Dexamyl

Dexamyl (or Drinamyl in the UK) was the brand name of a combination drug composed of amobarbital (previously called amylbarbitone) and dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine) within the same pill. It was widely abused and is no longer manufactured.

First introduced in 1950 by Smith, Kline & French (SKF), Dexamyl was marketed as an anorectic obesity medication as well as an anxiolytic and antidepressant medication that did not cause agitation. Racemic amphetamine had already been marketed over-the-counter (OTC) since 1933 as a nasal decongestant inhaler device sold under the brand name Benzedrine, and also as an oral tablet since 1938. Dexamyl utilized its enantiopure isomer of greater central nervous system (CNS) selectivity, dextroamphetamine, to elevate mood and suppress appetite, whereas the concomitant barbiturate was included to broadly counteract potential adverse effects from dextroamphetamine. Its name is a portmanteau of dextro- amphetamine and amyl- barbitone.

Dexamyl was discontinued in 1982 by SKF in favor of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) which were recently developed and shared treatment indications with Dexamyl yet lacked the high dependence potential and abuse liability which characterized long-term Dexamyl usage.