Phenobarbital

Phenobarbital Injection

(fee noe BAR bi tal)

Luminal

It is used to help control certain kinds of seizures. It is used to treat anxiety. It is used to treat sleep problems. It may be given to you for other reasons. Talk with the doctor.

If you are allergic to this drug; any part of this drug; or any other drugs, foods, or substances. Tell your doctor about the allergy and what signs you had. If you have any of these health problems: A block in the airway, liver disease, or shortness of breath. If you have ever had porphyria. If you have kidney disease. If the patient is a newborn or infant. This drug has benzyl alcohol in it. Benzyl alcohol may cause severe and sometimes deadly side effects in newborns or infants. Do not give this drug to a newborn or infant. This is not a list of all drugs or health problems that interact with this drug. Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all of your drugs (prescription or OTC, natural products, vitamins) and health problems. You must check to make sure that it is safe for you to take this drug with all of your drugs and health problems. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any drug without checking with your doctor.

For all uses of this drug: Tell all of your health care providers that you take this drug. This includes your doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists. This drug may be habit-forming with long-term use. If you have been taking this drug for a long time or at high doses, it may not work as well and you may need higher doses to get the same effect. This is known as tolerance. Call your doctor if this drug stops working well. Do not take more than ordered. Do not stop taking this drug all of a sudden without calling your doctor. You may have a greater risk of signs of withdrawal. If you need to stop this drug, you will want to slowly stop it as ordered by your doctor. Have your blood work checked if you are on this drug for a long time. Talk with your doctor. Avoid driving and doing other tasks or actions that call for you to be alert until you see how this drug affects you. Avoid drinking alcohol while taking this drug. Talk with your doctor before you use other drugs and natural products that slow your actions. If you are 65 or older, use this drug with care. You could have more side effects. Use with care in children. Talk with the doctor. Birth control pills and other hormone-based birth control may not work as well to prevent pregnancy. Use 2 kinds of birth control while taking this drug. This drug may cause harm to the unborn baby if you take it while you are pregnant. If you are pregnant or you get pregnant while taking this drug, call your doctor right away. Taking this drug in the third trimester of pregnancy may lead to withdrawal in the newborn. Talk with the doctor. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding. You will need to talk about any risks to your baby. For seizures: If seizures are worse or not the same after starting this drug, talk with the doctor.

WARNING/CAUTION: Even though it may be rare, some people may have very bad and sometimes deadly side effects when taking a drug. Tell your doctor or get medical help right away if you have any of the following signs or symptoms that may be related to a very bad side effect: Signs of an allergic reaction, like rash; hives; itching; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin with or without fever; wheezing; tightness in the chest or throat; trouble breathing, swallowing, or talking; unusual hoarseness; or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat. Signs of liver problems like dark urine, feeling tired, not hungry, upset stomach or stomach pain, light-colored stools, throwing up, or yellow skin or eyes. Mental, mood, or behavior changes that are new or worse. Feeling confused. Change in balance. Muscle spasm. Bad dreams. Restlessness. Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there). Shortness of breath. Slow heartbeat. Feeling very tired or weak. A very bad skin reaction (Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis) may happen. It can cause very bad health problems that may not go away, and sometimes death. Get medical help right away if you have signs like red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin (with or without fever); red or irritated eyes; or sores in your mouth, throat, nose, or eyes. Some health problems may happen when this drug is given too fast. This includes trouble breathing or signs of high or low blood pressure like very bad headache or dizziness, passing out, or change in eyesight. Tell your doctor right away if you have any of these signs.

All drugs may cause side effects. However, many people have no side effects or only have minor side effects. Call your doctor or get medical help if any of these side effects or any other side effects bother you or do not go away: Feeling dizzy or sleepy. Headache. Upset stomach or throwing up. Constipation. Feeling nervous and excitable. Trouble sleeping. Irritation where the shot is given. These are not all of the side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, call your doctor. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-332-1088. You may also report side effects at https://www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Use this drug as ordered by your doctor. Read all information given to you. Follow all instructions closely. It is given as a shot into a muscle or vein.

Call your doctor to find out what to do.

If you need to store this drug at home, talk with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about how to store it.

If your symptoms or health problems do not get better or if they become worse, call your doctor. Do not share your drugs with others and do not take anyone else's drugs. Keep all drugs in a safe place. Keep all drugs out of the reach of children and pets. Throw away unused or expired drugs. Do not flush down a toilet or pour down a drain unless you are told to do so. Check with your pharmacist if you have questions about the best way to throw out drugs. There may be drug take-back programs in your area. Some drugs may have another patient information leaflet. Check with your pharmacist. If you have any questions about this drug, please talk with your doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or other health care provider. If you think there has been an overdose, call your poison control center or get medical care right away. Be ready to tell or show what was taken, how much, and when it happened.

This information should not be used to decide whether or not to take this medicine or any other medicine. Only the healthcare provider has the knowledge and training to decide which medicines are right for a specific patient. This information does not endorse any medicine as safe, effective, or approved for treating any patient or health condition. This is only a brief summary of general information about this medicine. It does NOT include all information about the possible uses, directions, warnings, precautions, interactions, adverse effects, or risks that may apply to this medicine. This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from the healthcare provider. You must talk with the healthcare provider for complete information about the risks and benefits of using this medicine.