$Unique_ID{BRK02086}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{PHENOBARBITAL}
$Subject{Barbita (Vortech)
phenobarbital (various manufacturers)
Solfoton (Poythress)}
$Volume{}
$Log{}

Copyright (C) 1991 Publications International, Ltd.


PHENOBARBITAL
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BRAND NAMES (Manufacturers):
     Barbita (Vortech)
     phenobarbital (various manufacturers)
     Solfoton (Poythress)
TYPE OF DRUG:
     Barbiturate sedative and anticonvulsant
INGREDIENT:
     phenobarbital
DOSAGE FORMS:
     Tablets (8 mg, 16 mg, 32 mg, 65 mg, and 100 mg)
     Capsules (16 mg)
     Oral liquid (15 mg and 20 mg per 5-ml spoonful, with 13.5% alcohol)
STORAGE:
     Phenobarbital tablets and capsules should be stored at room temperature
       in tightly closed containers.  The oral liquid should be stored at room
       temperature in a tightly closed, light-resistant container.
       Phenobarbital liquid should not be used if the solution becomes
       cloudy--it is no longer effective.  This medication should never be
       frozen.

USES

     Phenobarbital is used to control convulsions, to relieve anxiety or
tension, and to promote sleep.  Phenobarbital belongs to a group of drugs
known as barbiturates.  The barbiturates are central nervous system (brain and
spinal cord) depressants.

TREATMENT

     In order to avoid stomach irritation, you should take phenobarbital with
food or with a full glass of water or milk.
     The oral liquid should be measured carefully with a specially designed
5-ml measuring spoon.  An ordinary kitchen teaspoon is not accurate enough.
The liquid dose can be taken by itself or diluted with water, milk, or fruit
juice.
     If phenobarbital is being taken as a sleeping aid, take it 30 to 60
minutes before you want to go to sleep.
     If you are taking this medication for the treatment of seizures,
phenobarbital works best when the level of medicine in your bloodstream is
kept constant.  It is best, therefore, to take the doses at evenly spaced
intervals day and night.  For example, if you are to take three doses a day,
the doses should be spaced eight hours apart.
     If you are taking this medication on a regular basis and you miss a dose,
take the missed dose as soon as you remember.  However, if it is almost time
for your next dose, do not take the missed dose at all; just return to your
regular dosing schedule.  Do not double the next dose.  If you are taking this
medication to control seizures and you miss more than two doses, contact your
doctor.

SIDE EFFECTS

     Minor.

     Constipation, diarrhea, dizziness, drowsiness, a "hangover" feeling,
headache, nausea, stomach upset, or vomiting.  These side effects should
disappear as your body adjusts to the medication.
     If you feel dizzy or light-headed, sit or lie down for a while; get up
slowly from a sitting or reclining position, and be careful on stairs.
     To relieve constipation, increase the amount of fiber in your diet (fresh
fruits and vegetables, salads, bran, and whole-grain breads), exercise, and
drink more water (unless your doctor directs you to do otherwise).

     Major.

     Tell your doctor about any side effects that are persistent or
particularly bothersome.  IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR about
chest tightness, confusion, depression, difficulty in breathing, excitation,
fatigue, feeling faint, hives or itching, loss of coordination, muscle or
joint pain, skin rash, slurred speech, sore throat, unusual bleeding or
bruising, unusual weakness, or yellowing of the eyes or skin.

INTERACTIONS

     Phenobarbital interacts with other types of medications:
     1. Concurrent use of it with other central nervous system depressants
(such as alcohol, antihistamines, benzodiazepine tranquilizers, muscle
relaxants, narcotics, pain medications, phenothiazine tranquilizers, and
sleeping medications) or with tricyclic antidepressants can cause extreme
drowsiness.
     2. Valproic acid, chloramphenicol, and monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors
can prolong the effects of the barbiturates.
     3. Phenobarbital can increase the elimination from the body (thereby
decreasing the effectiveness) of oral anticoagulants (blood thinners, such as
warfarin), digitoxin, tricyclic antidepressants, cortisone-like medications,
doxycycline, metronidazole, quinidine, oral contraceptives (birth control
pills), estrogen-containing drugs, phenytoin, acetaminophen, and
carbamazepine.
     4. Phenobarbital can decrease the absorption of griseofulvin from the
gastrointestinal tract.
     5. The combination of phenobarbital and furosemide can cause low blood
pressure and fainting.
     6. Phenobarbital can increase the side effects of cyclophosphamide or
large doses of acetaminophen.
     BE SURE TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR about any medications you are currently
taking, especially any listed above.

WARNINGS

     * Tell your doctor about unusual or allergic reactions you have had to
any medications, especially to phenobarbital or other barbiturates (such as
amobarbital, butabarbital, mephobarbital, pentobarbital, primidone, and
secobarbital).
     * Tell your doctor if you now have or if you have ever had acute or
chronic (long-term) pain, Addison's disease (caused by an underactive adrenal
gland), diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, liver disease, lung disease, mental
depression, porphyria, or thyroid disease.
     * Before having surgery or any other medical or dental treatment, be sure
to tell your doctor or dentist that you are taking this medication.
     * If this medication makes you dizzy or drowsy, do not take part in any
activity that requires 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 to the medication develops quickly; do not increase the dosage or
stop taking this drug unless you first consult your doctor.  If you have been
taking this drug for a long time or have been taking large doses of it, you
may experience anxiety, muscle twitching, tremors, weakness, dizziness,
nausea, vomiting, insomnia, or blurred vision when you stop taking it.  Your
doctor may, therefore, want to reduce your dosage of this medication
gradually.
     * Some of these products contain the color additive FD&C Yellow No. 5
(tartrazine), which can cause allergic-type reactions (rash, fainting,
difficulty in breathing) in certain susceptible individuals.
     * Be sure to tell your doctor if you are pregnant.  Phenobarbital crosses
the placenta, and birth defects have been associated with the use of this
medication during pregnancy.  If phenobarbital is used during the last three
months of pregnancy, there is a chance that the infant will be born addicted
to the medication and will experience a withdrawal reaction (seizures or
irritability) at birth.  The infant could also be born with bleeding problems.
The risks and benefits of treatment should be discussed with your doctor.
Also, tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding an infant.  Small amounts of
phenobarbital pass into breast milk and may 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.
