ABSTRACT
This chapter describes trade name, classification, approved indications for psychological disorders, available dosage forms, storage, and compatibility, usual dosage and administration, relative contraindications, and clinically significant drug interactions of Butabarbital. Long-term butabarbital pharmacotherapy, or regular personal use, may result in addiction and habituation. Butabarbital is readily absorbed following oral ingestion and has an onset of action of approximately 1 hour. Butabarbital may stimulate the production of hepatic microsomal enzymes, which are responsible for the metabolism of many different classes of drugs. Butabarbital pharmacotherapy has been associated with bradycardia, confusion, gastrointestinal complaints, lethargy, and respiratory depression. Although no other clinically significant drug interactions have been documented involving butabarbital pharmacotherapy, they have been reported with other barbiturate pharmacotherapy. Attention to these clinically significant drug interactions is required because of butabarbital’s similarity to the other barbiturates. Advise patients to avoid, or limit, their use of alcohol while receiving butabarbital pharmacotherapy.
