Limits were placed on prescription duration and refills.Production continued throughout the 1960s, but by 1970, meprobamate was listed as a controlled substance after it was discovered to cause physical and psychological dependence. On January 19, 2012, the European Medicines Agency withdrew marketing authorization in the European Union for all medicines containing meprobamate, "due to serious side effects seen with the medicine." The Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use "concluded that the benefits of meprobamate do not outweigh its risks." In October 2013, Canada also withdrew marketing authorization. Pharmacology
Although it was marketed as being safer, meprobamate has most of the pharmacological effects and dangers of barbiturates and acts at the barbiturate binding site (though it is less sedating at effective doses). It is reported to have some anticonvulsant properties against absence seizures, but can exacerbate generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Meprobamates mechanism of action is not completely known. It has been shown in animal studies to have effects at multiple sites in the central nervous system, including the thalamus and limbic system. Meprobamate binds to GABAA receptors which interrupts neuronal communication in the reticular formation and spinal cord, causing sedation and altered perception of pain. Meprobamate has the ability to activate currents even in the absence of GABA. This relatively unique property makes meprobamate exceptionally dangerous when used in combination with other GABA-mediated drugs (including alcohol). It is also a potent adenosine reuptake inhibitor. Related drugs include carisoprodol and tybamate (prodrugs of meprobamate), phenprobamate, felbamate, mebutamate, and methocarbamol.
Dimethicone, which is a silicone oil, is often preferred due to the low risk of side effects. Pyrethroids such as permethrin have been commonly used; however, they have become less effective due to increasing pesticide resistance. There is little evidence for alternative medicines.Head-lice infestations are common, especially in children. In Europe, they infect between 1 and 20% of different groups of people. In the United States, between 6 and 12 million children are infected a year. They occur more often in girls than boys. It has been suggested that historically, head lice infection were beneficial, as they protected against the more dangerous body louse. Infestations may cause stigmatization of the infected individual. Epidemiology
Reliable data describing the usual incidence of infestation in the general public, in the average school community, or during specific times of the year are lacking. The number of cases of human louse infestations (or pediculosis) has increased worldwide since the mid-1960s, reaching hundreds of millions annually. It is estimated between 1 and 20% of specific groups in Europe are infected.Despite improvements in medical treatment and prevention of human diseases during the 20th century, head louse infestation remains stubbornly prevalent. In 1997, 80% of American elementary schools reported at least one outbreak of lice. Lice infestation during that same period was more prevalent than chickenpox.About 6–12 million children between the ages of 3 and 11 are treated annually for head lice in the United States alone.