What is acetaminophen and butalbital?
Acetaminophen is a pain reliever and fever reducer.
Butalbital is in a group of drugs called barbiturates. It relaxes muscle contractions involved in a tension headache.
The combination of acetaminophen and butalbital is used to treat tension headaches. This medicine is not for treating headaches that come and go.
Acetaminophen and butalbital may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What is the most important information I should know about acetaminophen and butalbital?
Do not take more of this medication than is recommended. An overdose of acetaminophen can damage your liver or cause death.
Tell your doctor if you have ever had alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis) or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day. You may not be able to take medicine that contains acetaminophen.
Before you take acetaminophen and butalbital, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have liver or kidney disease, a stomach or intestinal disorder, or a history of drug or alcohol addiction.
Butalbital may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Never share this medication 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.
Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well in relieving your pain.
This medication may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.
Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other cold, allergy, pain, or sleep medication. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as APAP) is contained in many combination medicines. Taking certain products together can cause you to get too much acetaminophen which can lead to a fatal overdose. Check the label to see if a medicine contains acetaminophen or APAP.
Avoid drinking alcohol. It may increase your risk of liver damage while taking acetaminophen.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking acetaminophen and butalbital?
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to acetaminophen (Tylenol) or butalbital, or if you have porphyria.
Tell your doctor if you have ever had alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis) or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day. You may not be able to take medicine that contains acetaminophen.
Butalbital may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Never share this medication 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.
To make sure you can safely take acetaminophen and butalbital, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:
Tell your doctor if you drink more than three alcoholic beverages per day or if you have ever had alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis). You may not be able to take medication that contains acetaminophen.
FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether acetaminophen and butalbital will harm an unborn baby, but it can cause seizures in a newborn if the mother takes the medication late in pregnancy. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication.
Acetaminophen and butalbital can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Older adults may be more sensitive to the effects of this medicine.