Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index 'Glutethimide' is a hypnotic sedative that was introduced in 1954 as a safe alternative to barbiturates to treat insomnia. Before long, however, it had become clear that Glutethimide was just as liable to cause addiction and caused similarly severe withdrawal symptoms. It is now a schedule III controlled substance in the United States. Demerol is the brand-name version of this drug. This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.