Generic: Butalbital, Aspirin, Caffeine, And Codeine (Oral Route)
Butalbital, aspirin, caffeine, and codeine combination is used to relieve headaches and other kinds of pain. Extensive use of this product is not recommended.
Butalbital is a barbiturate which acts in the central nervous system to produce their effects. Aspirin is also known as salicylate and anti-inflammatory analgesic. It is used to relieve pain and reduce fever or inflammation. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that is used with pain relievers to boost their effect. It can be used in treating migraine headaches. Codeine is a narcotic analgesic that acts on the central nervous system to alleviate pain.
Butalbital or codeine can cause mental or physical dependence when it was used for a long time or in large doses. Withdrawal side effects may occur when you stop taking the medicine. The first symptom of withdrawal for patients who has headaches may be new rebound headaches.
This medication is available in capsules.
2 What to Know Before Using
Before taking this medication, tell your healthcare professional first if you are allergic to this drug or to any other drugs.
No sufficient studies were performed with regard to the effects of butalbital, aspirin, caffeine, and codeine combination for children.
Fiorinal with codeine should not be used to relieve pain after tonsillectomy (removal of tonsils) or adenoidectomy (removal of adenoids) in any children. Severe breathing problems and deaths have been reported in some children who received codeine after the said surgeries.
There are no specific problems that would limit the usefulness of butalbital, aspirin, caffeine, and codeine combination in the elderly. However, elderly patients are prone to have age-related kidney problems, which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving this medicine.
Pregnancy category C – The use of butalbital, aspirin, caffeine, and codeine combination during pregnancy is warranted only if benefits justify risks to the fetus and only when no alternative management is appropriate. Self-medicating during pregnancy should do only under the direction of a physician.
Taking butalbital, aspirin, caffeine, and codeine combination with any of the following medications is not recommended. Your doctor may choose not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.
Taking butalbital, aspirin, caffeine, and codeine combination with any of the following medications is usually not recommended, but with exception in some cases. Your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines if both medicines are prescribed together.
Taking butalbital, aspirin, caffeine, and codeine combination with any of the following medications may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. Your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines if both medicines are prescribed together.
Using butalbital, aspirin, caffeine, and codeine combination with tobacco is usually not recommended, but may be unavoidable in some cases. Also, using this medication with Ethanol may cause an increased risk of certain side effects but may be unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your physician may change the dose or how often you use this medicine. Special instructions may also be given.
Some medical conditions can interact with this medication. Tell your doctor if you have any of the following conditions:
Use butalbital, aspirin, caffeine, and codeine only as directed by your doctor. Avoid excessive intake and extended use of this medication. Prolonged use of this medication may become habit-forming and can cause mental or physical dependence. You are advised to drink plenty of fluids to help avoid constipation.
The dose of this medicine varies for different patients. Take this medication as directed by your physician or as indicated in the packaging label.
The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
Adults — One or two capsules every 4 hours as needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 6 capsules per day.
Children — Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is near for your next dose, skip the missed dose and start again to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.
Store the medication in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep out of reach of children. Do not keep expired medications.
4 Precautions to Take
Your doctor will be checking you regularly for the effectiveness of the medication. Blood tests may be ordered as well for undesirable effects.
Check the labels of all medications you take. Check with your doctor if any of those contain a barbiturate, aspirin, caffeine, or codeine. Taking them together with butalbital, aspirin, caffeine, and codeine may cause an overdose.
Codeine is converted to morphine in the body. Individuals who are called ultra-rapid metabolizers of codeine can convert codeine to morphine faster than the others. They may experience overdose symptoms such as extreme sleepiness, confusion, or shallow breathing. Children may be especially sensitive to this effect.
If a breastfeeding mother is an ultra-rapid metabolizer of codeine, it could lead to a morphine overdose in the infant and cause very dangerous side effects.
For breastfeeding mothers taking this medicine:
Discuss with your doctor the risk and the benefits of butalbital, aspirin, caffeine, and codeine as well as the effects of this medication to your baby.
If you become extremely tired and have difficulty caring for your baby, call your doctor right away. Your baby should generally nurse every 2 to 3 hours and should not sleep more than 4 hours at a time. Go to the hospital emergency room immediately if your baby shows signs of increased sleepiness (more than usual), difficulty breastfeeding, troubled breathing, or limpness as these may be symptoms of an overdose.
Check with your doctor immediately if you experienced any signs of allergic reaction after taking this medication.
If you feel that the medicine is not working as well, do not use beyond your prescribed dose. Call your doctor for instructions.
This medicine can cause dizziness or drowsiness. Avoid driving, operating machineries, or any other risky activities when you take this medication.
This medicine will add to the effects of alcohol and other medicines that can make you drowsy or less alert. Check with your doctor before taking any of these medicines while you are using this medicine.
Call for help immediately if think you or someone else may have taken an overdose of this medicine. Signs of an overdose include convulsions, breathing problems, nausea or vomiting, pain in the upper stomach, pale or blue lips/fingernails/skin, pinpoint pupils of the eyes, or sleeping difficulty.
Prolonged use of narcotics can cause severe constipation. Your doctor may recommend you to take laxatives, drink a lot of fluids, or increase the amount of fiber in your diet to avoid this problem.
Tell the doctor in charge that you are taking this medicine before undergoing to any medical tests. The results of some tests may be affected by this medicine.
5 Potential Side Effects
If any of the following side effects occur, check with your doctor as soon as possible:
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