of the words "Quaalude" and "Quaalude".an abbreviation of the words "quiet interlude", which can be translated as "quiet interlude". Other nomenclatures referring to this drug include "Mandrax", "Sopor", "Malsed" or "Renoval", although these products are no longer legally manufactured in most countries.

What was it used for?

From a medical perspective, methaqualone was primarily used to treat physical and psychological symptoms of physiological hyperarousal, such as anxiety and tension. In particular, methaqualone was methaqualone was often prescribed to people with insomnia and as a muscle relaxant. and also as a muscle relaxant.

However, the fact that methaqualone is still known today is due to the fact that it was very popular as a recreational drug in nightclubs in Anglo-Saxon countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. In this sense, the use of Quaalude Quaalude use was associated with the hippie and glam rock cultures..

On the other hand, methaqualone is also one of the sedatives that have acquired a bad reputation for its use as a "rapist's drug". Particularly well known is the case of the comedian Bill Cosby, who during his testimony in a rape trial claimed that he had used Quaalude to abuse numerous young women.

History of this drug

Methaqualone was first synthesized in India in the 1950s for use as an antimalarial drug. It reached the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1960s.It was there that its use became popular not only as an anxiolytic but also as a recreational drug. It was in the United States that the name "Quaalude" emerged.

Due to the obvious addictive potential of this substance and the frequency of its use for non-medical purposes, regulation of methaqualone began to be progressively tightened from the 1970s onwards. In addition, other more effective and safer sedative drugs, such as benzodiazepines and azapirones, also appeared.such as benzodiazepines and azapirones.

Methaqualone is now difficult to obtain in most countries of the world, as it has been outlawed. Some relevant exceptions include South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Angola and Zambia, as the use and abuse of methaqualone (often marketed as Mandrax) is very common in these regions of Africa.

Elsewhere, although products containing this drug are available on the black market, it is often found mixed with barbiturates, benzodiazepines, opiates (particularly codeine) and other substances with central nervous system depressant effects.

It is known that In Latin American countries such as Mexico, Colombia and Peru, illegal laboratories are known to exist The same is true in the United States, Canada, Lebanon and elsewhere.

Effects and adverse reactions

Methaqualone potentiates the activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which explains its physiological effects, mainly the reduction of Blood and respiratory rates, which in turn leads to an intense sensation of mental as well as physical relaxation.

Although it was introduced on the market as a substitute for barbiturates with a lower risk of side effects and addiction, it soon became evident that methaqualone was not only highly addictive, but that it was also very addictive and generated a high level of addiction. was highly addictive and generated a high risk of dependence, but that, as a consequencebut, consequently, discontinuation of regular use also led to withdrawal symptoms.

Methaqualone overdose causes excessive depression of the activity of the nervous, respiratory and circulatory systems. This translates into signs such as muscular hypertonicity, convulsions, nausea and vomiting, delirium (acute confusional syndrome) and even coma and death.