Drug Database - Mephobarbital

Generic Name: mephobarbital (mef-oh-BAR-bi-tal)

Brand Names: Mebaral®

Classification: Barbiturates

Issue Date: 1976

Mephobarbital is in a class of drugs called barbiturates (bar-bi-TURE-ates). Mephobarbital depresses the activity of your brain and nervous system.

Mephobarbital is used to relieve anxiety, tension, and apprehension by inducing sedation, and to prevent seizures.

Call your doctor immediately if you develop a fever, a sore throat, sores in your mouth, broken blood vessels under your skin, or easy bruising or bleeding. These could be early signs of a serious side effect.

Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing other hazardous activities. Mephobarbital will cause drowsiness. If you experience drowsiness, avoid these activities. Do not drink alcohol or take other sleep medicines, antihistamines, narcotic pain relievers, or other drugs that also cause drowsiness unless your doctor approves. Dangerous sedation could result. Mephobarbital may decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills. Use a second method of birth control to prevent pregnancy.

Take mephobarbital exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.

Take each dose with a full glass of water. To treat seizures, mephobarbital may be taken several times a day. Do not stop taking this medicine even if you are feeling well because stopping abruptly could cause a severe seizure.

To relieve anxiety, tension, and apprehension, mephobarbital may be taken several times a day at regular intervals.

Do not increase your dosage of this medicine without the approval of your doctor. If your symptoms are not being adequately treated, talk to your doctor. Store mephobarbital at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

Do not take mephobarbital if you have:

• porphyria
• liver disease
• kidney disease
• asthma or severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD)

Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you have ever had a drug or alcohol addiction in the past. Mephobarbital is habit forming, which means that you can become addicted to it.

Mephobarbital is in the FDA pregnancy category D. This means that it is known to harm an unborn baby. Do not take mephobarbital if you are pregnant. However, if you take mephobarbital to control seizures, do not abruptly stop taking this medication, because a seizure could occur, and this could be more harmful to an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about treatment during pregnancy. Mephobarbital passes into breast milk and could affect a nursing infant. Do not take mephobarbital without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. Mephobarbital may cause excitement, irritability, aggression, depression, or confusion particularly in children and in adults over 60 years of age. Lower doses and close monitoring may be necessary.

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next regularly scheduled dose, skip the missed dose and take the next one as directed. Do not take a double dose of this medication.

Side Effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction:

• skin rash or hives
• difficulty breathing
• swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat

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

• a fever or a sore throat
• sores in your mouth
• broken blood vessels under your skin
• easy bruising or bleeding

Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take codeine and talk to your doctor if you experience:

• drowsiness or dizziness
• confusion
• agitation, irritability, or excitability
• nightmares
• nervousness
• anxiety
• headache
• "hangover" effect (drowsiness the day after a dose)

Large chronic doses of mephobarbital may cause liver damage if it is taken with acetaminophen (Tylenol®, others). Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking mephobarbital on a regular basis. Pain and fever reducers other than acetaminophen are available and may be more suitable choices.

Mephobarbital may decrease the effectiveness of many drugs, including the following:

• warfarin (Coumadin®)
• carbamazepine (Tegretol®)
• clonazepam (Klonopin®)
• birth control pills
• hydrocortisone (Cortef®, Hydrocortone®)
• prednisone (Orasone®, Deltasone®)
• prednisolone (Prelone®, Delta Cortef®)
• methylprednisolone (Medrol®)
• felodipine (Plendil®)
• verapamil (Calan®, Verelan®, Isoptin®)
• quinidine (Cardioquin®, Quinidex®, Quinora®, Quinaglute®)
• fenoprofen (Nalfon®)
• griseofulvin (Grisactin®, FulvicinPG®, GrifulvinV®)
• metronidazole (Flagyl®, Metryl®, Metizol®)
• theophylline (Theo-Dur®, Theochron®, Theolair®, Slo-Bid®)

Other drugs may also influence the activity of mephobarbital:

• alcohol
• sleep aids
• antihistamines
• antidepressants
• rifampin (Rifadin®, Rimactine®)

Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with mephobarbital. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines.