Tips of taking Fioricet

Fioricet is a prescription medication used to relieve tension headaches. It works by relaxing muscle contractions that can result in mild to moderate head pain.

Fioricet is a combination of three ingredients: the pain reliever acetaminophen; butalbital, a barbiturate; and caffeine, a stimulant.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Fioricet in 1984. Novartis Pharmaceuticals was the original manufacturer. In 2003, Watson Pharmaceuticals bought the rights to Fioricet (Watson is now known as Actavis).

Fioricet is currently available from many manufacturers as a generic.

The original formulation of Fioricet included 50 milligrams (mg) of butalbital, 40 mg of caffeine, and 325 mg of acetaminophen.

However, in 2011 the FDA asked makers of prescription combination drugs with acetaminophen to limit the amount of that drug to no more than 325 mg in each tablet by 2014. This action was taken to protect consumers from severe liver damage, a risk linked with taking too much acetaminophen.

Today Fioricet includes 320 mg of acetaminophen, though some versions of the product sold online still have 325 mg.

  • Do not overuse Fioricet because you may become addicted to it and have difficulty stopping it.
  • Over-use of Fioricet can also result in a medication-overuse headache (also known as a rebound headache) which occurs when analgesics are taken too frequently to relieve a headache.
  • Never share your Fioricet with anybody else.
  • May be administered without regards to food; although food may decrease any reported stomach upset.
  • If you have been taking Fioricet regularly, or if you think you have become addicted to it, talk to your doctor about slowly withdrawing it, as sudden withdrawal may precipitate a withdrawal syndrome (symptoms include anxiety, dizziness, hallucinations, muscle twitching, nausea, seizures, sleeplessness, or tremor).
  • Fioricet can cause sedation and affect your ability to drive or operate machinery.
  • Do not drink more than two alcoholic drinks a day if you are a man or one alcoholic drink per day if you are women and taking Fioricet.
  • Talk to your doctor if you have any side effects of concern. Seek urgent medical advice if you develop an allergic-type reaction (difficulty breathing or swallowing, rash, or facial swelling) soon after taking Fioricet.
  • Not recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
  • Fioricet contains acetaminophen which may be “hidden” in other cough/cold medicines. The total dose of acetaminophen from any source should not exceed 4000mg per day (24 hours).
  • Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking any other medications or natural products with Fioricet as it can interact with a large number of drugs.

What is Fioricet and How to buy Fioricet COD online ?

Fioricet contains a combination of acetaminophen, butalbital, and caffeine Acetaminophen is a pain reliever and fever reducer. Butalbital is in a group of drugs called barbiturates. It relaxes muscle contractions involved in a tension headache. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. It relaxes muscle contractions in blood vessels to improve blood flow.

Fioricet is used to treat tension headaches that are caused by muscle contractions.

Fioricet may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Fioricet® (Butalbital, Acetaminophen, and Caffeine Tablets USP) is supplied in tablet form for oral administration.

Each tablet contains the following active ingredients:
butalbital USP . . . . . . . . . . . .50 mg
acetaminophen USP . . . . . . 325 mg
caffeine USP . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 mg

Inactive Ingredients: crospovidone, FD&C Blue #1, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, pregelatinized starch, and stearic acid.

Fioricet (butalbital, acetaminophen and caffeine) ® (Butalbital,Acetaminophen, and Caffeine Tablets USP) is indicated for the relief of the symptom complex of tension (or muscle contraction) headache.

Evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of this combination product in the treatment of multiple recurrent headaches is unavailable. Caution in this regard is required because butalbital is habit-forming and potentially abusable.

One or 2 tablets every 4 hours as needed. Total daily dosage should not exceed 6 tablets. Extended and repeated use of this product is not recommended because of the potential for physical dependence.

Fioricet® (Butalbital, Acetaminophen, and Caffeine Tablets USP)

Containing 50 mg butalbital, 325 mg acetaminophen, and 40 mg caffeine. Available as light-blue, speckled, round uncoated tablets, engraved “FIORICET (butalbital, acetaminophen and caffeine) ” on one side, and a three-head profile “” on other side. Bottles of 100 (NDC 52544-957-01) and 500 (NDC 52544-957-05).

What Are The Ingredients In Fioricet?

A combination medication is a drug which includes two or more pharmaceutical ingredients in a fixed dose. There are three ingredients in standard Fioricet: acetaminophen, butalbital, and caffeine. All three ingredients have different effects which combine to soothe headaches.

  • Acetaminophen is a medication which alleviates pain and reduces fever. It’s more widely-known by its brand name, Tylenol. Acetaminophen works by impairing the production of the prostaglandin chemical in the brain. This chemical activates pain signals in the nervous system.
  • Butalbital is a sedative barbiturate which stimulates the brain’s production of GABA. This neurotransmitter calms the nervous system by blocking signals among neurons. It also relaxes muscle tension in the head, thereby alleviating headaches. Butalbital is a Schedule III controlled substance in the United States.
  • Caffeine is a stimulant which raises a person’s blood pressure. While high blood pressure is not necessarily healthy, low blood pressure worsens headaches by causing blood vessels to expand and push against the brain. By raising raising blood pressure, caffeine causes blood vessels to constrict and increases blood flow. This effect helps relieve headaches.

With these three ingredients at work, Fioricet can be an effective source of headache relief. However, the medication also poses risks for side-effects, overdose, and addiction. For this reason, doctors usually refrain from prescribing Fioricet until safer over-the-counter medications fail to help their patients.

