Smuggled New Pills Could Cause Eternal Sleep: Thailand

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Smuggled New Pills Could Cause Eternal Sleep

HAT YAI: -- Recreational pill users are warned to beware of potent new sleeping pills recently smuggled into southern Thailand. The pills can cause death by overdose or by consuming them with alcohol. The pills contain the drug Phenazepam or Fenazepam, which is 10 times stronger than Diazepam pills, also known as Valium.

The Hardyai police station in Songkhla province recently seized a smuggled batch of 2,940 tablets of Phenazepam, which they sent to the medical sciences department in Songkhla to analyze.

One side of the pills have a symbol of a 4-pointed star and the numbers “028” imprinted on them. The other side of the pills have the number “5” imprinted. The pills were in red clear plastic bags that had “Erimin 5” written on them.

The identification laboratory of the Bureau of Drug and Narcotic, Department of Medical Science found that the sleeping pills, Phenazepam or Fenazepam, are categorized in the benzodiazepines class, and are 10 times stronger than Diazepam (Valium) sedatives.

Dr. Nipon Popattanachai MD., the director general of the Department of Medical Sciences, said the seized pills can be purchased in pharmacies with a prescription from a doctor. When someone takes it, it would make the person sleep more than 60 hours.

However, the person might also suffer side effects including drowsiness, dizziness, loss of balance, confusion and loss of memory. Also, if the person stops taking the medicine suddenly after taking high doses, or for a long period of time, withdrawal symptoms may result that could cause death.

The doctor warned that using the pills in conjunction with drinking alcohol, or taking other substances that affect the central nervous system can also cause death.

Full story: http://www.pattayada...-eternal-sleep/

-- Pattaya Daily News 2013-01-25

[pedro01]

Sleep for 60 hours?

LMAO - where do they get this information from?

In terms of on drug being 10x potent than another - that is largely irrelevant. Some drugs are 100's of times more potent than others on a mg to mg basis which is why they put less drug in a dose.

Honestly - what a rag that paper is. Some of the article is a cut & paste from Wiki - do these guys not have to credit their source?

[NHJ]

The Hardyai police station in Songkhla <-- oh yeah baby go hard LMAO it made my day

[hgma]

Real live situation for expats with this sort of medication needed and prescribed is that , like in case of pseudo ephedrine , the patients will suffer.

limitations and outright refusal of prescribing these medicine citing "forbidden" is common in Thailand.

Especially in private hospitals with often changing medical staff and doctors.

And as usual the expat is the first to know(feel)

[Bluespunk]

Can cause death if take an overdose? Well duh!!! That's what overdose means you gimboids.

[Tywais]

Based on a Drugs Forum - Effects last over 60 hours. Seems mixed up effects and sleep.

[Locationthailand]

I am still falling about over the headline. "New Pills Could Cause Eternal Sleep". Isn't that the same with any drug overdose? C'mon, get with it - you can use the term 'death'. Okay - up now, it's only Friday (thank goodness).

[Kananga]

My mother in law has been on these for years.

[longtom]

The Hardyai police station in Songkhla <-- oh yeah baby go hard LMAO it made my day

Last time I looked Had Yai was still in Songklah province.

[MEL1]

"Dr. Nipon Popattanachai MD., the director general of the Department of Medical Sciences, said the seized pills can be purchased in pharmacies with a prescription from a doctor. When someone takes it, it would make the person sleep more than 60 hours.

However, the person might also suffer side effects including drowsiness, dizziness, loss of balance, confusion and loss of memory."

----

It would appear that half the students in my school have managed to obtain these already, then!

-mel.

[Songhua]

My mother in law has been on these for years.

What luck! You never have to listen to her.

[Rancid]

Another gift to humanity from the Big Pharma monopoly in recreational drugs.

[bigbamboo]

Should make the guys at CSI Bangkok's job a bit easier.

[lovelaos]

My mother in law has been on these for years.

Where do I buy a batch

[kbvicar]

Wooo Hooo!!! Finally, Thailand gets the infamous Michael Jackson pill.

NOT!!!

[noitom]

Looks like it came from Russia where it is prescribed and sold over the counter. Maybe the Russian mob from Pattaya is seizing a new opportunity.

[surangw]

pass them out free to the local terrs.

[marchawkes]

Quote - "The identification laboratory of the Bureau of Drug and Narcotic, Department of Medical Science found that the sleeping pills, Phenazepam or Fenazepam, are categorized in the benzodiazepines class, and are 10 times stronger than Diazepam (Valium) sedatives.

Dr. Nipon Popattanachai MD., the director general of the Department of Medical Sciences, said the seized pills can be purchased in pharmacies with a prescription from a doctor. When someone takes it, it would make the person sleep more than 60 hours".

