Pronunciation: FEE noe BAR bi tal
15 mg, round, white, imprinted with West-ward 445
30 mg, round, white, imprinted with West-Ward 450
60 mg, round, white, imprinted with WW 455
100 mg, round, white, imprinted with WW 458
16.2 mg, round, white, imprinted with 5011 V
32.4 mg, round, white, imprinted with 5012 V
64.8 mg, round, white, imprinted with 5013 V
97.2 mg, round, white, imprinted with 5014 V
100 mg, round, white, imprinted with EP 903
100 mg, round, white, imprinted with RX 744
15 mg, round, white, imprinted with 5011 V
30 mg, round, white, imprinted with West-Ward 450
32.4 mg, round, white, imprinted with 5012, V
60 mg, round, white, imprinted with EP 902
60 mg, round, white, imprinted with LILLY J37
Phenobarbital is a barbiturate (bar-BIT-chur-ate). Phenobarbital slows the activity of your brain and nervous system.
Phenobarbital is used to treat or prevent seizures. Phenobarbital is also used short-term as a sedative to help you relax.
Phenobarbital may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
You should not take this medicine if you are allergic to phenobarbital or other barbiturates (Nembutal, Seconal, and others), or if you have:
To make sure phenobarbital is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:
Follow your doctor's instructions about taking seizure medication if you are pregnant. Seizure control is very important during pregnancy, and having a seizure could harm both mother and baby. Do not start or stop taking this medicine without your doctor's advice, and tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant.
Phenobarbital can make birth control pills less effective. Ask your doctor about using a non-hormonal birth control (condom, diaphragm with spermicide) to prevent pregnancy.
It is not known whether phenobarbital passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not take this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.
Phenobarbital may be habit-forming. Never share phenobarbital with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it. Selling or giving away this medicine is against the law.
Do not change your phenobarbital dose without your doctor's advice. Tell your doctor if the medicine does not seem to work as well in treating your condition.
If you are taking phenobarbital to treat seizures, keep taking the medicine even if you feel fine.
Do not stop using suddenly after long-term use, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Ask your doctor how to safely stop using phenobarbital.
Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.
Keep track of the amount of medicine used from each new bottle. Phenobarbital is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if anyone is using your medicine improperly or without a prescription.
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. An overdose of phenobarbital can be fatal.
Overdose symptoms may include slow or shallow breathing, weak pulse, cold or clammy skin, little or no urination, pinpoint pupils, feeling cold, or fainting.
Phenobarbital may cause a severe allergic reaction. Stop taking phenobarbital and get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, eyes, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
Side effects such as confusion, depression, or excitement may be more likely in older adults and those who are ill or debilitated.
Common side effects may include:
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Taking this medicine with other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing can cause dangerous or life-threatening side effects. Ask your doctor before taking phenobarbital with a sleeping pill, narcotic pain medicine, muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures.
Other drugs may interact with phenobarbital, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell each of your health care providers about all medicines you use now and any medicine you start or stop using.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2022 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 8.01. Revision date: 3/18/2016.
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