What is Fioricet used for?
Overview:
Fioricet capsules are made up of Acetaminophen and butalbital and caffeine.
Acetaminophen is a painkiller and fever-reducing agent. Butalbital is one of the groups of medications known as barbiturates. It reduces the muscle tension that is associated with tension headaches.
Caffeine can be described as a central nervous system stimulant. It eases muscle contractions within blood vessels to increase the flow of blood.
Fioricet is a treatment for tension headaches and migraine headaches which are due to tense muscles.
(TTH) A tension-type headache is basically a mild to moderate pain that’s can be described as feeling like a tight band around the head it is the most common type of headache, multiple factors like stress, inadequate sleep, poor posture, and tense muscles can trigger a tension-type headache.
The use of repeated and prolonged usage in the form of Fioricet is not advised because of the possibility of physical dependence.
Warnings:
It is not recommended to take Fioricet in the event that you suffer from porphyria or if you’ve recently taken sedatives, alcohol, tranquilizers, or other drugs that are narcotics.
Don’t take Fioricet if you’ve used an MAO inhibitor in the last 14 days. A potentially dangerous interaction with a drug could happen. MAO inhibitors are isocarboxazid linezolid, methylene blue injection phenelzine, and tranylcypromine.
Don’t consume more Fioricet than suggested. A high dose of acetaminophen could affect your liver and cause death.
Contact your physician immediately when you feel nausea or discomfort in your stomach and itching and loss of appetite. black stools, dark urine as well as jaundice (yellowing of your eyes or skin).
In rare instances, Acetaminophen could cause an extreme skin reaction. Take a break from Fioricet and contact your doctor immediately if you experience an itch or redness on your skin that spreads and leads to blisters and peeling.
Before you start taking this medicine, make sure to consult your doctor.
Avoid using Fioricet if you’ve taken an MAO inhibitor within the last 14 days. A risky drug interaction may occur. MAO inhibitors are isocarboxazid rasagiline, linezolid and phenelzine selegiline, tranylcypromine, and selegiline.
You shouldn’t take Fioricet if sensitive to the substance, if you suffer from porphyria, or if you’ve recently taken sedatives, alcohol, tranquilizers, or other opioids.
To be sure Fioricet is safe for you, ask your doctor if you’ve previously had:
- Liver disorder, cirrhosis and alcoholism history or drug dependence, or if you consume more than 3 alcohol-based drinks every day
- Kidney disease
- Stomach ulcers or bleeding
- An underlying itchy skin that is caused by any medication
- Mental illness or suicidal ideas
It is not clear if Fioricet can cause harm to a baby who is not yet born. If you take butalbital when you are pregnant, your child could develop a dependence on the drug. This could cause dangerous withdrawal symptoms in the infant after it is born.
Children who are dependent on habit-forming medications could require medical intervention for a period of time. Consult your physician if you are pregnant or are planning to be pregnant.
Acetaminophen, Butalbital, and caffeine may be absorbed into the breast milk and cause harm to the nursing infant. Consult your physician if you are nursing a baby.
Fioricet is not permitted for use by anyone less than 12 years of age.
What should I do to use Fioricet?
Use Fioricet exactly as directed. Follow all instructions on the prescription label. Do not take more than this medicine than what is prescribed.
An overdose can damage your liver or cause death. Inform your doctor in the event that the medication appears to be unable to work as well in relieving discomfort.
Butalbital could be a trigger for addiction. Do not share this medication with a person you know, particularly those who have a history of substance abuse or addiction.
Place the medicine at a location that others aren’t able to access. The act of selling or giving away the medication is illegal.
Keep at room temperature, free of heat and moisture.
Be aware of the quantity of medicine that you take from each bottle. Butalbital is a substance that is abused and you must be aware of anyone taking your medicine improperly or without having a prescription.
Dosing information:
Usual Adult Dose for Headache:
Butalbital 50 mg/acetaminophen300 mg/caffeine 40 mg 1 or 2 tab/capsules taken orally every 4 hours as required not exceeding 6 daily.
Uses: For relieving the symptom-related tension (or muscle contraction) headache.
Usual Pediatric Dose for Headache:
12 years and older Age: Butalbital 50 mg/acetaminophen300 mg/caffeine 40 mg one or two capsules, orally every 4 hours, if needed not exceeding 6 capsules daily
Comments:
Due to the high level of physical dependence long-term use of this medication is not advised.
The efficacy and safety of treating headaches that are recurring using this product aren’t yet known.
Uses: To relieve the symptoms that are a combination of tension (or muscle contraction) and headache.
How do I deal with missed doses?
Because this medication is only used in the event of need, you might not be on a regular dosing schedule. If you’re in a routine, you should take the dose you missed as quickly as you remember.
Avoid your missed dosage if you are close to the time of the next dose scheduled.
Don’t use any extra medication to replace the missed dose.
How do I react if consume too much?
For medical emergencies, seek emergency attention or contact help at the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. A high dose of acetaminophen butalbital or caffeine can cause death.
The first symptoms of an acetaminophen-related overdose are the loss of appetite nausea and vomiting, stomach pain, sweating, weakness, or confusion.
