Brand Names: Fioricet

Generic Name: Butalbital

Butalbital medication is a pain reliever and sedative. It is used to relieve mild to moderate pain and tension headaches. Butalbital medication may also be used to treat migraine headaches. To prevent upset stomach, take this medication with food or milk. Pain medications work best if they are used as the first signs of pain (or first signs of migraine) occur. If you wait until the pain has significantly worsened, the pain medicine may not work as well. Take this as prescribed. Do not increase your dose or take it more frequently without your doctor's approval. This medication contains acetaminophen. Do not take more acetaminophen than recommended (see Side Effects section).

When you take butalbital for a long time, your body may get used to it so that larger amounts are needed to produce the same effects. This is called tolerance to the medicine. Also, butalbital may become habit-forming (causing mental or physical dependence) when it is used for a long time or in large doses. Caffeine may help to relieve headaches. This may lead to withdrawal (rebound) headaches when you stop taking it.

Headaches are a normal occurrence, some acute, some chronic. Each year, about 45 million American adults experience it, approximately 20 million of which are women. Some chronic headaches are due to stress, some brought about by certain medical conditions. Whatever the case may be, most doctors turn to various over-the-counter and prescription medications such as butalbital, one of the most trusted headache pain relief medications used worldwide.

What is butalbital?

Butalbital is a kind of barbiturate. Barbiturates are drugs that mainly act as a central nervous system depressant that change the way the body reacts to pain. Butalbital is one of the most commonly used medications for pain and headaches. It is usually combined with other medications, such as paracetamol or aspirin to produce maximum results if alleviating pain caused by tension headaches.

What are the side effects of butalbital?

Side effects of butalbital can be differentiated to physical and psychological effects.

The physical side effects may include but are not limited to:

· Dizziness
· Drowsiness
· Light-headedness
· Nausea
· Upset stomach
· An intoxicated feeling

The psychological side effects may include:

· Sedation
· Euphoria
· Confusion or severe impairment of judgment

What special precautions should be kept in mind before using butalbital?

It is important to keep in mind that there are considerations that need to be paid special attention to when it comes to ingesting butalbital. Here are some of them:

· Addiction. Butalbital is a potentially addictive substance. People with a history of substance abuse may want to consider using another type of medication, or have their dosage adjusted.

· Liver diseases or dysfunctions. The body processes butalbital through the liver. Having liver dysfunction may lessen the efficacy of the prescription drug because it was not processed by the body properly.

· Kidney dysfunctions or disorders. Butalbital residue is excreted from the body after being filtered by the kidneys. Having a healthy set of kidneys assures complete filtration of butalbital and minimal residue build-up in the system.

· Pregnancy. Women need to tell their doctors if they are pregnant or are attempting to get pregnant during the course of treatment as the effects of butalbital on developing fetuses have not yet been established.

· Breastfeeding. It is important for nursing moms to advise their doctors that they are breastfeeding their child because it has not yet been established whether butalbital passes on to babiesthrough breast milk.

· Alcohol intake. Never take butalbital with alcohol as it may increase the intoxicating effect of the drug and increase liver toxicity.

OVERDOSE:

If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. Symptoms of overdose may include vomiting, unusual drowsiness, lack of feeling alert, slow or shallow breathing, cold or clammy skin, loss of consciousness, dark urine, stomach pain, and extreme fatigue.

NOTES:

Do not share this product with others.

MISSED DOSE:

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as remembered; do not take if it is almost time for the next dose, instead, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not "double-up" the dose to catch up.

STORAGE:

Store at room temperature away from moisture and sunlight. Do not store in the bathroom.