Before taking Fioricet

Do not use Fioricet if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, and tranylcypromine.

You should not use Fioricet if you are allergic to acetaminophen, butalbital, or caffeine, if you have porphyria, or if you have recently used alcohol, sedatives, tranquilizers, or other narcotic medications.

To make sure Fioricet is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

    • liver disease, cirrhosis, a history of alcoholism or drug addiction, or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day;
    • kidney disease;
    • asthma, sleep apnea, or other breathing disorder;
    • stomach ulcer or bleeding;
    • a history of skin rash caused by any medication;
    • a history of mental illness or suicidal thoughts; or
    • if you use medicine to prevent blood clots.

It is not known whether Fioricet will harm an unborn baby. If you use butalbital while you are pregnant, your baby could become dependent on the drug. This can cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in the baby after it is born. Babies born dependent on habit-forming medicine may need medical treatment for several weeks. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

How should I take Fioricet?

Take Fioricet exactly as prescribed. Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not take more of this medication than recommended. An overdose can damage your liver or cause death. Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well in relieving your pain.

Butalbital may be habit-forming. Never share Fioricet with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it. Selling or giving away Fioricet is against the law.

Take Fioricet with food or milk if it upsets your stomach.

Store Fioricet at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

Keep track of the amount of medicine used from each new bottle. Butalbital is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if anyone is using your medicine improperly or without a prescription.

What should I avoid while taking Fioricet?

This medication can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

Avoid drinking alcohol. It may increase your risk of liver damage while taking acetaminophen.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other cold, allergy, pain, or sleep medication. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as APAP) is contained in many combination medicines. Taking certain products together can cause you to get too much acetaminophen which can lead to a fatal overdose. Check the label to see if a medicine contains acetaminophen or APAP.

While you are taking this medication, avoid taking diet pills, caffeine pills, or other stimulants (such as ADHD medications) without your doctor’s advice.

Acetaminophen / butalbital / caffeine Pregnancy Warnings

Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted on this combination product. Epidemiologic data for acetaminophen, including a population based case-control study from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (n= 11,610) and data from 26,424 live singleton births have shown no increased risk of major birth defects in children with first trimester prenatal exposure. In 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration released results of their evaluation on published research studies looking at mothers who took acetaminophen (either over the counter or as a prescription product) at any time during their pregnancy and the risk of attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) in their babies. They found all studies reviewed had potential limitations in their designs that prevented drawing reliable conclusions. Barbiturates have been reported to readily cross the placental barrier. A 2-day old infant whose mother had taken a butalbital-containing product during the last two months of pregnancy experienced withdrawal seizures; butalbital was found in the infant’s serum. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy.

US FDA pregnancy category C: Animal reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of the drug in pregnant women despite potential risks.

Acetaminophen / butalbital / caffeine Breastfeeding Warnings

Acetaminophen, butalbital, and caffeine are excreted into human milk in small concentrations. The significance of the effects on nursing infants has not been reported, but due to the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants, other agents may be preferred.

A decision should be made to discontinue breastfeeding or discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother.

Excreted into human milk: Yes (acetaminophen); Yes (barbiturates); Yes (caffeine)

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking acetaminophen, butalbital, and caffeine?

Do not use this medicine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, and tranylcypromine.

You should not use acetaminophen, butalbital, and caffeine if you are allergic to it, if you have porphyria, or if you have recently used alcohol, sedatives, tranquilizers, or other narcotic medications.

To make sure acetaminophen, butalbital, and caffeine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

    • liver disease, cirrhosis, a history of alcoholism or drug addiction, or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day;
    • kidney disease;
    • asthma, sleep apnea, or other breathing disorder;
    • stomach ulcer or bleeding;
    • a history of skin rash caused by any medication;
    • a history of mental illness or suicidal thoughts; or
    • if you use medicine to prevent blood clots.

It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. If you use butalbital while you are pregnant, your baby could become dependent on the drug. This can cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in the baby after it is born. Babies born dependent on habit-forming medicine may need medical treatment for several weeks. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

This medicine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take acetaminophen, butalbital, and caffeine?

Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not take more of this medication than recommended. An overdose can damage your liver or cause death. Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well in relieving your pain.

Butalbital may be habit-forming. Never share this medicine with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it. Selling or giving away this medicine is against the law.

Take the medicine with food or milk if it upsets your stomach.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

Keep track of the amount of medicine used from each new bottle. Butalbital is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if anyone is using your medicine improperly or without a prescription.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Since this medicine is used when needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are on a schedule, use the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. An overdose of acetaminophen, butalbital, and caffeine can be fatal.

The first signs of an acetaminophen overdose include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, sweating, and confusion or weakness. Later symptoms may include pain in your upper stomach, dark urine, and yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes.

Overdose symptoms may also include insomnia, restlessness, tremor, diarrhea, increased shallow breathing, uneven heartbeats, seizure (convulsions), or fainting.

What should I avoid while taking acetaminophen, butalbital, and caffeine?

This medication can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

Avoid drinking alcohol. It may increase your risk of liver damage while taking acetaminophen.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other cold, allergy, pain, or sleep medication. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as APAP) is contained in many combination medicines. Taking certain products together can cause you to get too much acetaminophen which can lead to a fatal overdose. Check the label to see if a medicine contains acetaminophen or APAP.

While you are taking this medication, avoid taking diet pills, caffeine pills, or other stimulants (such as ADHD medications) without your doctor’s advice.

