Symptoms of depression after oral ingestion appear within 30 minutes, and maximum blood concentration is attained within 1 to 1.5 hours and then rapidly falls, the drug being no longer detectable in the blood 3 hours after administration. Ethchlorvynol is metabolized primarily in the liver.
Ethchlorvynol produces less initial excitement than do the barbiturates.
The drug has anticonvulsant and muscle relaxing properties. Exaggerated reactions may occur if it is taken with alcohol. Patients have recovered after ingesting from 10 to 60 g following a period of coma lasting from 5 to 7 days. In vitro studies indicate that ethchlorvynol is dialyzable and is bound to plasma proteins only to a very small extent. Safety in pregnancy not yet established.