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- Title
Butalbital in the Treatment of Headache: History, Pharmacology, and Efficacy.
- Authors
Silberstein, Stephen D.; McCrory, Douglas C.
- Abstract
Analgesics containing butalbital compounded with aspirin, acetaminophen, and/or caffeine are widely used for the treatment of migraine and tension-type headache. The butalbital-containing compounds are efficacious in placebo-controlled trials among patients with episodic tension-type headaches. Despite their frequent clinical use for migraine, they have not been studied in placebo-controlled trials among patients with migraine. Barbiturates can produce intoxication, hangover, tolerance, dependence, and toxicity. Butalbital can result in intoxication that is clinically indistinguishable from that produced by alcohol. Butalbital-containing analgesics can produce drug-induced headache in addition to tolerance and dependence. Higher doses can produce withdrawal syndromes after discontinuation. Butalbital-containing analgesics may be effective as backup medications or when other medications are ineffective or cannot be used. Because of concerns about overuse, medication-overuse headache, and withdrawal, their use should be limited and carefully monitored.
- Subjects
ANALGESICS; HEADACHE treatment
- Publication
Headache: The Journal of Head & Face Pain, 2001, Vol 41, Issue 10, p953
- ISSN
0017-8748
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1046/j.1526-4610.2001.01189.x