Several barbaric restfuls were introduced in the 1950s, 1960s, as a possible alternative to combat anxiety and insomnia. In this direction, meprobamate (Equanil), etchlorvinol (Placidyl), and glutahimide (Doriden) were used, but each of them had side effects similar to those of barbiturates. Methaqualone, termed Quaalude and Sopor in 1965, was considered a promising replacement for barbiturates. Although many believed that methaqualone would be much safer since it was not a barbiturate, it was not. It soon became apparent that methaqualone in high doses was highly toxic, especially in combination with alcohol. Dependence on methaqualone rapidly develops with withdrawal symptoms, which are caused by alcohol and barbiturates. Thus, the interest of physicians to methaqualone was quickly extinguished. However, a drug called “disco sponge cake” or “Luda” was widely spread on the street in the 1970s, thanks to the aforementioned state of intoxication and the reputation of a drug that improves sexual functions, there was little research on the real effects of methaqualone on the sexual sphere. The fragmentary data is contradictory: some feel disinhibition and improvement of sexual function, in others sexual activity decreases. In fact, there is a great similarity in the action of methaqualone and other depressants, such as alcohol, and it would be surprising if there were any serious differences in their effects on sexual behavior. In any case, the disadvantages of methaqualone and other non-barbitrate sedatives are superior to practical advantages, and at present they are practically not used to help with insomnia and anxiety. In the list of narcotic substances, methaqualone is included in Group N1 (see Appendix N1) and is not produced for medical purposes. The main reason for the loss of positions with these drugs and barbiturates was the widespread use of benzodiazepines as an alternative drug.
Benzodiazepines and anxiety treatment