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Methaqualone

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Methaqualone
File:Methaqualone.png
Clinical data
Pregnancy
category
  • ?
Routes of
administration		?
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
  • Schedule I (USA)
    Schedule III (CA)
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability?
Metabolism?
Elimination half-life?
Excretion?
Identifiers
  • 2-methyl-3-o-tolyl-4(3H)-quinazolinone;
    3,4-dihydro-2-methyl-4-oxo-3-o-tolylquinazoline;
    2-methyl-3-(2-methylphenyl)-4-(3H)-quinazolinone
CAS Number
PubChem CID
DrugBank
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.000.710 Edit this at Wikidata
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC16H14N2O
Molar mass250.30 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
Melting point113 °C (235 °F)
  • Cc3ccccc3N1C(=O)c2ccccc2\N=C1\C
Methaqualone tablets and capsules.

Methaqualone1 is a sedative drug which is similar in effect to barbiturates, a general CNS depressant. It was used in the 1960s and 1970s as an anxiolytic, for the treatment of insomnia, and as a sedative and muscle relaxant. It has also been used illegally as a recreational drug, particularly in the 1970s in North America. In the 2000s, it is widely used as a recreational drug in South Africa.

Effects

Usual effects include relaxation, euphoria, and drowsiness, also reducing heart rate and respiration. Larger doses can bring about depression, muscular miscoordination, and slurred speech.

An overdose can cause delirium, convulsions, hypertonia, hyperreflexia, vomiting, renal insufficiency, coma, and death through cardiac or respiratory arrest. It resembles barbiturate poisoning but with increased motor difficulties and a lower incidence of cardiac or respiratory depression. Toxicity is treated with diazepam and sometimes an anticonvulsant.

History

Methaqualone was discovered by the Indian researcher M. L. Gujiral in 1955 during an anti-malaria research program. It was marketed as a sleeping pill during the 1960s under a number of tradenames including Renoval and Melsed and in combination with an antihistamine as Mandrax.

From 1965 it was sold on the United States market as Quaalude, Sopor and Parest; by 1972 it was the sixth most popular sedative in the US. The name Quaalude was apparently derived from the phrase "quiet interlude" with an added "aa" by the manufacturers in order to elicit a more positive public recognition, as was done with the drug Maalox. It was hoped that it was a "safer" drug than barbiturates to use for sedation; however, it was found to have similar problems of tolerance and dependence.

Up until the fall of Nicolae Ceauşescu's regime in 1989, methaqualone (along with other sedatives) was used to pacify orphans in Romania's state-run orphanage system. Internationally, methaqualone is a Schedule II drug under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances. [1]

Illegal use as a recreational drug

Quaaludes became increasingly popular as a recreational drug during the 1960s, and during the disco club scene in the 1970s. The drug was more tightly regulated in Britain under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and in the U.S. from 1973. With its addictive nature clear, it was withdrawn from many developed markets in the 1980s, being made a Schedule I drug in the US in 1984.

Smoking methaqualone, either alone or as an adulterant added to various legal and illegal smoking mixtures, gained popularity in the United States during the mid 1970s. When smoked, methaqualone gives the user an immediate trance-like euphoria that quickly wears off. Because the various binders and inert ingredients that were contained in the pill form were toxic when smoked, this practice was roundly decried by the medical community as a serious health risk. Smoking methaqualone leads to emphysema and other chronic lung disorders.

South Africa

South Africa is the largest abuser of methaqualone in the world. Commonly known as Mandrax, it is not taken orally but is crushed and mixed in a pipe (or the neck of a broken bottle) with marijuana (known as "dagga"). Mandrax has become a major problem rivalling crack cocaine as the most abused hard drug in that country. The low price (R30.00 average against R150.00 for crack) of methaqualone together with the ready availability of cheap, low-grade marijuana means it is the preferred hard drug of the low-income section of South African society.

Since methaqualone is no longer legally produced, illicit manufacture either in India, or in South Africa itself or other African countries produces methaqualone for the South African market. [1]

Street names

Street names include:

714, Citrexal, Down And Dirtys, Gorilla Biscuits, Ndanda, Lemmon 714, Lemons, Lennons, Lovers, Ludes, Mandies, Mandrax (commonly misspelled as Mandrex), Mind peelers, Q, Quaalude, Quad, Quay, Sopor, Vitamin Q, Wallbangers, Whore Pills, Turkey Gizzards and Buttons.

Other names

Other names include:

Metolquizolone; ortonal; MAOA; MTQ; Mandrax; "Randy Mandy"; Cateudyl; Citexal; Dormigoa; Dormogen; Dormutil; Dorsedin; Fadormir; Holodorm; Hyminal; Hypcol; Hyptor; Ipnofil; Isonox; Melsedin; Melsomin; Mequelon; Mequin; Metadorm; Methased; Mollinox; Motolon; Nibrole; Nobedorm; Noctilene; Normi-Nox; Omnyl; Optimil; Optinoxan; Parminal; Parest; Paxidorm; Quaalude; Revonal; Riporest; Rouqualone; Sedaquin; Sindesvel; Somnafac; Sonal; Somberol; Somnium; Somnomed; Soverin; Toquilone; Toraflon; Torinal; Tuazol; and Tuazolone.