Other symptoms could include discomfort in your abdomen, dark urine, and the appearance of yellowing on your skin or the whites of the eyes.
The symptoms of an overdose can include restlessness, insomnia, diarrhea, tremors, shallow breathing, irregular heartbeats, seizures (convulsions), or fainting.
What should I be aware of when taking Fioricet?
The medication could produce side effects that could hinder your thinking or reaction. Be aware of this if you are driving or engaging in any activity that requires you to be alert and aware.
Do not drink alcohol. It could increase the risk of damage to your liver while taking Acetaminophen.
Consult a physician or pharmacist prior to using any other cold or allergy medication, as well as pain or sleeping medication.
Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as APAP) is found in numerous combination medications. Combining certain medicines could result in excessive amounts of acetaminophen, which could result in an unfatal overdose.
Examine the label to find out the presence of acetaminophen in the medicine or APAP.
If you’re on this drug, try not using weight loss pills or caffeine tablets, or any other stimulants (such as ADHD medication) without your doctor’s guidance.
Fioricet Side Effects:
Take immediate medical attention If you notice symptoms that you are experiencing an allergic reaction Fioricet symptoms include hives; difficulty breathing or swelling of your lips, face tongue, throat, or face.
In rare instances, acetaminophen could cause a severe skin reaction which can be fatal. It could happen regardless of whether you’ve previously taken acetaminophen before but had no reaction.
Do not take this medication and consult your physician right now if you experience an itch or skin redness that becomes more severe and leads to blistering and peeling.
If you suffer from this type of reaction, never take another medicine that has acetaminophen in it.
Stop taking this medicine and consult your physician immediately if you experience:
- Confusion, a seizure
- Breathlessness
- A euphoric feeling
- Nausea, stomach pain Itching nausea, vomiting, diarrhea that is dark, stools with a clay color jaundice (yellowing of the eyes or skin).
Common side effects of Fioricet be a result of:
- Drowsiness, dizziness
- Feeling lightheaded
- Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain
- Drunk feeling
- Breathiness
This isn’t a complete list of possible side effects, and other side effects could occur. Consult your physician to seek medical advice on the effects. You can report any symptoms to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What other drugs can have an effect on Fioricet?
If you take this medicine in conjunction together with other medications which make you sleepy or cause breathing problems could cause serious or life-threatening negative side consequences.
Consult your physician before taking Fioricet together with a sleeping medication or opioid pain medicine muscle relaxer or any other medication to treat depression, anxiety, or seizures.
Other medications can be incompatible with acetaminophen and butalbital and caffeine, which includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines as well as vitamins and herbal products.
Discuss with your physician all other medicines you are taking.
Popular FAQ:
Is Fioricet one of the controlled substances?
As per the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Fioricet is not a controlled substance. However, it is part of a class of substances called barbiturates. They are addictive and are a danger to abuse. Therefore, it is not advised to take Fioricet in the long term.
Are Fioricet identical to Excedrin?
Fioricet is not identical to Excedrin. Fioricet has butalbital in it and is available through prescription only. Excedrin products can be purchased on the market and include diverse combinations of aspirin caffeine, acetaminophen, and diphenhydramine.
Do you think it is safe to take Fioricet daily?
Since it is a habit-forming drug and can cause dependence, it’s not advised to consume Fioricet daily. It is possible to develop an addiction to butalbital. In time, greater doses might be required to achieve the same effects which can lead to dependency. The use of larger doses of Fioricet could increase the likelihood of an accidental overdose.
Fioricet is a medication to be used on a regular basis every 4 hours if symptoms develop.
Does Fioricet cause you to sleep?
Butalbital can affect your central nervous system and may cause you to become sleepy. It also causes dizziness, lightheadedness, and confusion. Drowsiness is one of the initial signs of abuse from barbiturates.
How long will Fioricet stay in your body?
Fioricet is composed of three different substances. Each one is believed to remain within your body for a variable duration.
· Acetaminophen is eliminated after 6 to 15 hours.
· Caffeine disappears after approximately 15 hours.
· Butalbital is eliminated in about 7 days
How much caffeine is present in Fioricet?
Fioricet has forty mg of caffeine, which is similar to tea. The following table shows the amount of caffeine that is typical in a variety of drinks:
· 8 Oz of coffee: up – 100 mg of caffeine
· 8 Oz of black or green tea 30-50 mg of caffeine
· 12 Oz caffeinated soda contains 30-40 mg of caffeine
Does Fioricet cause weight loss?
In studies conducted in clinical trials, the loss of weight was never reported as an adverse effect of Fioricet. It can, however, cause nausea and vomiting, as well as stomach discomfort. These side effects can result in a loss of appetite and may lead to weight gain.
What is Fioricet used for?
Fioricet is a treatment for tension headaches and migraine headaches which are due to tense muscles.
Additional details:
Keep these and all other medications out of reach of children. Never give your medication to anyone else and make sure you use Fioricet only in the manner that is prescribed.
Always consult your doctor to make sure the information presented on this site is appropriate to your specific situation.
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