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Addiction (Expert Forum)
Withdrawal concerns
Answered by
Jeffrey T Junig, MD PhD - Psychiatry, Addictions, Chronic Pain Treatment, Anesthesiology, Buprenorphine
Fond du Lac Psychiatry
Fond du Lac - WI
Questions in the Addiction forum are answered by a medical expert.
Withdrawal concerns
by Belle9562, Jun 05, 2009 12:13PM
I have been taking 6-8 fioricet per week for many months now for migrains and tension headaches. I have noticed myself increasing my intake recently and enjoying the way the medication makes me feel so I have decided I should stop taking it. Last week I found myself taking 15 pills throughout the week and this week I did the same. My prescription is done and I DO NOT plan to renew because I recognize the potentional for addiction. I recognize that I may get rebound headaches as an effect of stopping the medication but I have noticed on the forums that in comparison to other individuals I had not really been taking that much fioricet(6-8 per week.) Is it likely that withdrawal symptoms can still occur after only two weeks of heavy use (15 each week for two weeks)? Or should any withdrawal be fairly minor because I have not been overusing the medication for very long
Doctor's Answer
by Jeffrey T Junig, MD PhD, Jun 11, 2009 11:44PM
, Jun 11, 2009 11:44PM
Wait!!!! Eagle, this is a rare time I disagree with you. Fiorinal is 'butalbital', a barbiturate! You DO have to worry about seizures with this drug; in fact,barbiturates are one of the three things that have fatal withdrawal (the others being benzos and alcohol). All three work at the same receptor-- the GABA receptor-- but at different subunits.
I don't know exactly what your dose has been, but regular use of fiorinal, partiicularly heavy use, must be tapered off to avoid seizures and DT's. Incidentally, opiate withdrawal alone doesn't cause seizures. Like they say, it doesn't kill you-- but you wish you were dead!
I don't know exactly what your dose has been, but regular use of fiorinal, partiicularly heavy use, must be tapered off to avoid seizures and DT's. Incidentally, opiate withdrawal alone doesn't cause seizures. Like they say, it doesn't kill you-- but you wish you were dead!
Member Comments (6)
by theeagle, Jun 06, 2009 12:42PM
Your experience should be minimal for the reasons that you state. Did the fiorcet contain codeine? Its very good that you recognize this now......better sooner rather than later.
by Belle9562, Jun 06, 2009 12:44PM
No it was fioricet without codeine
by Belle9562, Jun 06, 2009 12:45PM
So I should not worry about seizures or anything like that from stopping cold turkey because of the reasons I stated correct?
by theeagle, Jun 06, 2009 01:13PM
You shouldnt have to worry about siezures with fiorcet.
by Belle9562, Jun 06, 2009 03:29PM
Thank you!:)