In South Africa: Buttons; Golf-Sticks; Mandrax; Mx; Pille; Pills; Swastikas; White Pipe; Witpyp.

  • Fee Waybill, the lead singer of San Francisco rock band The Tubes created a persona for their live show, called "Quaylewd". Quaylewd was a drugged-up, drunken, fallen-from-grace Cockney rock star who dressed in a silver spandex jumpsuit with 12" silver platform boots and sported a large dildo in his costume. Quaylewd came to be the highlight of the finale of The Tubes' live show. He vomited, spat and swore his way through songs such as "White Punks On Dope" and "I was A Punk Before You Was A Punk". The character was in fact a parody of many 70s rock stars who had fallen to a lifestyle of drug abuse.[2]
  • In the 2000 movie Almost Famous, the character Penny Lane attempts suicide by swallowing Quaaludes. Her stomach is pumped, and she survives.
  • Hardcore punk band Gorilla Biscuits got their name from the drug; it was the drug of choice in their neighborhood. The name was only meant to be temporary but stayed with them.
  • Celia from the Showtime show Weeds claims to take the "last pharmaceutical Quaalude on Earth," in the episode entitled "A Lude Awakening."
  • In the David Bowie song "Time" (1973), one of the lines is: "Time—through quaaludes and red wine". In the song "Rebel Rebel" (1974), he sings, "You got your cue line and a handful of 'ludes".
  • Frank Zappa's "Pygmy Twylyte" (1973) tells a story about someone who is "hurtin' for sleep in the Quaalude Moonlight".
  • The Lisa Loeb song "When All the Stars Were Falling" includes the lyric "I may not be a Quaalude living in a speed zone / but I could be restful."
  • The Dead Kennedys' song "MTV—Get Off the Air" claims that the MTVVJs "always talk like [they're] wigged out on Quaaludes".
  • In the sitcom The King of Queens, after doing a favor for Doug, Supervisor O'Boyle mentions, "I wouldn't mind if a handful of Mexican quaaludes found their way into my drawer."
  • In the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the character Jeff Spicoli, while driving erratically and smoking a marijuana joint and drinking a beer, says "people on 'ludes should not drive" when everybody else is driving slower than him.
  • In the movie Scarface, Tony Montana referring to his wife says "Another Quaalude, and she'll love me again."
  • In Stephen King's book It mentions that the character Eddie Kaspbrak has six quaaludes in a Sucrets case.
  • Roger Waters of Pink Floyd recalls founding member Syd Barrett putting hair gel (purportedly mixed with crushed Mandrax) on to his head which subsequently melted down his face under the heat of the stage lighting.
  • Alice Cooper sings "Little Betty ate a pound of Quaaludes" on the live version of the song 'Dead Babies' featured on the DVD "Good to See you Again".
  • Free's guitarist Paul Kossoff became heavily addicted to the drug, which led to his eventual death from drug-induced heart attack.
  • In the Marilyn Manson music video for "I Don't Like The Drugs (But The Drugs Like Me)", one card reads "Quaaludes" during the scene that shows a girl holding up flash cards.
  • In the Cheech and Chong movie Up In Smoke, Chong is given a Quaalude before the final performance at the punk rock show, and struggles to stay concious, until the sweet smell of Mary Jane arouses his senses, and then all is well.
  • At the beginning of the Supergrass song "We're not supposed to" (from their 1995 debut album "I Should Coco" one of the band (in a sped-up to high pitch, smurf-like voice) asks, "Anybody got any Mandies?"
  • In Judy Blume's book Smart Women a character named Sara mentions that a girl at her school does Quaaludes every weekend.
  • The unreleased Guns N' Roses song "Crash Diet" includes the line "Crash diet of reds n' ludes."
  • Three different versions of the Ben Sinister song "Fistful Of Mexican Quaaludes" appear on the "Giggle & Stink" & "Gigglepuss" albums.
  • The Lynyrd Skynyrd song "That Smell" includes the lines "Now they call you prince charming, Cant speak a word when youre full of ludes"
  • In the movie Blades of Glory figure skater Chazz Michael Michaels played by Will Ferrell says he does not remember the competition at Oslo because he was on Quaaludes.
  • In the movie Summer of Sam hairdresser Vinny abuses Quaaludes as his relationship with Dionna deteriorates.
  • In Sex and the City, Samantha blames falling asleep during sexual intercourse on the 'ludes'.

References

  1. ^ van Zyl EF. A survey of reported synthesis of Methaqualone and some positional and structural isomers. Forensic Science International (2001) 122: 142-149.

See also


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