Navigation: Fioricet Overview, Fioricet: Is it Addictive?, Fioricet Withdrawal, Fioricet Side Effects, Fioricet Overdose
Fioricet is a prescription medication that is used for chronic headaches. While it can be effective, this barbiturate-based drug can also be dangerous. In fact, users of Fioricet are at risk of withdrawal, addiction, and overdose.
These risks can endanger someone’s life. This is why it is important to know more about this prescription medication. Let’s take a closer look at what this medication does and how it affects the people who take it.
Fioricet Overview
Fioricet is a combination drug, which means it has two or more pharmaceutical ingredients. The three main ingredients of Fioricet are acetaminophen, caffeine, and butalbital. These three drugs combine to help relieve headaches.
Acetaminophen is a drug that alleviates pain. It also reduces fever. Acetaminophen is more commonly known by the name Tylenol, which is its brand name. It works by slowing down the production of the chemical prostaglandin within the brain, effectively blocking pain signals in the nervous system.
Caffeine is a stimulant that raises a person’s blood pressure. It prevents low blood pressure, which worsens headaches by causing blood vessels to expand.
Finally, butalbital is a sedative barbiturate that can stimulate the brain into producing more of the GABA neurotransmitter. This neurotransmitter blocks signals in the nervous system to calm it down. It can also relax muscle tension, which helps alleviate headaches. Under the Controlled Substances Act, butalbital is classified as a Schedule III substance.
Because of its effects, Fioricet is typically used for chronic tension headaches. A tension headache causes moderate pain in the front, sides, or back of the head. This condition is actually quite common, and most people experience them occasionally.
Fioricet is only prescribed for people who suffer from more than ten to fifteen headaches per month. It may also be prescribed for migraines—a type of headache that causes severe pain in one side of the head, while also making the person hypersensitive to lights and sounds.
Fioricet is rarely prescribed by doctors. It is only given to patients when safer over-the-counter medications fail to help them.
Fioricet: Is it Addictive?
Even though it is just a prescription medication for headaches, Fioricet can still potentially cause addiction. The good news is that people who follow their prescription carefully are at low risk of developing addiction. But if a person takes high doses of Fioricet, they may develop tolerance.
If a person becomes tolerant to Fioricet, they will need higher doses of the drug just to alleviate their headaches. If abuse continues, they may develop dependence over time. This means they will start taking Fioricet just to feel “normal” throughout the day. At this point, suddenly quitting the drug will lead to withdrawal because the body has adapted to high doses of the drug.
Additionally, butalbital itself is an addictive substance. It can cause a “high” that makes the user feel relaxed, calm, and euphoric. In fact, high doses of Fioricet can give the user an intoxicated feeling that is comparable to alcohol. Recreational use of Fioricet further increases the risk of developing an addiction.
Addiction is characterized by the compulsive use of a drug, even when the person is already suffering from its adverse effects. People who are addicted to Fioricet will lose interest in hobbies they used to enjoy. They will also neglect their responsibilities in favor of taking the drug. Their health, relationships, finances, career, and mental health may suffer because of their drug abuse.
Fioricet Withdrawal
After developing dependence, it becomes much harder for the user to quit Fioricet. Withdrawal can last between 8 hours to three days after the last dose. Intense cravings and withdrawal symptoms prevent dependent individuals from quitting. This is why proper detox programs are necessary.
In a detox facility, drug dependent people can safely detox while minimizing the risk of relapse. These programs are also designed to make the detox experience as comfortable as possible. Some withdrawal symptoms of Fioricet are dangerous. It is much safer to go through detox with medical supervision because they can help patients keep their withdrawal symptoms under control.
Withdrawal symptoms associated with Fioricet include: anxiety, dizziness, insomnia, muscle spasms, nausea, vomiting, mood swings, tremors, weakness, rebound headaches, and in rare cases, seizures.
Fioricet Side Effects
Like other medications, Fioricet can cause side effects like anxiety, drowsiness, lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, shaking, tremors, dizziness, stomach pain, and insomnia. Sometimes users experience shortness of breath and other respiratory problems. People who misuse their prescription by taking the drug too often, or taking too much of the drug at a time, are at greater risk of suffering from side effects.
In some cases, a person may develop an allergic reaction to Fioricet. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include: itching, rashes, breathing difficulties, intense dizziness, and swelling of the face, throat, and tongue.
Fioricet Overdose
Fioricet is made dangerous by its main ingredients. Butalbital is the addictive ingredient, while acetaminophen is the one that can potentially cause an overdose. Because of this, people who misuse Fioricet are at risk of suffering from an overdose. Taking this drug recreationally is highly discouraged.
It is also dangerous to take Fioricet with other medications that contain acetaminophen because it increases the risk of a fatal overdose. In some cases, Fioricet overdose can lead to fatal liver failure.
Symptoms of Fioricet overdose include: confusion, fainting, convulsions, seizures, irregular heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, restlessness, stomach pain, excessive sweating, lack of appetite, and tremors. Fioricet overdose also causes jaundice, which is the yellowing of the skin and eyes.
Watch out for these symptoms and seek medical assistance immediately if you suspect someone in your family is abusing Fioricet.
If someone in the family is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, it is important to seek help. A combination of medical detox and behavioral therapy can go a long way in the fight against substance abuse. But because every individual is affected by addiction differently, a comprehensive program tailored to their specific needs is necessary. Look for a nearby addiction treatment facility today and find out how drug treatment programs work.
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