What are the possible side effects of acetaminophen, butalbital, and caffeine?

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

In rare cases, acetaminophen may cause a severe skin reaction that can be fatal. This could occur even if you have taken acetaminophen in the past and had no reaction. Stop taking this medicine and call your doctor right away if you have skin redness or a rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling. If you have this type of reaction, you should never again take any medicine that contains acetaminophen.

Stop using this medicine and call your doctor at once if you have:

    • confusion, seizure (convulsions);
    • shortness of breath;
    • a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out; or
    • nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Common side effects may include:

    • drowsiness, dizziness;
    • feeling anxious or restless;
    • drunk feeling; or
    • sleep problems (insomnia).

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect acetaminophen, butalbital, and caffeine?

Taking this medicine with other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing can cause dangerous or life-threatening side effects. Ask your doctor before taking acetaminophen, butalbital, and caffeine with a sleeping pill, narcotic pain medicine, muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures.

Other drugs may interact with acetaminophen, butalbital, and caffeine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell each of your health care providers about all medicines you use now and any medicine you start or stop using.

Is Fioricet Addictive?

Although it’s only a prescription headache medication, Fioricet has the potential to cause addiction. If a person follows their prescription guidelines and uses the medication correctly, the risks of addiction are low. However, if someone takes too much Fioricet, they may develop tolerance to its effects. A person with tolerance to a certain dose of Fioricet will require higher doses of the medication to alleviate their headaches.

When a person with tolerance starts to take more Fioricet, possibly by obtaining more prescriptions, they may eventually become dependent on it. In other words, they may feel unable to get through the day without taking Fioricet, and if they stop, they will experience symptoms of withdrawal. These symptoms arise because their body has grown accustomed to Fioricet in high doses.

If a Fioricet-dependent person attempts to weather withdrawal alone, it’s likely they will take Fioricet again just to relieve the symptoms. This is a hallmark characteristic of addiction. Anyone who compulsively abuses Fioricet to avoid withdrawal likely has an addiction to Fioricet. Additionally, people with an addiction to Fioricet will experience cravings for the medication which further compel them to keeping using it.

Moreover, the ingredient butalbital is an addictive substance in its own right. Butalbital can cause someone to “get high” because it’s a central nervous system depressant. Since butalbital is part of Fioricet, it is possible for someone to abuse Fioricet as a recreational drug. At high doses, Fioricet can intoxicate a person in a manner similar to alcohol. People who abuse Fioricet for this purpose have as much of a risk of developing an addiction as they would have if they repeatedly use an illegal drug.

The Symptoms of Withdrawal

In most cases, Fioricet withdrawal lasts anywhere from 8 hours to three days after the last dose. Withdrawal is the biggest obstacle to overcoming dependence on Fioricet, which is why rehab centers provide detox programs so that people can safely undergo the withdrawal cycle without the risk of relapse. It is best to undergo withdrawal under medical supervision because some withdrawal symptoms are dangerous.

Rebound headaches are the most common symptoms of Fioricet withdrawal. Other symptoms of withdrawal include:

      • Anxiety
      • Dizziness
      • Insomnia
      • Muscle spasms
      • Nausea and vomiting
      • Rapid emotional changes
      • Seizures (in rare cases)
      • Tremors
      • Weakness

What Are the Possible Side-Effects of Fioricet?

Like any medication, Fioricet can cause side-effects. People who misuse Fioricet or use it compulsively are at greater risk for experiencing the worst side-effects of the medication.

The possible side-effects of Fioricet are:

      • Anxiety
      • Dizziness
      • Drowsiness
      • Feelings of being intoxicated
      • Lightheadedness
      • Nausea and vomiting
      • Shaking and tremors
      • Shortness of breath
      • Stomach pain
      • Trouble sleeping

In some cases, a person who takes Fioricet may develop an allergic reaction to the drug. The symptoms of an allergic reaction are trouble breathing, itching, rashes, intense dizziness, and swelling in the face, throat, and tongue.

What are the Symptoms of a Fioricet Overdose?

While butalbital is the addictive ingredient in Fioricet, acetaminophen is the ingredient which is liable to cause an overdose. Unfortunately, people who misuse Fioricet as a recreational drug or as a way to suppress withdrawal are most likely to suffer an overdose.

When a person overdoses on Fioricet, the acetaminophen will damage their liver. In severe cases, an overdose can even provoke fatal liver failure. For this reason, it is dangerous to take Fioricet together with another medication which contains acetaminophen because it increases the risk of overdose and death. Furthermore, drinking alcohol while taking Fioricet may also inflict liver damage.

A Fioricet overdose is a medical emergency, so it’s important to know the symptoms. An overdose on Fioricet and all other forms of liver failure cause jaundice, the yellowing of the skin and eyes. Other symptoms of an overdose include:

      • Confusion
      • Convulsions and seizures
      • Fainting
      • Irregular heartbeat
      • Lack of appetite
      • Nausea and vomiting
      • Restlessness
      • Stomach pain
      • Sweating
      • Tremors

Fioricet and Codeine

Some formulas for Fioricet contain codeine, a potent and addictive opioid. Codeine enhances the pain-relieving effects of Fioricet, but it also poses additional risks for overdose and addiction. Fioricet is the property of the pharmaceutical firm Actavis, one of three generic drug companies which contributed substantially to the Opioid Epidemic, according to DEA data.

