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Somosal: Full Drug Profile

Medically reviewed by Min Clinic Staff | Updated: January 2026

Somosal - General Information

Somosal (marketed by Eli Lilly and Company under the brand names Seconal® and Tuinal) is a barbiturate derivative drug. It possesses anaesthetic, anticonvulsant, sedative and hypnotic properties. In the United Kingdom, it was known as Quinalbarbitone.

 

Pharmacology of Somosal

Somosal, a barbiturate, is used for the induction of anesthesia prior to the use of other general anesthetic agents and for induction of anesthesia for short surgical, diagnostic, or therapeutic procedures associated with minimal painful stimuli. Little analgesia is conferred by barbiturates; their use in the presence of pain may result in excitation.

 

Somosal for patients

 

Somosal Interactions

Barbiturates may decrease the effectiveness of oral contraceptives, certain antibiotics, quinidine, theophylline, corticosteroids, anticoagulants, and beta blockers.

 

Somosal Contraindications

 

Additional information about Somosal

Somosal Indication: For the Short-term treatment of intractable insomnia for patients habituated to barbiturates Mechanism Of Action: Somosal binds at a distinct binding site associated with a Cl- ionopore at the GABAA receptor, increasing the duration of time for which the Cl- ionopore is open. The post-synaptic inhibitory effect of GABA in the thalamus is, therefore, prolonged. Drug Interactions: Not Available Food Interactions: Not Available Generic Name: Secobarbital Synonyms: (+/-)-Secobarbital; Secobarbital Sodium; Secobarbitale [DCIT]; Secobarbitalum [INN-Latin]; Sodium quinalbarbitone; Sodium Secobarbital Drug Category: Hypnotics and Sedatives; Adjuvants; Barbiturates Drug Type: Small Molecule; Approved Other Brand Names containing Secobarbital: Barbosec; Bipanal; Bipinal sodium; Evronal; Evronal Sodium; Evrronal; Hypotrol; Hyptran; Imesonal; Immenoctal; Immenox; Meballymal; Meballymal sodium; Meballymalum; Novosecobarb; Pramil; Quinalbarbital; Quinalbarbitone; Quinalbarbitone sodium; Quinalspan; Sebar; Seco 8; Secobarbitone; Seconal; Sedutain; Seotal; Somosal; Synate; Trisomnin; Absorption: Not Available Toxicity (Overdose): Not Available Protein Binding: Not Available Biotransformation: Not Available Half Life: Not Available Dosage Forms of Somosal: Not Available Chemical IUPAC Name: 5-[(2R)-pentan-2-yl]-5-prop-2-enyl-1,3-diazinane-2,4,6-trione Chemical Formula: C12H18N2O3 Secobarbital on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secobarbital Organisms Affected: Humans and other mammals