Do you need Butalbital?

Tension-type headaches are generally mild to moderate pain, usually described as a tight band around the head. It is a widespread type of headache that people frequently face. At times, the tension headaches cause difficulty in carrying out daily tasks. If your tension headache symptoms are getting out of hand, your doctor may advise you to take medications to relieve the pain caused due to the headache. Butalbital is the most commonly prescribed medication for tension-type headaches.

What is Butalbital?

Butalbital is a combination medication with acetaminophen, paracetamol, aspirin, and caffeine or codeine. Butalbital is classified as a barbiturate medicine that causes relaxation and sleepiness and acts as a central nervous system depressant. Barbiturates are effective as anxiolytics, hypnotics and anticonvulsants. Butalbital has a sleep-inducing and anxiety-reducing effect on the patient. Butalbital medicine is a short to an intermediate active member of barbiturates that also has a muscle-relaxing effect.

How does Butalbital function?

The aspirin helps to decrease the pain from the headache, while the caffeine helps enhance the effects of aspirin. Butalbital works as a sedative that helps reduce anxiety and causes sleepiness and relaxation. Butalbital produces central nervous depression that ranges from mild sedation to general anaesthesia. It reversibly depresses the activity of excitable tissues, including the central nervous, in a non-selective manner.

What are the side effects of Butalbital?

The common side effects of Butalbital include-

1- Dizziness

2- Drowsiness

3- Nausea

4- Sedation

5- Memory Loss

6- Diarrhea

As your body adjusts to the Butalbital dose, the side effects should lessen with time. However, if they do not decrease with time, it would be best to inform your physician, who will alter your dosage accordingly.

The severe side effects include-

1- Frequent mood changes

2- Irregular heartbeat

3- Increased thirst or urination

4- Heartburn

5- signs of kidney problems (change in the amount of urine)

6- Discomfort when swallowing and easy bruising or bleeding

If you notice any severe side effects, it would be best to stop taking Butalbital and seek immediate medical help.

How long does Butalbital stay in your system?

Butalbital will likely stay in your system for up to 7 or 10 days after the last dose. This depends on age, metabolism, kidney and liver function, etc. The half-life of a drug is the number of times it takes half of the active drug to leave the body.