$Unique_ID{BRK02017}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{MEPROBAMATE}
$Subject{Equanil (Wyeth)
meprobamate (various manufacturers)
Meprospan (Wallace) 
Miltown (Wallace)}
$Volume{}
$Log{}

Copyright (C) 1991 Publications International, Ltd.


MEPROBAMATE
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BRAND NAMES (Manufacturers):
     Equanil (Wyeth)
     meprobamate (various manufacturers)
     Meprospan (Wallace) 
     Miltown (Wallace)
TYPE OF DRUG:
     Sedative/hypnotic
INGREDIENT:
     meprobamate
DOSAGE FORMS:
     Tablets (200 mg, 400 mg, and 600 mg)
     Capsules (400 mg)
     Sustained-release capsules (200 mg and 400 mg)
STORAGE:
     Meprobamate tablets and capsules should be stored at room temperature in
       tightly closed containers.

USES

     Meprobamate is used to relieve anxiety or tension and is also prescribed
as a sleeping aid.  It is not exactly clear how meprobamate works, but it is
thought to act as a central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) depressant.

TREATMENT

     In order to avoid stomach irritation, you can take meprobamate with food
or with a full glass of water or milk.
     The sustained-release capsules should be swallowed whole.  Breaking,
chewing, or crushing these capsules destroys their sustained-release activity.
     If you are taking this medication on a regular schedule and you miss a
dose, take the missed dose immediately if you remember within an hour.  If
more than an hour has passed, skip the dose you missed and wait for the next
scheduled dose.  Do not double the dose.

SIDE EFFECTS

     Minor.

     Diarrhea, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, headache, nausea, vomiting,
or weakness.  These side effects should disappear as your body adjusts to the
medication.
     If you feel dizzy while taking this medication, sit or lie down for a
while; get up slowly from a sitting or reclining position, and be careful on
stairs.
     To relieve mouth dryness, chew sugarless gum or suck on ice chips or a
piece of hard candy.

     Major.

     Tell your doctor about any side effects that are persistent or
particularly bothersome.  IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR about
blurred vision, clumsiness, confusion, convulsions, difficulty in breathing,
difficult or painful urination, fainting, false sense of well-being, fever,
nightmares, numbness or tingling, palpitations, rapid weight gain (three to
five pounds within a week), rash, slurred speech, sore throat, unusual
bleeding or bruising, or unusual weakness.

INTERACTIONS

     Concurrent use of meprobamate with other central nervous system
depressants (such as alcohol, antihistamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepine
tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, narcotics, pain medications, phenothiazine
tranquilizers, and sleeping medications) or with tricyclic antidepressants can
cause extreme drowsiness.
     BE SURE TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR about any medications you are currently
taking, especially any listed above.

WARNINGS

     * Tell your doctor about any unusual or allergic reactions you have had
to medications, especially to meprobamate, carbromal, carisoprodol,
mebutamate, or tybamate.
     * Before starting to take this medication, be sure to tell your doctor if
you have a history of drug abuse or if you now have or have ever had epilepsy,
kidney disease, liver disease, or porphyria.
     * If this drug causes dizziness or drowsiness, avoid tasks that require
alertness, such as driving a car or operating potentially dangerous machinery.
     * This drug has the potential for abuse and must be used with caution.
Tolerance develops quickly; do not increase the dosage unless you first
consult your doctor.
     * Do not stop taking this drug abruptly if you have been taking it for
two or three months.  Stopping abruptly can lead to a withdrawal reaction.
Your doctor may, therefore, want to reduce your dosage gradually.
     * Some of these products contain the color additive FD&C Yellow No. 5
(tartrazine), which can cause allergic-type reactions (rash, fainting,
shortness of breath) in certain susceptible individuals.
     * Be sure to tell your doctor if you are pregnant.  Meprobamate has been
reported to cause birth defects when taken during the first three months of
pregnancy.  Also, tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding an infant.
Meprobamate passes into breast milk and can cause excessive drowsiness in the
nursing infant.

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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
