Talk:Suicide/Toxification/Pentobarbital

Important Chemical Information
This page does not seem to make the explicit distinction between SODIUM-PENTOBARBITAL (which is Nembutal) and PENTOBARBITAL (which, according to certain sources, is a water insoluble crystalline solid quite distinct from Sodium Pentobarbital). It is meant to be quite possible to convert Sodium Pentobarbital (Nembutal) to Pentobarbital via the addition of acetic acid (vinegar) OR Dilute Hydrochloric Acid. Converting Pentobarbital to Sodium Pentobarbital requires the addition of Aqueous Sodium Hydroxide or Aqueous Sodium Carbonate (in alcohol according to online sources, but it is not clear if the conversion can take place in just water, or just alcohol, or whether it has to be a mix of water-alcohol).

Due to Pentobarbital's limited solubility in both water and alcohol, it is not clear how lethal this substance necessarily is, or whether the body absorbs it as well as Nembutal (the Sodium Salt). Further, even journal articles do not tend to emphasise this difference between the two.

It is also not clear whether Pentobarbital has the same bitter/nasty taste attributed to Sodium-Pentobarbital. This bitter/nasty taste can trigger vomiting just by itself, even if small amounts of the drug are ingested (see www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/assisted-suicide-one-last-helping-hand-7670487.html). Apparently, the provision of a (likely) anti-emetic should prevent this, but the taste is profoundly unpleasant and acts as a barrier to drinking significant quantities of Sodium Pentobarbital. The possibility arises that Pentobarbital does not taste as bitter, and is just as lethal. Or, alternatively, it is possible that mixtures of Pentobarbital can be converted to Sodium Pentobarbital (online sources state this requires dissolving the Pentobarbital partially in alcohol and ASavantDude (discuss • contribs) 19:24, 19 March 2016 (UTC)