Patients who receive prescriptions for Fioricet should know whether their prescription contains codeine. If codeine is an ingredient in your Fioricet prescription, consider asking for opioid-free medication. If a person misuses Fioricet with codeine, either accidentally or intentionally, they might suffer lethal respiratory depression. Shallow breathing, a slow heart rate, extreme drowsiness, chest pain, and intense confusion are some of the symptoms of overdose on Fioricet with codeine.

Storage

Store below 30°C (86°F); dispense in a tight container.

Important information

You should not use Fioricet if you have porphyria, or if you have recently used alcohol, sedatives, tranquilizers, or other narcotic medications.

Do not use Fioricet if you have taken a MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, and tranylcypromine.

Do not take more Fioricet than is recommended. An overdose of acetaminophen can damage your liver or cause death. Call your doctor at once if you have nausea, pain in your upper stomach, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or jaundice (yellowing of your skin or eyes).

In rare cases, acetaminophen may cause a severe skin reaction. Stop taking Fioricet and call your doctor right away if you have skin redness or a rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about acetaminophen, butalbital, and caffeine.

 

 

What is Sinus Headache and How to Treat Sinus Headache ?

Headaches are associated with more than 300 known medical conditions. Sometimes they are caused by the disease, and sometimes the conditions. One of these conditions is sinusitis, which is commonly misdiagnosed. This is often confused with migraines. Sinus headache symptoms are often caused by full or inflamed sinuses. The sinuses are located in several different places. These include behind the eyes and above the nose. The mucus and tissue in these cavities can be filled or irritated, causing much pain. Sometimes the cavities become so full that create the pressure, in turn, causes pain.

These headaches are called secondary headaches when caused by something like a common cold or some other existing medical condition. When the headache is the condition, known as primary headaches. These are also often caused by something else. Be careful not to select one that will actually worsen the effects. Paracetamol and aspirin are effective treatment options, but may be exceeded. MOH (medication overuse headache) is something that affects people that overuse of medications, either in-the-counter or prescription.

Sometimes a more serious condition is indicated by a sinus headache. A deviated septum is a genetic disorder that causes the sinus cavities to retain more fluid than they are supposed to. This is a type of sinusitis. even though you are diagnosed with this disease, which can be corrected through surgical methods. Treating the symptoms of sinus headaches may be enough to get through the milder cases. Swelling and pain can be reduced by placing a hot or cold compress on the affected area. Various nasal sprays have also proven effective in treating this condition. Be careful not to exceed the recommended dosage, though, or you can actually make the condition worse.

Environmental factors may also contribute to sinus headaches symptoms. Air travel will often due to pressure changes involved. Allergens and stress can adversely affect the sinuses. Other factors such as weather can also affect the sinuses. Changes in humidity and air pressure can cause inflammation of the sinus cavities that in turn cause headaches.

When full sinus cavities are to blame for this problem, they usually disappear when the drainage of the sinuses. Steam inhalation can sometimes get the draining process began. even though that fails, antibiotics are often necessary to reduce the liquid content in the breasts. even though you have recurring sinus headaches, sit with your doctor to determine the best treatment for the symptoms of sinus headache options.

Symptoms of a sinus headache

Symptoms of inflamed sinuses accompany sinus headaches. These symptoms include:

      • pain getting worse when you lean forward
      • green or yellow nasal discharge
      • an uncomfortable pressure behind your forehead

Sometimes a sinus headache can also give you a feeling of fatigue or an aching in your top jaw. Redness and swelling of the cheeks, nose, or forehead can occur.

Sinus Headache vs. Migraine

According to the American Migraine Foundation, 50 percent of migraine misdiagnoses start with a person thinking they have a sinus headache. The Mayo Clinic points out that 90 percent of people who go to the doctor for a sinus headache find out they have a migraine instead.

If you don’t have any of the symptoms that come specifically with a sinus headache, you may be experiencing a migraine. Migraines are treated differently from sinus headaches. If you experience symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, or sensitivity to light, you’re likely having a migraine and not a sinus headache.

Prescription Medications For Sinus Headache

If a sinus infection is causing your sinus headache, your doctor may prescribe antihistamines, mucolytics (medications that clear your mucus), and decongestants. Your doctor won’t prescribe antibiotics, however, unless your experiencing complications from sinusitis caused by a bacterial infection.

If it’s allergies causing your headaches, your doctor may prescribe antihistamines or corticosteroid shots.

Fioricet is good medicine for all kinds of Headache.

Fioricet Overdose Signs and Symptoms and Treatment

Fioricet is a medication designed to treat headaches caused by muscle tension but is often used to relieve migraine headaches.

Fioricet OVerdose Treatment
Fioricet OVerdose Treatment

Fioricet is a combination medication and contains butalbital (an addictive substance), acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) and caffeine. Overdose can occur if someone takes more Fioricet than is recommended by the medication’s manufacturer or their physician. Some individuals misuse the substance to get high or to attempt suicide.

Can You Overdose On Fioricet?

A Fioricet overdose is not only possible but also very dangerous: perhaps even fatal. The three medications in Fioricet can be dangerous when taken in excess:

    • Butalbital – It can lead to changes in the brain that decrease respirations, and ultimately cause someone to stop breathing.
    • Acetaminophen – Damages the liver when taken in large doses, and can lead to fatal liver failure. This also builds up toxins within the body and causes bleeding problems.
    • Caffeine – It can lead to heart problems and can cause the heart to stop beating when taken in excess.

