Phenobarbital

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Instructions for use:

1. Composition and form of release
2. Pharmacological action
3. Indications for use
4. Contraindications to use
5. Side effects
6. Method of application
7. Overdose
8. Interaction

Phenobarbital is an antiepileptic drug.

Medicines Dormiral, Barbinal, Luminal are analogues of Phenobarbital in action.

Composition and release form of Phenobarbital

According to the instructions, Phenobarbital is produced in the form of tablets 0.005 g (for children), 0.05 g and 0.1 g (for adults), as well as in the form of a powder. Phenobarbital is the active ingredient of the drug. Auxiliary components: stearic acid, potato starch, talc, sucrose.

Pharmacological action of Phenobarbital

According to the instructions Phenobarbital has antihyperbilirubinemic, hypnotic, anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant and antispasmodic effects. Phenobarbital suppresses the sensory area of the cerebral cortex, reduces motor activity. The principle of action of Phenobarbital has not been fully established, however, there is an assumption that the drug suppresses ascending conduction in the reticular formation and blocks the transmission of impulses to the cerebral cortex.

Reviews of Phenobarbital indicate that this drug significantly enhances the detoxifying function of the liver and is often used to combat various intoxications of the body.

Judging by the reviews of Phenobarbital, small doses of the drug have a sedative effect, so the drug is often used in combination therapy with other medications (vasodilators, antispasmodics) in the treatment of neurovegetative disorders.

The direct inhibitory effect of Phenobarbital on the respiratory center has been proven. The drug significantly lowers the tone of smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract, slightly reduces the intensity of metabolic processes during hypnotic effects.

Indications for the use of Phenobarbital

According to the instructions, there are the following indications for the use of Phenobarbital:

epilepsy;
hyperbilirubinemia;
peripheral arterial spasms and spastic paralysis;
congenital non-hemolytic unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia;
chronic intrahepatic cholestasis;
insomnia, tension, anxiety, fear, agitation, convulsions of various origins, tremors;
alcohol withdrawal;
encephalitis due to influenza, measles, rubella, chickenpox, whooping cough and mononucleosis;
neurovegetative disorders;
generalized tonic-clonic seizures;
focal seizures in children and adults.

Contraindications to the use of Phenobarbital

severe renal and / or hepatic impairment;
hypersensitivity to the active substance of the drug;
porphyria;
chronic alcoholism;
myasthenia gravis;
drug addiction;
thyrotoxicosis;
first and second trimesters of pregnancy;
lactation period;
severe anemia;
hyperkinesis;
broncho-obstructive lung disease.

Side effects

Judging by the reviews about Phenobarbital, the medication often causes a paradoxical reaction (unusual agitation) in debilitated patients, as well as in children. In some cases, prolonged use of the drug can cause nausea, constipation, vomiting, asthenia, weakness, dizziness. Rarely - fainting, ataxia, depression, hallucinations, allergic reactions, hemolytic disorders. Long-term use of the medication often leads to a violation of osteogenesis and contributes to the development of rickets.

Method of application of Phenobarbital

The recommended doses of Phenobarbital for instructions are as follows:

as a sedative drug - 30-50 mg three times a day;
as a sleeping pill - 100-200 mg one hour before bedtime;
with epilepsy, 50-100 mg of the drug should be taken twice a day;
as an antispasmodic agent - 10-50 mg two to three times a day.

According to the instructions Phenobarbital children should be taken half an hour before meals, twice a day. Recommended single doses of the drug, depending on the age of the child:

up to six months - 5 mg;
from six months to a year - 10 mg;
from one year to two years - 20 mg;
at three to four years - 30 mg;
at five to six years old - 40 mg;
at seven to nine years old - 50 mg;
at ten to fourteen years old - 75 mg of the drug.

Overdose

With a single intake of one gram of the drug Phenobarbital, the following symptoms are observed: lethargy, nystagmus, dizziness, headache, decrease or increase in body temperature, blurred speech, irritability, loss or weakening of reflexes, sleep disturbances, difficulty and slowdown of breathing, coma, ataxia, decreased blood pressure, brady, or tachycardia, pneumonia, confusion, pulmonary edema, oliguria, pupillary constriction. In these cases, symptomatic therapy is necessary.

When taking from 2 to 10 g of the drug Phenobarbital - a fatal outcome.

Interaction of Phenobarbital

The drug reduces the antimicrobial activity of sulfonamides and antibiotics, as well as the antifungal effect of griseofulvin; reduces the effectiveness of doxycycline, estrogens, GCS, accelerating their destruction in the liver.

The simultaneous administration of Phenobarbital with atropine, belladonna extract, dextrose, thiamine, nicotinic acid, analeptics and psychostimulating drugs leads to a decrease in the hypnotic effect of the drug. The use of Phenobarbital in combination therapy with reserpine leads to a decrease in the anticonvulsant effect of the drug and to an increase in the same effect under the influence of nialamide, diazepam, amitriptyline, chlordiazepoxide.

Information about the drug is generalized, provided for informational purposes only and does not replace the official instructions. Self-medication is hazardous to health!