Mebaral

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.

Take this medication by mouth with or without food as directed by your doctor. Dosage is based on your medical condition, response to therapy, and use of other medications to treat seizures. Take this medication regularly at evenly spaced intervals in order to get the most benefit from it. Remember to use it at the same time(s) each day to keep the amount of medicine in your body at a constant level. This medication may cause withdrawal reactions, especially if it has been used regularly for a long time or in high doses. In such cases, withdrawal symptoms (such as anxiety, shaking, trouble sleeping, weakness, dizziness, lightheadedness, confusion, uncontrolled excitement, and seizures) may occur if you suddenly stop using this medication. To prevent withdrawal reactions, your doctor may reduce your dose gradually. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details, and report any withdrawal reactions immediately. Though it is very unlikely to occur, this medication can also result in abnormal drug-seeking behavior (addiction/habit-forming). Do not increase your dose, take it more frequently or use it for a longer period of time than prescribed. Properly stop the medication when so directed. This will lessen the chances of becoming addicted. When used for an extended period, this medication may not work as well and may require different dosing. Talk with your doctor if this medication stops working well. Inform your doctor if your condition does not improve or worsens.

Your healthcare professionals (e.g., doctor or pharmacist) may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first. This drug should not be used with the following medications because very serious interactions may occur: griseofulvin, sodium oxybate, voriconazole. If you are currently using any of these medications listed above, tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting mephobarbital. Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription/herbal products you may use, especially of: disulfiram, MAO inhibitors (e.g., furazolidone, isocarboxazid, linezolid, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, rasagiline, selegiline, tranylcypromine), St John's wort, drugs removed from your body by certain liver enzymes (e.g., certain beta-blockers such as propranolol and metoprolol, corticosteroids such as prednisone, cyclosporine, doxycycline, estrogens, felodipine, metronidazole, progesterone, quinidine, sildenafil, simvastatin, theophylline, warfarin). This medication may decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills, patches, implants or injections. This can result in pregnancy. You may need to use an additional form of reliable birth control while using this medication. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for details. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you also take drugs that cause drowsiness such as: certain antihistamines (e.g., diphenhydramine), other anti-seizure drugs (e.g., carbamazepine), medicine for sleep or anxiety (e.g., alprazolam, diazepam, zolpidem), muscle relaxants, narcotic pain relievers (e.g., codeine), psychiatric medicines (e.g., chlorpromazine, risperidone, amitriptyline, trazodone). Check the labels on all your medicines (e.g., cough-and-cold products) because they may contain drowsiness-causing ingredients. Ask your pharmacist about the safe use of those products. This product can affect the results of certain lab tests. Make sure laboratory personnel and your doctors know you use this drug. This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.

Your condition can cause complications in a medical emergency. For enrollment information call MedicAlert at 1-800-854-1166 (USA) or 1-800-668-1507 (Canada).

Do not share this medication with others. It is against the law. When this drug is used for long periods, laboratory and/or medical tests (e.g., complete blood count, liver and kidney tests) should be performed periodically to check for side effects. Consult your doctor for more details.

If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call the US national poison hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canadian residents should call their local poison control center directly. Symptoms of overdose may include unsteadiness, slurred speech, unusual eye movement, slowed breathing, fast/slow heartbeat, confusion, loss of consciousness.

Before taking mephobarbital, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or to other barbiturates (e.g., phenobarbital); or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details. This medication should not be used if you have certain medical conditions. Before using this medicine, consult your doctor or pharmacist if you have: a certain blood disorder (porphyria), severe liver disease. Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: liver problems, severe breathing problems (e.g., respiratory depression), kidney problems, heart problems, myasthenia gravis, long-term severe underactive-thyroid disease (myxedema), uncontrolled pain, mental/mood problems (e.g., depression, suicidal thoughts/attempts), history of regular use/abuse of drugs/alcohol/other substances, other blood disorders (e.g., megaloblastic anemia). This drug may make you dizzy or drowsy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do any activity that requires alertness until you are sure you can perform such activities safely. Avoid alcoholic beverages since they can increase drowsiness and increase your seizure risk. Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist that you are using this medication. The elderly may be more sensitive to the effects of this drug, especially unusual excitement, depression, and confusion. During pregnancy, this medication should be used only when clearly needed. It may harm an unborn baby. However, since untreated seizures are a serious condition that can harm both a pregnant woman and her unborn baby, do not stop taking this medication unless directed by your doctor. If you are planning pregnancy, become pregnant, or think you may be pregnant, immediately talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks of using this medication during pregnancy. Since birth control pills, patches, implants, and injections may not work if taken with this medication (see also Drug Interactions section), discuss reliable forms of birth control with your doctor. This medication may lower your folic acid levels, increasing the risk of spinal cord defects. Therefore, check with your doctor to make sure you are taking enough folic acid. Prenatal care should include tests for spinal cord defects. Small amounts of this drug pass into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

Store at room temperature up to 77 degrees F (25 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medicines away from children and pets. Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

Drowsiness, dizziness, upset stomach, or headache may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly. Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects. Tell your doctor immediately if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur: unusual tiredness, loss of coordination. A small number of people who take anticonvulsants for any condition (such as seizure, bipolar disorder, pain) may experience depression, suicidal thoughts/attempts, or other mental/mood problems. Tell your doctor immediately if you or your family/caregiver notice any unusual/sudden changes in your mood, thoughts, or behavior including signs of depression, suicidal thoughts/attempts, thoughts about harming yourself. Tell your doctor immediately if any of these rare but very serious side effects occur: increasing weakness, easy bruising/bleeding, signs of infection (e.g., fever, persistent sore throat, burning/painful/frequent urination), mouth sores, slowed breathing, slow/fast heartbeat, fainting, persistent nausea/vomiting, dark urine, stomach/abdominal pain, yellowing eyes/skin. Long-term use of mephobarbital may rarely cause softening of the bones. Your doctor may recommend that you take vitamin D supplements to prevent this. Consult your doctor for details and immediately report any of the following side effects: back/hip/bone pain, bent/broken bones. A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction may include: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing. This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist. In the US - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.