fioricet

[scared2]

i have been addicted to fioricet without codeine for over 6 year s, i take just about 6 or 7 a day, i take about 3 every morning to get me going, because i feel it is the only way to get me going.  i want to stop.  i am scared that i may have caused liver damage, and i do not want to die.  i also in addition at night right after work pop 1 1/2 of vicodin es, but not any more than that.  but none the less still addicted.  and i have been doing that for the same amount of time, but just in the past year taking 1/1/2 everyday, it used to be just on the weekends.

i need some advise on stopping, what kind of withdrawls i might have.  what kind of herbs can i take to help maybe correct my liver damage.  i am 31, and i think i still have a chance to reverse any damage, if i can just stop using.

please help

scared

[my_mayberry]

yes you should be scared. often, barbiturate abusers can 'substitute' with alcohol and vice versa. in the past, when barbiturates were in their hayday, barbiturate abusers were also often alcoholics. judy garland is one example. benzodiazepines, alcohol, and barbiturates all effect gaba so crossing from one to another isn't so hard. in my experience, barbiturates have the most profound effect as far as the 'high' goes. i think if you have a history of abusing alcohol, you should use this drug with EXTREME caution. that isn't to say you CAN'T use it, but if you do you should never use it unless you really need it. just be aware of the risk. in the old days, barbiturates and alcohol were mixed (sometimes leading to death) and this doubled the high. i think if you're aware of how dangerous the drug is and use caution with it, you should be ok....but then again, if you take this drug and find out you enjoy it far more than alcohol (as i do)......then you could be in a world of trouble. its somewhat of a gamble.

there is a somewhat safer medicine called midrin. it does contain dichloralphenazone which is 2 parts chloral hydrate...this is also a sedative, but it seems that with midrin the rate of addiction is much MUCH lower than it is with fioricet. the doses required to achieve a profound 'high' feeling with midrin are hard to achieve as its provided in such low doses in the compound.....however there still is a risk with that one as well and it doesn't work quite as well on migraines as fioricet or fiorinal.

[SueM81711]

just wondering if anyone is a recovering alcoholic takeing this medication i have just recently been perscribed fioricet for migranes and my dr knowes i'm a recovering alcoholic......should i be scared?

[my_mayberry]

i sympathise with you on the chronic pain...but if taking this drug daily is the only way to relieve your pain, perhaps you should go to a pain management center?

as a last resort, i can understand daily use of this drug...but to be quite honest, its often the drug itself that causes pain. something you should know about barbiturates is that they reduce your pain threshold...meaning they increase your sensitivity to pain. fioricet and the like also cause rebound headaches...something VERY common when taken daily. these often times develop into horrific migraines if you do not take your medication. this, along with a reduced pain threshold, makes for a poor drug of choice when treating chronic daily pain. i think before you ever consider trying to find a doctor who will UP your dose, you should try to find one that specializes in pain and see what other avenues you could explore. as i said, it may be that this drug is making things much worse than they would be without it. there are a few other members in this forum who've experienced this side of the drug...i myself have. hopefully they'll share with you their own experiences also.

[my_mayberry]

butalbital is NOT a controlled substance, although it should be. fiorinal is, and the reason is purely and simply because of the butalbital. all butalbital products should be thought of as highly dangerous and controlled, even though they aren't. similar drugs are amytal, seconal, nembutal, and butisol....all HIGHLY controlled. butalbital came along much later in the barbiturate game, so it never achieved the status of the previous big brothers and somehow has managed to avoid that big fat C-II lable.

i believe the drug you mention is also known as phrenilin (butalbital 50mg and apap 325mg) or phrenilin forte (butalb 50mg and apap 650mg)....either way its a butalbital drug and NOT controlled, but you may as well consider it as a controlled substance. yes it can be highly addicting...the fact you've avoided this is GREAT...it goes to show that just because you take a drug that is addicting doesn't mean you WILL get addicted......but just be cautious, because it can still happen. read other stories on here about butalbital...you'll find it REALLY does damage people's lives once they're hooked.

like xanax, valium, temazepam, clonazepam, seconal, nembutal, etc etc etc....the MAJORITY won't get addicted...they'll use them as they're meant to be used and never have a problem. its the minority that gets hooked and these are the ones who usually find their way here. same with opiates.

but yeah, its the butalbital thats the big deal in this drug. also if you have the one that contains codeine, thats even more addicting obviously...especially since barbiturates enhance the high of opiates and vice versa

[mudpuppy62]

I have been on fioricet since i had my daughter 31 years ago. I started having bad headaches and this is what my dr. put me on. Back then I would take maybe 1 or 2 then skip a few days. As years have gone by I have to take them everyday. At least 3 a day.
How in the world do you get a dr. to prescribe you enough to take 6 or 7 a day? I get a hard time from my dr.now when I take 3 a day ? Please reply. I dont wanna take more than 3, but sometimes my dr. wont refill them. Its like as a grown young lady I have to beg, and explain i have a lot of muscle tension, which I do. And if I dont stop it there in my neck then goes into a migrane. God forbid I hate migranes!

[isis196340]

WOW i see so many stories about fioricet.. i have been on the drug on and off for many many years. started at 27 now im 46 <along with soma. and i never had a problem stoping it.. i didnt know till recent it is now a controlled drug.  now i have lupus and degenterative disk and fibro and the migrans have started again! i take 4 norco a day and 3 soma. well im suppose to. i do run out . have been on same drugs for 10 years. not working much anymore.   Anyway to the point.. my dr recently added cephadyn to my meds. i see it is like fioricet without the caffine. was wonder fioricet is a controlled drug and cephadyn is not.  why?? cant figure it out. after reading all the post im kinda scared to start another demon. in the past i was on fiorcet and fiorcet w codine at the same time. just stopped wiht no problem. but now that i know withdrawl.. and i do!! im kinda afraid to take this... is cephadyn the same thing.. only difference i see is the caffine.. thanks.   hope i made a little sence..