Tuinal

{{Short description|Combination drug}}

{{Infobox drug

| INN = none

| drug_name = Secobarbital/amobarbital

| type = combo

| component1 = Secobarbital

| class1 = Short-acting barbiturate

| component2 = Amobarbital

| class2 = Short- to intermediate-acting barbiturate

| image = Secobarbital and amobarbital.svg

| image_class = skin-invert-image

| pronounce =

| tradename = Tuinal

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| routes_of_administration = By mouth

| ATCvet =

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| legal_US_comment = Schedule II

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| CAS_number = 8065-05-2

| PubChem = 3080650

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| KEGG =

| StdInChI = 1S/C12H18N2O3.C11H18N2O3.2Na/c1-4-6-8(3)12(7-5-2)9(15)13-11(17)14-10(12)16;1-4-11(6-5-7(2)3)8(14)12-10(16)13-9(11)15;;/h5,8H,2,4,6-7H2,1,3H3,(H2,13,14,15,16,17);7H,4-6H2,1-3H3,(H2,12,13,14,15,16);;/q;;2*+1/p-2

| StdInChIKey = HQBIOVWPIHUNKN-UHFFFAOYSA-L

| SMILES = CCCC(C)C1(C(=O)NC(=O)N=C1[O-])CC=C.CCC1(C(=O)NC(=O)N=C1[O-])CCC(C)C.[Na+].[Na+]

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Tuinal was the brand name of a discontinued combination drug composed of two barbiturate sodium salts (secobarbital and amobarbital) in equal proportions.

Tuinal was introduced as a sedative-hypnotic (sleeping pill) medication in the late 1940s by Eli Lilly. It was also used in obstetrics for childbirth.{{Cite journal | vauthors = Waters AB |date=1947 |title=Pethidine In Labour | jstor = 20370143 |journal=The British Medical Journal |volume=2 |issue=4514 |pages=71–72 |doi=10.1136/bmj.2.4514.71-b |pmid=20344014 |pmc=2055200 |issn=0007-1447}}{{Cite journal |date=1948 |title=Front Matter | jstor = 25361874 |journal=The British Medical Journal |volume=1 |issue=4539 |issn=0007-1447}} It was produced in brightly colored half-reddish orange and half-turquoise blue gelatin capsule form (bullet-shaped Pulvules) for oral administration. Individual capsules contained 50 mg, 100 mg, or 200 mg of barbiturate salts. The combination of a short-acting barbiturate, secobarbital, with an intermediate-acting barbiturate, amobarbital, aimed to provide "a rapid yet prolonged hypnotic action".{{Cite journal |date=1947 |title=Front Matter |journal=The American Journal of Nursing |volume=47 |issue=5 |pages=1–24 | jstor = 3457169 |issn=0002-936X}}

Eli Lilly has discontinued the manufacture of Tuinal in the United States due to the diminishing use of barbiturates (largely replaced by the benzodiazepine family of drugs) in outpatient treatment, and its widespread abuse.{{cite book | vauthors = Mitchell M, Willingham EJ, Atkins WA | veditors = Key K |date=2012 |title=The Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Health |edition=3rd |volume=1 |url= https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX4013200056/GVRL?u=rock21695&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=0b9d1be5 |access-date=November 4, 2022 |location=Detroit, MI |publisher=Gale eBooks |page=171 |isbn=9781414490144 |url-access=subscription}} Currently, Valleant Labs markets secobarbital capsules only. Flynn Pharma of Ireland no longer manufactures Tuinal, Seconal (secobarbital), or Amytal (amobarbital). Amytal has been discontinued, though injectable forms of amobarbital sodium remain.

The drug was featured in "Psycho Therapy," a song by the musical band Ramones, who stated "I like takin' Tuinal/It keeps me edgy and mean/I'm a teenage schizoid/I'm a teenage dope fiend."

It is also mentioned in "Lost Johnny" a song by the band Hawkwind in the last verse, "And we're all taking Tuinal/to murder our young dreams."

Most famously, Tuinal is mentioned by Shane MacGowan in the song "Old Main Drag" by The Pogues.