Anxiety disorders meprobamate

The barbiturates and meprobamate have been entirely superseded by the benzodiazepines and because of their low benefit-to-risk ratio (dependence producing, lethality in overdose, potent sedative effects) they should never be used as anxiolytics. Despite their popularity as short-term sedatives, antihistamines are ineffective anxiolytics, while the use of sedative antidepressants such as amitriptyline should be limited to the treatment of patients with symptoms of both anxiety and depression due to their limited efficacy and the poor patient compliance associated with their adverse effects. However, patients with panic disorder do appear to show a beneficial response to antidepressants (see Chapter 6). A similar argument... 

Its actions and uses are similar to its congener meprobamate. It has been used in the treatment of anxiety and tension states in patients having psychoneurotic disorders. 

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