Fioricet – Abuse, Addiction and Treatment

Fioricet – Abuse, Addiction and TreatmentMany prescription medications need to be used with caution because they come with risks. Doctors weigh the pros and cons of using the medication and they often try less risky options before progressing to those with potentially serious side effects and habit-forming properties. Fioricet is the type of medication that comes with these risks.

This is the brand name of a combination analgesic drug that includes acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol), butalbital and caffeine. The combination of these drugs provides a solution to tension headaches and sometimes other health problems. This combination also goes by a long list of other brand names, including Americet, Zebutal and Minotal. The butalbital component of this combination medication is a barbiturate, which is habit-forming.

Were you prescribed Fioricet and you’ve now developed a dependence or addiction to it? If you’re not sure, a treatment professional can check for signs of addiction. Further, a treatment program can help you stop using Fioricet and learn ways to live without substance use.

Risks of Barbiturate Drugs like Fioricet

The combination of components in Fioricet is used to treat tension headaches. The acetaminophen provides pain relief while the caffeine enhances its effects. The sedative-hynotic butalbital promotes relaxation while reducing anxiety to help with the tension side of the tension headaches.

The butalbital component of Fioricet is the part that’s habit-forming and comes with other potential risks. Because of these risks, doctors more often prescribe benzodiazepines instead of barbiturates, with limited uses for barbiturates. (Yet, keep in mind that benzodiazepines are potentially addictive and come with side effects too.)

Some people misuse and abuse barbiturates to feel high, or as “downers” to counteract the effects of stimulants. Some people also use them to attempt suicide.

When you continue taking this medication or take it in high doses, you can end up dependent and addicted. This risk can increase if you are susceptible to addiction. As well as, if you already have a substance use disorder, which includes substance abuse and addiction.

Effects of Fioricet on Your Body

Your body can build a tolerance to barbiturates like that in Fioricet. When this happens, you need to take more of the drug to get the same results you were before, at a lower dose. This can be dangerous, because there is a small window between a safe amount and a lethal amount. Barbiturates are risky because dosing is complicated. Even a slight overdose of these drugs can lead to coma or be fatal. Also, if you combine barbiturates with alcohol, putting the two brain relaxers together can be fatal.

Continuing the drug use over time can also lead to dependence, which will make you feel like you need to keep taking it. When you stop taking a barbiturate suddenly, after becoming dependent, you can go through barbiturate withdrawal, which includes symptoms such as vomiting, mood changes and even seizures and tremors. Barbiturate withdrawal has the potential to be life-threatening.

In addition to your body becoming tolerant and physically dependent on barbiturates, your behaviors can adapt in response to using the drug over and over, which means you are addicted. The main sign is that the drug use leads to problems in your life. It might cause friction in your relationships, problems at work, declining health and money troubles. Despite these problems, however, you continue to use the drug. You may also show other signs of addiction, such as an increased focus on the drug use and a decreased commitment to responsibilities and previous interests.

Treatment for Fioricet Addiction

If Fioricet or other barbiturates have become a problem in your life, you can turn things around and take back your life from addiction. A quality treatment program can guide and support you in this process.

Treatment for barbiturates like butalbital often includes a detox component and a rehab treatment component. Detox is recommended with barbiturates, since withdrawal has the potential to be life-threatening. A detox progrom can help you manage the symptoms of the withdrawal process when you stop using the drug, helping you get through the difficulty of this stage without returning to drug use.

Then, rehab treatment will help you change the unhealthy behaviors you have developed along with the addiction. You can also work on what led you to addiction and figure out how to avoid these triggers in the future.

Individualized Treatment Options

At Transformations Treatment Center, we provide both types of treatment for comprehensive care. We can help you safely and more comfortably get through the difficulties and dangers of the acute withdrawal stage through our Summit Detox facility. During detoxification, we will help you manage symptoms and provide medical monitoring, while also providing a sober environment for you to take yourself away from substances.

When your body has adapted to functioning without the presence of psychoactive substances, we are able to provide rehab treatment. Our rehab options include an intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization or outpatient programs. Within each program, our certified addiction professionals will provide a research-based, holistic approach that takes your unique needs into account. We want to help you succeed with recovery. Because of that, we provide an aftercare program to continue to support you after you have completed a rehab program with us.

If you think your Fioricet use has turned into abuse or addiction, we can provide an assessment and treatment to empower you in your recovery. Contact us at Transformations Treatment Center so we can start developing an individualized care plan for you.
