Sedatives & Hypnotics
Sleeping pills, barbiturates and muscle relaxants — depressants with razor-thin margins. From Ambien to Seconal: these slow the brain and breathing. Mixing with opioids or alcohol multiplies the danger.
Zolpidem (Ambien/Stilnox)
White/pink oblong tablets (5–10 mg); 'Ambien' imprint
Secobarbital (Seconal)
Red-orange capsules (50–100 mg)
Carisoprodol (Soma)
White 250/350 mg tablets; 'Soma' imprint
Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril)
Yellow/orange 10 mg tablets (Merck); white 5 mg
Pentobarbital (Nembutal)
Yellow capsules, pink injectable solution (veterinary), powder
Butalbital (Fioricet/Fiorinal)
White/blue tablets with caffeine + acetaminophen or aspirin (50/325/40 mg)
Pregabalin (Lyrica)
White/orange/red-and-white capsules (75–300 mg)
Zopiclone (Imovane)
Blue film-coated tablets (3.75/7.5 mg); blisters branded 'ZOP'
Eszopiclone (Lunesta)
White/blue film-coated round tablets (1–3 mg)
Kava (Piper methysticum)
Brown powder, capsules, drinks/teas; sold at health stores, kava bars, gas stations
Kava Bars (Social Kava Trend)
Muddy brown drinks at kava bars; root powder
Doxylamine (Unisom) Abuse
Blue/pink sleep-aid tablets (25 mg)
Kava Extract (Concentrated Liver Risk)
Concentrated capsules/tinctures (standardized kavalactones)
Methaqualone (Quaalude / Mandrax)
White tablets (historical 'Lemmon 714'); modern mandrax = crushed methaqualone mixed with cannabis smoked in SA pipes
Zaleplon (Sonata)
5–20 mg capsules, green/white
Meprobamate (Miltown)
200–600 mg tablets, white
Gabapentin (Neurontin)
100–800 mg capsules/tablets
Quetiapine (Seroquel)
25–400 mg tablets, peach/white
Mirtazapine (Remeron)
15–45 mg tablets (orodispersible 'sol-tabs' exist)
Trazodone (Desyrel)
50–300 mg tablets, white scored
Corvalol / Valocordin (Phenobarbital Drops)
Alcohol-based drops (20–25% ethanol + phenobarbital + bromoisovalerate); the iconic brown bottle of the post-Soviet medicine cabinet
MAOIs (Phenelzine, Tranylcypromine, Moclobemide)
Tablets (15 mg phenelzine, 10 mg tranylcypromine, 150–600 mg moclobemide)
Pramipexole (Mirapex)
0.125–1.5 mg tablets; Parkinson's/restless-legs drug
Promethazine (Phenergan)
25 mg tablets, syrup (the purple), injection
Hydroxyzine (Vistaril / Atarax)
10–100 mg tablets/capsules; syrup
Bobinsana (Calliandra angustifolia)
Bark and leaves brewed as tea; pink-flowered Amazonian shrub
Combretum quadrangulare (Sakae Naa)
Dried leaves chewed or brewed; sold online as 'kratom alternative'
SSRIs & SNRIs (the antidepressant class)
Daily tablets or capsules (10–100 mg depending on drug); never sold as a 'high' — the misuse angle is entirely about mixing them with everything else
Methocarbamol (Robaxin)
White 500/750 mg tablets; injection in hospitals
Tizanidine (Zanaflex)
White/colored 2–4 mg tablets and capsules; bitter taste
Amitriptyline & Tricyclics (Elavil)
Small round tablets 10–150 mg; also used in low doses for nerve pain and migraine prevention
Clonidine (Catapres)
0.1–0.3 mg tablets; weekly patches; liquid for ADHD
Lofexidine (Lucemyra)
0.18 mg tablets; taken up to 4× daily during withdrawal
Phenobarbital
Tablets and elixir; old-school barbiturate still prescribed for seizures
Chloral Hydrate
Syrup or capsules; the original 'knockout drops'
Glutethimide (Doriden)
Tablets; notorious combined with codeine as 'loads' or 'pancakes and syrup'
Mecloqualone
Tablets; methaqualone analog sold on the Mandrax market
Etomidate
Clear liquid ampoules (surgical); increasingly detected in vape carts and 'knockout' products 2024+
Diphenhydramine (DPH)
Pink/white OTC tablets (25–50 mg), liquid caps, or powder