A Fioricet overdose can be complicated to treat because all three medicines it contains are dangerous when used in excess.

Fioricet Overdose Amount

Age, gender, overall health, genetics, and many other factors influence what amount of medication is dangerous. Therefore, a fatal dose for one person could be dangerous, but not deadly, for another. Because of this, pharmaceutical companies create guidelines for the maximum dose of a medication that anyone can safely take.

For Fioricet, the maximum daily dose is six tablets, spaced four hours apart. While taking more than this is considered an overdose, some people may not experience negative or dangerous effects when they exceed the maximum dosage.

Fioricet Abuse in Florida

In Florida, Fioricet is a Schedule III medication, meaning that it has a potential for abuse, but this potential is not as high as other medications. The potentially addictive medication in Fioricet is butalbital, but if used in the amounts and frequency that it is prescribed, Fioricet should not normally become addictive. While someone who uses Fioricet correctly is unlikely to become addicted, those who overuse it or use it to get high may become addicted.

Fioricet Overdose Symptoms

There are symptoms of Fioricet overdose that are related to the different medications it contains. Some signs of butalbital overdose include:

  • Symptoms of Butalbital Overdose Twitching of the eyes Change in level of alertness Slurred speech Unsteadiness
      • Drowsiness
      • Unresponsiveness
      • Clumsiness
      • Decreased breathing
      • Death

Signs of an acetaminophen overdose may take from several days to three weeks to start appearing. Signs of an acetaminophen overdose include:

Symptoms of Acetaminophen Overdose

    • Yellowing of the skin or eyes
    • Increased bleeding Tiredness Feeling generally unwell
      • Confusion
      • Hallucinations
      • Nausea and vomiting
      • Seizures
      • Coma
      • Death

Caffeine is the least dangerous of the three drugs in Fioricet but can be dangerous when taken in excess. Signs of a caffeine overdose include:

Symptoms of Caffeine Overdose

      • Palpitations
      • chest pain
      • Passing out
      • Diarrhea
      • Uncontrolled muscle movements
      • Death

Someone who has overdosed on Fioricet will likely not experience all of these symptoms. Depending upon the dosage, they may experience one or two of these symptoms while others may not.

Fioricet Overdose Treatment

Someone who has overdosed on Fioricet should seek immediate medical attention. It is not possible to safely treat a Fioricet addiction without medical professionals. It is urgent that treatment for a Fioricet overdose be started as soon as possible, as every hour can make a difference in the likelihood of survival. If you or someone you know has taken more Fioricet than is prescribed or recommended, you should seek immediate medical attention by calling 911.

Preventing Fioricet Overdose

There are three common situations for a Fioricet overdose. First, someone may overdose on Fioricet by accidentally exceeding the maximum dosage. To avoid this, keep Fioricet in clearly labeled containers, taking note of the daily limits for Fioricet. Someone could also overdose on Fioricet during a suicide attempt. This can be prevented by encouraging treatment for depression and suicidal ideation.

Finally, someone could overdose in an attempt to get high. This can be prevented by encouraging the person who is misusing Fioricet to seek treatment for their addiction. Fioricet addiction is treatable, and rehab can help someone to overcome Fioricet addictions.

If you or a loved one are using Fioricet to get high instead of using it as prescribed, then you likely have a Fioricet addiction and should consider seeking professional help. The Recovery Village Palm Beach at Baptist Health has a strong record of helping those with addiction to achieve full and lasting recoveries. Reach out to one of our understanding team members to learn how you can start on your path to recovery today. 

Fioricet and Alcohol

Ask your doctor about whether to avoid alcohol while taking Fioricet. The drug may enhance the intoxicating effects of alcohol. Drinking while on Fioricet may increase the risk of liver damage from the acetaminophen.

 

Esgic Precautions

It is very important that your doctor check your progress while you or your child are taking this medicine. This will allow your doctor to see if the medicine is working properly and to decide if you should continue to take it.

Buy Fioricet Online
Buy Fioricet Online

This medicine may be habit-forming. If you or your child feel that the medicine is not working as well, do not use more than your prescribed dose. Call your doctor for instructions.

Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have pain or tenderness in the upper stomach, pale stools, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, unusual tiredness or weakness, or yellow eyes or skin. These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem.

Serious skin reactions can occur with this medicine. Check with your doctor right away if you have blistering, peeling, or loose skin, red skin lesions, severe acne or skin rash, sores or ulcers on the skin, or fever or chills while you are using this medicine.

This medicine may cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. Call your doctor right away if you or your child have a rash, itching, hoarseness, trouble breathing, trouble swallowing, or any swelling of your hands, face, or mouth while you are using this medicine.

This medicine may make you dizzy or drowsy. Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before you drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or not alert.

This medicine will add to the effects of alcohol and other CNS depressants (medicines that can make you drowsy or less alert). Some examples of CNS depressants are antihistamines or medicine for allergies or colds, sedatives, tranquilizers, or sleeping medicine, other prescription pain medicine or narcotics, medicine for seizures or barbiturates, muscle relaxants, or anesthetics, including some dental anesthetics. Also, there may be a greater risk of liver damage if you drink three or more alcoholic beverages while you are taking acetaminophen. Do not drink alcoholic beverages, and check with your doctor before taking any of these medicines while you are using this medicine.

Before you have any medical tests, tell the medical doctor in charge that you or your child are taking this medicine. The results of some tests may be affected by this medicine.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.

