Butalbital and Acetaminophen (Systemic)
Precautions While Using This MedicineCheck with your doctor
:
-
If the medicine stops working as well as it did when you first started
using it. This may mean that you are in danger of becoming dependent on the
medicine. Do not try to get better pain relief by increasing
the dose
.
-
If you are having headaches more often than you
did before you started taking this medicine
. This is especially important
if a new headache occurs within 1 day after you took your last dose of this
medicine, headaches begin to occur every day, or a headache continues for
several days in a row. This may mean that you are dependent on the medicine.
Continuing to take this medicine will cause even more
headaches later on
. Your doctor can give you advice on how to relieve
the headaches.
Check the labels of all nonprescription (over-the-counter
[OTC]) or prescription medicines you now take. If any contain a barbiturate
or acetaminophen, check with your health care professional
. Taking
them together with this medicine may cause an overdose.
The butalbital in this medicine will add to the effects of alcohol and
other CNS depressants (medicines that slow down the nervous system, possibly
causing drowsiness). Some examples of CNS depressants are antihistamines or
medicine for hay fever, other allergies, or colds; sedatives, tranquilizers,
or sleeping medicine; other prescription pain medicine; narcotics; other barbiturates;
medicine for seizures; muscle relaxants; or anesthetics, including some dental
anesthetics. Also, drinking large amounts of alcoholic beverages regularly
while taking this medicine may increase the chance of liver damage, especially
if you take more of this medicine than your doctor ordered or if you take
it regularly for a long time. Therefore, do not drink
alcoholic beverages, and check with your doctor before taking any of the medicines
listed above, while you are using this medicine
.
This medicine may cause some people to become drowsy, dizzy, or lightheaded.
Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before
you drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you
are dizzy or are not alert and clearheaded
.
Before you have any medical tests, tell the person in charge that you are
taking this medicine. Caffeine (present in some butalbital and acetaminophen
combinations) interferes with the results of certain tests that use dipyridamole
(e.g., Persantine) to help show how well blood is flowing to your heart. Caffeine
should not be taken for 8 to 12 hours before the test. The results of other
tests may also be affected by butalbital and acetaminophen combinations.
Before having any kind of surgery (including dental surgery) or emergency
treatment, tell the medical doctor or dentist in charge that you are taking
this medicine. Serious side effects can occur if your medical doctor or dentist
gives you certain medicines without knowing that you have taken butalbital.
If you have been taking large amounts of this medicine, or if you have
been taking it regularly for several weeks or more, do not suddenly stop taking it without first checking with your doctor
.
Your doctor may want you to reduce gradually the amount you are taking before
stopping completely in order to lessen the chance of withdrawal side effects.
If you think you or anyone else may have taken an overdose
of this medicine, get emergency help at once
. Taking an overdose of
this medicine or taking alcohol or CNS depressants with this medicine may
lead to unconsciousness or possibly death. Signs of butalbital overdose include
severe drowsiness, confusion, severe weakness, shortness of breath or unusually
slow or troubled breathing, slurred speech, staggering, and unusually slow
heartbeat. Signs of severe acetaminophen poisoning may not occur until 2 to
4 days after the overdose is taken, but treatment to prevent liver damage
or death must be started within 24 hours or less after the overdose is taken.
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