Surely there are lots of tablets with similar or worse side-effects. Such medication - due to its impact - is sold only by prescription from a skilled physician in most countries. Perhaps, the concerns we read here arise from Thailand being an open unregulated market where pharmacies offer whatever they please or whatever a customer asks - with no questions. Probably there is some meaning to it when people tell "dopey farangs" that they are acting "too Thai for comfort".

[Tywais]

is sold only by prescription from a skilled physician in most countries.

Warning over legal Russian drug phenazepam

People who take phenazepam are often regular users of other drugs, the scientists say

Russian epilepsy medication is being increasingly used in the UK as a substitute for illegal drugs, scientists have warned.

Phenazepam is a psychoactive also used to treat conditions like insomnia and alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

But researchers at Dundee University said they had detected a "trend of misuse".

The drug is not controlled in the UK, most of Europe or the US - so can be purchased legally over the internet.

Phenazepam is available on prescription in Russia and many other CIS states. Reports from Sweden, Finland, and the US suggest it is being used illicitly in place of similar drugs like diazepam.

The Dundee team said they had found nine cases since January 2011 where postmortem blood samples had contained phenazepam.

Source - BBC News

[masuk]

Didn't I read on these pages a few weeks back that legal Viagra pills, manufactured by the state pharmacy, were now being sold by Thai Pharmacists at a fraction of the previous rate?

The reasoning behind the 'safe' Viagra was that it would prevent the need for the fake drugs.

so what happened?

[TackyToo]

Is that the stuff they put in the drinking water here for a long time already? And is it true that cops in their traffic both's and security guards get a discount for the"medicine"?

[harleyd61]

why do they sell them here? people here have no problem with sleeping...

[tragickingdom]

Who doesn't want to sleep forever?

[Mole]

"Erimim" 5 mg is actually Nimetazepam. In Thailand, the slang for this is "five five".

It's produced in Japan and is usually prescribed as a sleeping aid there.

In Thailand it's used mainly as a "come down" when you're high on amphetamines.

Also often used on clubbing on its own. As with all type of benzodiazepines, when used with alcohol, the effect gets stronger. When Thais refers to so called "rape-drug" it's usually a benzo.

The high is similar to Valium (Diazepam) except Nimetazepam has a much shorter half life so the effect is more concentrated while diazepam lasts for half a day.

Edited January 26, 2013 by Mole

[nisakiman]

"Erimim" 5 mg is actually Nimetazepam. In Thailand, the slang for this is "five five".

It's produced in Japan and is usually prescribed as a sleeping aid there.

In Thailand it's used mainly as a "come down" when you're high on amphetamines.

Also often used on clubbing on its own. As with all type of benzodiazepines, when used with alcohol, the effect gets stronger. When Thais refers to so called "rape-drug" it's usually a benzo.

The high is similar to Valium (Diazepam) except Nimetazepam has a much shorter half life so the effect is more concentrated while diazepam lasts for half a day.

Just about all articles in the media about 'drugs' are long on speculation and short on facts. And likewise those who comment on the article. It is a very emotive subject, and usually brings out the worst prejudices and ignorance of those who think they know (having read all about it in the tabloids) everything about it.

It's refreshing to see a post from someone who has bothered to educate himself about the subject before commenting, and then refraining from being judgmental. Well done Mole.

Edit.

I might add that I'm not actually referring to this thread when I mention ignorant commenters. So far, it has been very restrained. But there are many who like nothing better than to jump on the 'drugs' bandwagon to vent their spleen.

Edited January 26, 2013 by nisakiman

[HOAX]

60 hours... eh, a cat or an infant maybe. I would compare them (in strenght) with Rohypnol (Flunitrazepam) and Xanor/Xanax. Taking a mg of Fluniz will make you sleep up to 20 hour, if you've never taken them before. Taking 5 mg wont make you any sleep longer, but rather shorter, but more drowsy/dizzy/intoxicated when you wake up.

Diazepam isn't Valium. Valium pills contains the active ingredient, Diazepam, but there are several inactive ingredients. Other pills containing Diazepam is for instance Diazepam, Stesolid, Vival, Antenex and more.

The article probably just copied what the medical description of an benzo-overdose is: Drowsiness, dizziness etc... what others would refer as intoxicated.

[Morakot]

My mother in law has been on these for years.

Sorry to hear. How do they manage the bedsores?

[Hans Sierhuis]

Well soon the stories about all tourists being drugged and fallen asleep and missing their flights home, I suppose.

[Kananga]

My mother in law has been on these for years.

Sorry to hear. How do they manage the bedsores?

The same as half the people who work in my office I would imagine.