help with fioricet

My mom has been prescribed Fioricet for years and years.  She gets refills of 180 per month and usually those are gone within 5-7 days of the 30 day period.  My sister and dad have discussed this issue but not with her.  I have spoken to her doc that prescribes them and yet he continues to do so.  The pharmacist has told her about rebound headaches but she is convinced she just gets headaches all day, every day.  She takes hydrocodone (which totally dopes her up) when the fioricet runs out and takes topamax at night.  She is on a huge number of medications, four of which are habit forming and she definitely is addicted.  She doesn't realize that she has a problem.  Truly.  She is 65, active and is good health on the outside.  We are afraid of what all this **** is doing to her inside.

If anyone has been on fioricet, could you please let us know what to expect if we are able to get her off of it?  One of our greatest fears is that something will happen to her when she is withdrawling.  Is this a drug that requires an inpatient stay to get off of it?  The pharmacist suggested that it would be and that they would probably switch her to another drug that would be easier to get off of than the fioricet.  He says it is nasty stuff.

[emilyanne]

Hi tanns. I take Fioricet occasionally for migraines, and I am so glad I just read your post. Yesterday I recommended it to a friend on the other forum, telling her I wasn't sure if it was addicting. I am going to go post to her that yes, it IS addicting.
Fioricet contains caffeine, tylenol and Butalbitol. It's the Butalbitol that would be addicting, and I believe it's a sedative. I'll go check it out. hold on.

[emilyanne]

Hi. There is a great article on about.com. Go to the headaches and migraines section, and look under articles and the title is something like Rebound Headaches and Butalbital Withdrawal. They say that withdrawing from Butalbital is NOT safe to do alone...it can cause SEIZURES and other problems. Butalbitol is a sedative and if someone is taking that regularly, or as much as your mom, she needs an inpatient hospital detox with certain medications administered to her. I hope that helps!!

[tanns]

Thank you so much.  I was really afraid of that.  My mom is going to really shut down when we approach her with our concerns and she will probably cause my dad a lot of grief.  

I will check out the website but from the little research we've done over that past year, I'm scared it is going to be bad news.  We want her around for a while so we are determined to get her off this junk!

Thanks again.

[FLaddict]

That ingredient is a barbituate.. it is very addicting and should not be detoxed cold turkey..

[Fen871]

Hi I have been taking Fiorcet for the last 12 years not so much at first
Then I started to get hooked on it like 20 Pills A day I would wean myself off here in there. But it did not work I finally came to terms that I would cut back and I did I cut to 8 pills a day in trust me it was not easy I think I went to hell. But I have the best husband and he has stood by me I was so sick the firs couple of days my husband had to hold my head my I had the dry heaves and could not sleep that was the worst I do take Activan .5  just one at night never go over but that did not help just had to ride it out still doing so I'm at 71/2 now at week 2 and I tell you what I will never go back to that kind of hell again it is now wourth it first to yoursel in to your family. I get up int the mourning in take my dog for a walk every day it helps to get back to leaving in the real wourld in get use to those feelings I sometimes feel out of my body it is strange but deal with it. Also I keep a diary in write down my feelings I think this helps and keeps you strong. so Please take my advice and stop this medication and deal with the real life Becaurse your worth living for.

[Fen871]

Sorry about the spelling I'm doing really good and I tell you all out there that please just be very careful it is not worth your life.  My family is so important to me I feel so much better cuting back.  That is why I keep a jornal of how I'm doing it does wonders for you/
I dont have any cravings to go back the Headaces do suck I have them alot but it is worth suffering then doing Medication. Best of luck out there.

[scaredmom330]

has your mother's doctor ever  put her in the hospital and find out the cause of her headaches ? I have had migraines for 35 years, I have been on everything from Hryodcodyne to Methadone(which i don't recommend for anyone for any pain),  everyone told me it was rebound headaches, after years and years of dr,specialist, pain clinics, hospital stays, er visits, cat scans, Mris, Spinal taps. Last year in sept, I was admitted with a migraine and finally thank God, thur a MRI they found a birth defect that causes migraines, not rebound headaches. I had had several MRI's in the past but finally someone with some intelligence read it and find the problem. The had me on morphine, which is also addictive for 7 days, I was in a cloud for two weeks, but was so happy the finally found the problem.  so sorry to continue on but take your mother to a different doctor, if her doctor will not run test to find out the cause. topamax is not addictive, and you can take pretty high doses, also there are other drugs out there she can take that are not narcotics...the family or your father needs to talk to her doctor alone and explain what you want and if he agrees, then you need to sit down with your mother.

[beebydog]

I took Fiorcet for about four months for a headaches "all day, every day", just like your mom.  I wasn't taking the high doses that she is, but I was up to 7-8 a day, which is still too much.  I haven't had one in almost two weeks, and I still have a horrible headache.  When I first stopped taking them, my neuro did put me in the hospital to wean me off.  I was in for three days and they gave me IV DHE45, which is another headache medicine.  I also had to take Lamictal, which is an anti-seizure medication (also used as a mood-stabilizer).  I'm not sure if the headache I have now is still a rebound headache from the Fiorcet, or something else all together, but in my experience, the headache is the worst side effect I've had since stopping the Fiorcet.  I've read that it can take up to 15 days for all of the barbibuate to get out of your system. I'm going back to the neuro tomorrow, so maybe I'll get some more answers, and I will be glad to post what I learn. Hope this helps.