PHENOBARBITAL

(FEE noe BAR bi tal) Brand: Solfoton

What is the most significant information I must know about phenobarbital?

• Do not use phenobarbital if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn child. Phenobarbital may also reason addiction or withdrawal symptoms in a newborn if the mother takes the medicine during pregnancy.

• Phenobarbital can create birth control pills smaller effective. Ask your doctor about using a non-hormone method of birth control (such as a condom, diaphragm, spermicide) to prevent pregnancy while taking phenobarbital.

• Phenobarbital may reason a severe allergic reaction. Stop taking phenobarbital and get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.

• Do not stop using phenobarbital without first talking to your doctor, even if you feel better. You may have heighten seizures if you stop using phenobarbital suddenly. You will need to use smaller and smaller till you stop the medicine completely.

• Some people using this medication have engaged in activity such as driving, eating, or making telephone calls and later having no memory of the activity. If this happens to you, stop taking phenobarbital and conversation with your doctor about other treatment for your sleep disorder.

• Phenobarbital may be habit-forming and should be used only by the face it was predesigned for. Hold the medicine in a secure seat where others can't get to it.

What is phenobarbital?

• Phenobarbital is in a group of drugs called barbiturates (bar-BIT-chur-ates). Phenobarbital slows the activity of your brain and nervous system.

• Phenobarbital is used to treat or prevent seizures. It is also used short-term to treat insomnia, or as a sedative till surgery.

• Phenobarbital may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking phenobarbital?

• You must not take this medicine if you are allergic to phenobarbital or another barbiturates (Nembutal, Seconal, and others), or if you have:

· porphyria;

· severe liver disease;

· a history of addiction to a barbiturate, sedative (Valium, Xanax, and others); or

· severe asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary mess (COPD), or another breathing disorder.

• To create certain you can safely take phenobarbital, speak your doctor if you have any of these another conditions:

· temporary or chronic pain;

· liver disease;

· kidney disease;

· pheochromocytoma (tumor of the adrenal gland);

· a pituitary gland disorder;

· a history of depression, mental diseases, or suicide attempt; or

· a history of drug or alcohol addiction.

• Phenobarbital may be habit forming and must be used only by the face it was predesigned for. Never share phenobarbital with other face, especially somebody with a history of drug abuse or addiction. Hold the medicine in a seat where others can't get to it.

• FDA pregnancy category D. Do not use phenobarbital if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn child. Phenobarbital may also reason addiction or withdrawal symptoms in a newborn if the mother takes the medicine during pregnancy. Use effective birth control, and speak your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment.

• Phenobarbital can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing child. Do not use this medicine without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How must I take phenobarbital?

• Take exactly as predesigned by your doctor. Do not take in larger or less amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

• Take this medication with a full glass of water.

• If you are taking this medication to treat insomnia, take it only at bedtime. Do not use phenobarbital for longer than 2 weeks to treat insomnia, unless your doctor has told you to.

• Take phenobarbital only when you are getting ready for different hours of sleep. You may fall asleep very quickly after taking the medicine.

• Do not change your doze of phenobarbital without your doctor's advice. Speak your doctor if the medicine does not seem to work as well in treating your condition.

• If you are taking phenobarbital to treat seizures, hold taking the medicine even if you feel beautiful. You may have heighten seizures or withdrawal symptoms if you stop using phenobarbital suddenly. You will need to use smaller and smaller till you stop the medicine completely.

• If you use this medicine long-term, your blood will need to be tested often. Visit your doctor regularly.

• Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

• Hold track of the amount of medication used from every new bottle. Phenobarbital is a drug of abuse and you must be aware if anyone is using your medication improperly or without a prescription.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Take the missed doze as soon as you remember. Skip the missed doze if it is nearly time for your following scheduled doze. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. An overdose of phenobarbital can be fatal.

• Overdose symptoms may include slow or shallow breathing, blurred vision, extreme drowsiness, urinating smaller than normal or not at all, feeling light-headed, or fainting.

What must I avoid while taking phenobarbital?

• This medicine may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.

• Drinking alcohol can magnify some of the side effects of phenobarbital.

What are the possible side effects of phenobarbital?

• Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

· restless muscle movements in your eyes, tongue, jaw, or neck;

· slow heartbeat, shallow breathing;

· feeling light-headed, fainting;

· a fever or a sore throat;

· sores in your mouth;

· light bruising or bleeding; or

· broken blood vessels under your skin.

• Smaller serious side effects may include:

· drowsiness or dizziness;

· problems with memory or concentration;

· excitement, irritability, aggression, or confusion (especially in children or older adults);

· loss of balance or coordination;

· nausea, constipation;

· headache; or

· "hangover" effect (drowsiness the day after a dose).

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

What another drugs will affect phenobarbital?

• Till using phenobarbital, speak your doctor if you regularly use another medicines that create you sleepy (such as another sleeping pills or seizure medicines, cool or allergy medication, narcotic pain medication, muscle relaxers, and medication for depression or anxiety). They can add to sleepiness caused by phenobarbital.

• Speak your doctor about all another medicines you use, especially:

· a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven);

· doxycycline (Doryx, Oracea, Periostat, Vibramycin);

· another seizure medications such as divalproex (Depakote), phenytoin (Dilantin), or valproic acid (Depakene);

· an MAO inhibitor such as furazolidone (Furoxone), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), or tranylcypromine (Parnate);

· griseofulvin (Grisactin, Fulvicin PG, Grifulvin V);

· birth control pills or estrogen hormone replacement, including estrogen (Premarin), estradiol (Estrace, Femtrace, and others), progesterone (Progest, Prometrium), and others; or

· steroids such as prednisone, dexamethasone (Decadron, Hexadrol) fluticasone (Flonase, Advair), methylprednisolone (Medrol), mometasone (Asmanex, Nasonex), and others.

• This list is not complete and another drugs may interact with phenobarbital. Speak your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal commodity. Do not start a new medicine without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about phenobarbital.

Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.

Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

(52)