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| Pronunciation | /ˌɛθklɔːrˈvaɪnɒl/ ETH-klor-VY-nol |
| AHFS/Drugs.com | Micromedex Detailed Consumer Information |
| Routes of administration | Oral |
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| Protein binding | 35–50% |
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| ECHA InfoCard | 100.239.078 |
| Chemical and physical data | |
| Formula | C7H9ClO |
| Molar mass | 144.60 g·mol−1 |
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Ethchlorvynol, sold under the brand namePlacidyl, is aGABA receptor agonist andcentral nervous systemdepressant withanxiolytic,sedative, andhypnotic developed byPfizer in the 1950s.[4] Originally identified in 1956 byresearch chemists atAbbott Laboratories in theUnited States, ethchlorvynol becameFDA-approved drug[2] Thedosage form was always as asoftgelcap, containing 200 mg, 500 mg, and 750 mg. While the 500 mg and 750 mg strength capsules were for use in reducing sleep latency, the 200 mg strength capsules were intended to be used to re-induce sleep in case of early awakening.[citation needed] Abbott discontinued production in 1999 due to problems of the widespread abuse of the substance, and substances withinbenzodiazepine family (with drugs such as Librium and Valium);[5][2] by the end of 2001, ethchlorvynol reserves had dried up in the United States.
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Ethchlorvynol was indicated to treatinsomnia, and was widely prescribed in the 1960s and 1970s; prescriptions had fallen significantly by 1990, however, as other hypnotics that were considered safer and less dangerous in overdose became more common.[citation needed]
Ethchlorvynol is no longer prescribed in the United States due to unavailability, but is still available in some countries, and would still be considered legal to possess and use with a valid prescription.[citation needed]
Along with expected sedative effects of relaxation and drowsiness, adverse reactions to ethchlorvynol include skin rash, faintness, restlessness, andeuphoria. Early adjustment side effects may include nausea and vomiting, numbness, blurred vision, stomach pains, and temporary dizziness.[citation needed]
Occasional deaths would occur when addicted persons would try to inject the drug directly into a vein or an artery. Ethchlorvynol is not compatible withintravenous injection, and serious injury (including the loss of limbs due to vascular injury) or death can occur when it is used in this manner.[citation needed]
There are no specific antidotes available for ethchlorvynol, and treatment is supportive with protocols resembling those for the treatment ofbarbiturate overdose. Overdose may be marked by a variety of symptoms, including confusion, fever,peripheral numbness and weakness, reduced coordination and muscle control, slurred speech, reduced heartbeat, respiratory depression, and in extreme overdoses, coma and death.[citation needed]
Regular use of anyGABAA receptor agonist can result indrug dependency andphysical addiction; conversely,abrupt cessation of long-term of such substances cna potentially cause lethaldrug withdrawal effects resembling the effects ofwithdrawal from alcohol, possible uponcessation, orbarbiturate withdrawal, and the convulsions, hallucinations, andamnesiaincluding convulsions, hallucinations, andamnesia. Placidyl is indicated for use in the treatment of insomnia for a short period of time, generally ranging from one week to one month. However, it was not uncommon for doctors to prescribe the medication for extended periods of time. In the late 1970s, ethchlorvynol was deemed responsible as one of the agents responsible for the death ofElvis Presley, and resulted in Supreme Court JusticeWilliam Rehnquist as well asSteven Tyler ofAerosmith both being hospitalized for detox.[6]
Ethchlorvynol is a member of the class of sedative-hypnotic carbinols, which includesmethylparafynol andtert-amyl alcohol. It is not abenzodiazepine,carbamate, orbarbiturate, and its molecular structure is considerably simpler. The systematic name of ethchlorvynol is usually given as ethyl 2-chlorovinyl ethynyl carbinol or 1-chloro-3-ethylpent-1-en-4-yn-3-ol.[citation needed] Its empirical formula is C7H9ClO.
Ethchlorvynol is synthesized by anethynylation reaction using lithiumacetylide and 1-chloro-1-penten-3-one inliquid ammonia, followed by acidicwork-up.[4][7]
Theanalogous compound consisting of acarbamate derived from thehydroxy group was investigated and was shown to have a slower onset, longer duration, and increased potency, but was not developed commercially.[citation needed]
