Barbiturates have largely been replaced by which safer class of medications?

Barbiturates have largely been replaced by benzodiazepines due to their improved safety profile and lower risk of overdose. Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effects of the neurotransmitter GABA in the brain, which produces a calming effect. This makes them effective for treating anxiety, insomnia, and other conditions where sedation is desired, while carrying a lower risk for acute toxicity compared to barbiturates.

In contrast, barbiturates have a narrow therapeutic range, meaning that the dose needed to achieve the desired effect is very close to that which can cause serious toxicity or death. This high potential for overdose is a significant reason why they have fallen out of favor in medical treatments.

While tranquilizers may refer to various medications that induce relaxation, they do not specifically point to a class that has replaced barbiturates in the same way benzodiazepines have. Stimulants and antidepressants serve different therapeutic purposes, such as increasing alertness or improving mood, rather than directly replacing the sedative effects that barbiturates provided. Thus, benzodiazepines are now recognized as the safer and more effective choice for contexts previously served by barbiturates.