Buy Fioricet and Gabapentin Online

For Fioricet information, please check https://www.drugs.com/fioricet.html. What we are going to tell you the fioricet information is about online fioricet buy. You cannot buy fioricet online if you have not taken fioricet before and your local street doctors never proscribed you fioricet. Online Fioricet is only for patients that have experience in taking fioricet. We have listed some patient that cannot buy fioricet online:

Who should not Buy Fioricet Online

Fioricet is used to treat tension headaches that are caused by muscle contractions.

Some patients are not allowed to buy fioricet online though they are OK to buy fioricet in a street pharmacy with their doctors’ prescription:

  1. You have porphyria;
  2. You have alcohol addictive history;
  3. You have recently taken edatives, tranquilizers, or other narcotic medications;
  4. You have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days;
  5. You have liver disease;
  6. You have cirrhosis disease;
  7. You have drug addiction history;
  8. You drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day;
  9. You have kidney disease;
  10. You have asthma, sleep apnea, or other breathing disorder;
  11. You have stomach ulcer or bleeding;
  12. You have a history of skin rash caused by any medication;
  13. You have a history of mental illness or suicidal thoughts;
  14. You use medicine to prevent blood clots;
  15. You are pregnant;
  16. You are breastfeeding.

Fioricet may interact with other medicines you are taking. Therefore, as always, you must inform your doctor of all other medications you are currently taking including over-the-counter drugs and any natural remedies.

Let your doctor know if you are taking certain antidepressants called MAO inhibitors, drugs that act on the central nervous system, alcohol, antihistamines, sleep aids, anti-anxiety medications, muscle relaxants, narcotic pain killers or drugs for mental illness.

Fioricet should not be used if you take sodium oxylate, a drug for narcolepsy, if you suffer from porphyria or if you drink alcohol.

Fioricet interacts with several other drugs including:

  • Adenosine
  • Anti-seizure drugs
  • Beta agonists (such as albuterol) used to treat asthma
  • Birth control pills (oral contraceptives)

Fioricet also interacts with drugs that affect liver enzymes, including:

  • Erythromycin
  • Cimetidine
  • Disulfiram
  • Valproic acid
  • Fluvoxamine
  • Isoniazid
  • Lithium
  • Methoxyflurane
  • Phenothiazines (such as chlorpromazine)

Fioricet can also speed up the removal of other drugs from your body by affecting your liver enzymes including:

  • Blood thinners (such as warfarin)
  • Cyclosporine (used for organ transplant)
  • Corticosteroids (such as prednisone)
  • Estrogen (a female sex hormone)
  • Felodipine (a calcium-channel blocker)
  • Metronidazole (an antibiotic)
  • Quinidine (used to treat irregular heart rate)
  • Certain beta blockers (such as metoprolol)
  • Theophylline (used for asthma)
  • Doxycycline ( a type of tetracycline antibiotic)

Women who are pregnant, may become pregnant or who are breastfeeding should not take Fioricet without first consulting a doctor.

Before taking this medicine

Do not use Fioricet if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, and tranylcypromine.

You should not use Fioricet if you are allergic to acetaminophen, butalbital, or caffeine, if you have porphyria, or if you have recently used alcohol, sedatives, tranquilizers, or other narcotic medications.

To make sure Fioricet is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

  • liver disease, cirrhosis, a history of alcoholism or drug addiction, or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day;
  • kidney disease;
  • asthma, sleep apnea, or other breathing disorder;
  • stomach ulcer or bleeding;
  • a history of skin rash caused by any medication;
  • a history of mental illness or suicidal thoughts; or
  • if you use medicine to prevent blood clots.

It is not known whether Fioricet will harm an unborn baby. If you use butalbital while you are pregnant, your baby could become dependent on the drug. This can cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in the baby after it is born. Babies born dependent on habit-forming medicine may need medical treatment for several weeks. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

How should I take Fioricet?

Take Fioricet exactly as prescribed. Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not take more of this medication than recommended. An overdose can damage your liver or cause death. Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well in relieving your pain.

Butalbital may be habit-forming. Never share Fioricet with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it. Selling or giving away Fioricet is against the law.

Take Fioricet with food or milk if it upsets your stomach.

Store Fioricet at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

Keep track of the amount of medicine used from each new bottle. Butalbital is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if anyone is using your medicine improperly or without a prescription.

What should I avoid while taking Fioricet?

This medication can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

Avoid drinking alcohol. It may increase your risk of liver damage while taking acetaminophen.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other cold, allergy, pain, or sleep medication. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as APAP) is contained in many combination medicines. Taking certain products together can cause you to get too much acetaminophen which can lead to a fatal overdose. Check the label to see if a medicine contains acetaminophen or APAP.

While you are taking this medication, avoid taking diet pills, caffeine pills, or other stimulants (such as ADHD medications) without your doctor’s advice.

Fioricet side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to Fioricet: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

We do not suggest you to take Fioricet or Gabapentin for a long time, you need go to your local health professional to treat your pain without prescription. We think exercising is the best way to relieve your pain. Exercising is a very good methods.

Exercising can enhance your immune system and increase your muscle strength and make your nerve strong.

You can not take Prescription for a long time, you need find a way to treat your pain without prescription. Exercising is the best way to relieve your pain. because exercising can enhance your immune system and increase your muscle strength and make your nerve strong.

You can also take some natural nutritions to increase your immune system too. Some anti-aging products can also increase your immune ability. You can try USANA Products ro make you strong. I take USANA Essentials every day and I find my health get better and better.

