# Looking for the name of a sedative

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-the-name-of-a-sedative/195528>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 16, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-the-name-of-a-sedative/195528 "2003-08-16T03:06:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-the-name-of-a-sedative/195528/1 "2003-08-16T03:06:44Z")

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I’m writing a piece about some surgery I just had and I forget the name of the sedative they gave me.

It was given though the IV, the name started with a V but it wasn’t valium.

Also, what is the name of the drug used for general anaesthetic. I thought it was sodium penathol, but my doctor called it something else. I’m sure if was just a brand name.

I’d know both of these names when I hear them.

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**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-the-name-of-a-sedative/195528/2 "2003-08-16T03:35:16Z")

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The “V” drug was probably Versed. Usually anesthetic gasses are given for surgery. Sodium Thiopental is still occasionally used for minor surgery.

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-the-name-of-a-sedative/195528/3 "2003-08-16T03:38:30Z")

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I’d second Versed, but I’d wait for Qadgop to show up for a better answer.

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**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-the-name-of-a-sedative/195528/4 "2003-08-16T03:41:06Z")

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Versed. That’s the stuff.

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**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-the-name-of-a-sedative/195528/5 "2003-08-16T23:30:47Z")

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That’s what Ver said.