Methaqualone is a sedative-hypnotic drug similar in effect to barbiturates, a general CNS depressant. Some psychoactive drugs such as LSD, methaqualone, or phencyclidine ("angel-dust") can cause hyperacusis. Methaqualone is a sedative and hypnotic medication. A second indictment charged him with possession and distribution of methaqualone, phenobarbital, and meperidine. Illicit methaqualone is one of the most commonly used recreational drugs in South Africa. Nitromethaqualone is an analogue of methaqualone that has similar sedative and hypnotic properties. I illicit drug precursor, because it has been used in the synthesis of methaqualone. The effects of methaqualone and etomidate are mediated through GABBR3 positive allosteric modulation. In 1973, Charles Perry of "Rolling Stone" reported that Whitten died of a methaqualone overdose. Methaqualone was also manufactured in the US under the trade names Sopor and Parest. In 1951, along with Indra Kishore Kacker, he was the first to synthesize Methaqualone. Methaqualone is one of the most commonly used recreational drugs in South Africa. Methylmethaqualone differs from methaqualone by 4-methylation on the phenyl ring. Commercial production of methaqualone was halted due to widespread abuse, among other things. These properties explain why methaqualone was originally mainly prescribed for insomnia.