In rare cases, acetaminophen may cause a severe skin reaction that can be fatal. This could occur even if you have taken acetaminophen in the past and had no reaction. Stop taking this medicine and call your doctor right away if you have skin redness or a rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling. If you have this type of reaction, you should never again take any medicine that contains acetaminophen.

Stop using this medicine and call your doctor at once if you have:

  • confusion, seizure (convulsions);
  • shortness of breath;
  • a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out; or
  • nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Common Fioricet side effects may include:

  • drowsiness, dizziness;
  • feeling anxious or restless;
  • drunk feeling; or
  • sleep problems (insomnia).

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Pregnancy and Fioricet

Fioricet is in Pregnancy Category C, according to the FDA, which means that injury to the developing fetus cannot be ruled out. Even so, the benefits of the drug to the mother must be weighed against the potential risk to the unborn baby.

All three drugs found in Fioricet are found in small amounts in human milk, but the significance of that is not known.

You should discuss with your doctor whether to stop breastfeeding or stop taking the drug, weighing the benefits against the costs.

 

 

Butalbital CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY

Butalbital is well absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and is expected to distribute to most tissues in the body. Barbiturates in general may appear inbreast milk and readily cross the placental barrier. They are bound to plasma and tissue proteins to a varying degree and binding increases directly as a function of lipid solubility.

Elimination of butalbital is primarily via the kidney (59% to 88% of the dose) as unchanged drug or metabolites. The plasma half-life is about 35 hours. Urinary excretion products include parent drug (about 3.6% of the dose), 5-isobutyl-5-(2, 3-dihydroxypropyl) barbituric acid (about 24% of the dose), 5-allyl-5(3-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-propyl) barbituric acid (about 4.8% of the dose), products with the barbituric acid ring hydrolyzed with excretion of urea (about 14% of the dose), as well as unidentified materials. Of the material excreted in the urine, 32% is conjugated.

The in vitro plasma protein binding of butalbital is 45% over the concentration range of 0.5-20 mcg/mL. This falls within the range of plasma protein binding (20%-45%) reported with other barbiturates such as phenobarbital, pentobarbital, and secobarbital sodium. The plasma-to-blood concentration ratio was almost unity, indicating that there is no preferential distribution of butalbital into either plasma or blood cells.

Barbiturate Withdrawal Following Internet Purchase of Fioricet

Background  The Internet enables businesses to advertise their pharmaceutical products and services without medical supervision. The Internet also allows for the unsupervised purchase of medications that may have neurologic consequences.

Objective  To describe acute withdrawal delirium following the abrupt discontinuation of Fioricet.

Patient  The patient was a 37-year-old woman with a history of depression and migraine headaches but not drug abuse. She developed a florid withdrawal delirium following the discontinuation of a drug she purchased online. The medication, which contained butalbital, was self-administered in escalating doses for the treatment of chronic headaches. Daily doses of up to 750 mg to 1000 mg were reported.

Results  The patient was admitted to the hospital for the treatment of unexplained seizures that were followed by several days of an intense withdrawal syndrome. Little improvement was noted after the administration of benzodiazepines and phenothiazine. After parenteral phenobarbital administration, her symptoms resolved.

Conclusions  The withdrawal state from barbiturates is similar to that from ethanol. Tolerance can develop with prolonged abuse, leading to escalating drug doses to achieve the desired effect. The suggested management of both types of withdrawal syndromes is similar, but the relative resistance of the behavioral and autonomic features in patients was remarkable. Physicians should be aware of the ease with which medications can be purchased without supervision from Internet pharmacies. The magnitude of the number of drugs that are made available through this means creates a proclivity to withdrawal states.

Several authors have commented on the vast “underground drug information” the Internet can provide.1-3 The World Wide Web can be used to obtain data on drug dosing, adverse effects, overdose, warnings, pharmacology, and current patient information.4-6 It also allows completely unfettered purchases of medications that may have neurologic consequences. We treated a patient who had repeated seizures followed by several days of an intense withdrawal delirium. The patient described a massive and prolonged daily ingestion of Fioricet (a combination drug composed of acetaminophen, butalbital, and caffeine) that she had purchased without a prescription, through the Internet, for the unsupervised treatment of headaches. This observation highlights the need for physicians to understand alternative means by which patients may obtain medications with serious neurologic sequelae.

Report of a case

A 37-year-old woman was brought to the emergency department after 3 consecutive grand mal seizures. She had a history of depression and migraine headaches but not of drug abuse. A large tongue laceration was evident, as were bruises and abrasions on her face, arms, and trunk. The patient was calm but intermittently disoriented and easily distracted, with incoherent and pressured speech containing paraphasic errors. A urine toxicology screen detected the presence of barbiturates. She was able to relate that she had periodic migraine, recurring a few times per year since the age of 21 years. The frequency of headaches had increased during the past year, as did her reliance on Fioricet to control them. During the 3 months before her seizures, she reported consumption of 15 to 20 tablets a day. The medication had been prescribed once by a neurologist years earlier, and she subsequently obtained the medication from multiple Web sites, including http://rx-refills.net/_buy_migraine_relief_prescriptions.html. A computed tomographic scan revealed a small epidural hematoma with an overlying temporal bone fracture. She was treated with phenytoin in the neurologic intensive care unit.

