User:Mr. Ibrahem/Chloral hydrate

Chloral hydrate has been used as a medication to treat trouble sleeping and in procedural sedation. Use is only recommended when safer medications are not appropriate. It can be taken by mouth or used rectally. Onset of effects are within an hour and may last for up to eight hours. Other uses include as a part of a stain for fungal spores.

Common side effects include nausea, trouble with coordination, and diarrhea. Other side effects may include addiction, delirium tremens if suddenly stopped, and allergic reactions. Use is not recommended during pregnancy. Excessive doses may result in decrease breathing or coma. How it works in not entirely clear.

Chloral hydrate was discovered in 1832 by Justus von Liebig and came into medical use in the 1860s. It is available as a generic medication in the United Kingdom were 30 tablets costs the NHS about 140 pounds as of 2020. It is not approved for any medical use in the United States, though is still occasionally used. It remains commonly used in neonatal intensive care units in Europe. Historically it was used in mental asylums to manage agitation and was mixed in alcohol to create the "knockout drops" known as a Mickey Finn.