Ludes is a slang term for methaqualone, a synthetic, barbiturate-like drug that depresses the central nervous system. Methaqualone became popular as a recreational drug and club drug in the late 1960s and 1970s, known variously as "ludes" or "disco biscuits" due to its widespread use during the popularity of disco in the 1970s, or "sopers" (also "soaps") in the United States and Canada, and "mandrakes" and "mandies" in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Methaqualone was sold both as a free base and as a salt (hydrochloride) . Due to rampant abuse and the high addiction potential of this medication, commercial production of methaqualone stopped in the mid-80s. Ludes are CNS depressants with barbiturate-like effects that can cause extreme mental confusion and a loss of muscle control known as ataxia. Higher doses of ludes can cause adverse effects such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, abdominal cramps, tingling in arms and legs, diarrhea, dry mouth, sweating, seizures, rashes, itching, fatigue, reduced heart rate, slowed breathing, and occasionally, erectile dysfunction and difficulty achieving orgasm. Ultimately, it was a combination of the drug’s strong psychological addictiveness and widespread recreational abuse that led to the downfall of ludes.