The following day, 48 hours after her last ingestion of Fioricet, she became agitated, tachycardic, and had a low-grade temperature of 37.2°C. Her blood pressure was 133 mm Hg/77 mm Hg. Her electroencephalogram showed no abnormalities. Visual hallucinations, insomnia, diaphoresis, hyperreflexia, and intense psychomotor agitation followed; however, she was not tremulous. Phenobarbital sodium (100 mg by mouth [PO] 3 times a day), lorazepam (2 mg intravenously every 4 hours), haloperidol lactate (5 mg intravenously every 6 hours), oxazepam (30 mg PO every hour), and olanzapine (5 mg PO 2 times a day) were administered without effect. Her agitation was so intense that she became tangled in her bedsheets and repeatedly attempted to climb over the bedrails. Intravenous midazolam hydrochloride (0.05 mg/kg per hour) was required to sedate her; reducing the dose exposed a hyperkinetic-delirious state. On the fifth day, she was cognitively normal. Treatment with phenobarbital sodium (100 mg PO 3 times a day) was continued through her hospitalization and was slowly withdrawn.

Comment

The withdrawal state from barbiturates is similar to that from ethanol.7,8 Tolerance can develop with prolonged abuse and lead to escalating drug doses in order to achieve the desired effect. In the withdrawal syndromes, removal of GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid)-ergic inhibitory tone in the central nervous system has been proposed to cause hypertension, tachycardia, diaphoresis, tremors, hyperthermia, and seizures. Seizures followed by a confusional state that progresses to a hyperkinetic and hypersympathetic delirium with hallucinosis are common to both barbiturate and alcohol withdrawal syndromes, including a rapid resolution. We only comment that our patient notably lacked the tremulousness that is so characteristic of alcohol withdrawal.

The suggested management of both types of withdrawal syndromes is similar, but the relative resistance of the behavioral and autonomic features in patients was remarkable. Symptoms of psychomotor agitation and tachycardia are treated with sedative-hypnotic agents. Benzodiazepines are used for ethanol withdrawal, and phenobarbital has been suggested for barbiturate withdrawal with a dose reduction of 10% per day once the patient’s condition is stabilized while the medications are taken.8 It is possible that high doses of benzodiazepines address both withdrawal syndromes. Delirium continued in our patient despite the administration of phenobarbital; perhaps higher doses or a loading dose was required.9

Butalbital, a component of Fioricet, is an intermediate-acting (3-6 hours) barbiturate. It binds to the GABA receptor complex and prolongs the opening of the chloride channels in response to GABA, thereby inhibiting excitable cells of the nervous system.8 Butalbital is a weak acid with a volume of distribution of 0.8 L/kg of body weight and 26% protein binding in the plasma. With therapeutic doses, plasma concentrations generally peak in 40 to 60 minutes. Butalbital is metabolized by the liver and has a half-life elimination of 1.6 to 5.8 days. It is excreted in the urine.10

Ethanol also binds to the GABA receptor complex. Activation of the postsynaptic GABAA receptor and prolonged chloride influx lead to cell hyperpolarization and a decrease in the firing rate of neurons. The result is an overall clinical effect of sedation.7,8 In the withdrawal state, patients can experience tremors, hallucinations, seizures, and delirium tremens. The hallucinations that result from alcohol abstinence typically have an onset of 7 to 48 hours after the last drink. This is similar to the time of onset of withdrawal seizures, although the peak seizure incidence is between 12 and 24 hours. Lastly, delirium tremens can occur 48 to 72 hours after cessation of drinking, with a peak incidence on the fourth day of abstinence. The symptoms are characterized by autonomic instability, diaphoresis, fever, tremulousness, and profound confusion.7,8

After a rudimentary investigation, we are able to report that Internet search engines can be easily used to locate numerous merchants who readily provide a steady supply of medication on demand to any customer wishing to buy Fioricet or a host of other medications. These online merchants claim “no prescription required, because the online pharmacy will provide a quick and easy online doctor’s consultation, free of charge, when you order Fioricet on-line.”11 Our patient reported purchasing 500 pills per order without difficulty.

Physicians may wish to be aware of the ease with which certain medications can be purchased from “online pharmacies.” Various Web sites we visited offered zolpidem (Ambien), zaleplon (Sonata), orlistat (Xenical), sibutramine hydrochloride monohydrate (Meridia), tramadol (Ultram), cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), tizanidine (Zanaflex), carisoprodol (Soma), and many other medications that are subject to abuse and to withdrawal states. Furthermore, patients may suffer either somatic withdrawal effects or rebound headaches that only reinforce further self-medication.

Unrestricted access to pharmacological products such as narcotics, sedatives, or drugs with other psychotropic effects or otherwise habituating or addicting properties may cause serious adverse effects if used incorrectly.7-10,12,13 The magnitude of the number of drugs that are made available through this means creates a proclivity to withdrawal states.

Correspondence: Allan H. Ropper, MD, Neurology Service, St Joseph’s Building, Fourth Floor, St Elizabeth’s Medical Center, 736 Cambridge St, Boston, MA 02135 (allan_ropper_md@cchcs.org).

Accepted for publication November 26, 2003.

Author contributions: Study concept and design (Drs Romero, Baron, and Ropper); acquisition of data (Drs Romero, Baron, Knox, Hinchey, and Ropper); analysis and interpretation of data (Drs Romero and Ropper); drafting of the manuscript (Drs Romero, Baron, Knox, Hinchey, and Ropper); critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content (Drs Romero and Ropper); administrative, technical, and material support (Dr Romero).