Phenobarbital

Phenobarbital – antiepileptic medicine.

Medicines Dormiral, Barbinal, Luminal – Phenobarbital analogs on action.

Structure and form of production of Phenobarbital

According to the instruction Phenobarbital is produced in the form of tablets 0,005 g (for children), 0,05g and 0,1 g (for adults), and also in the form of powder. Phenobarbital – active ingredient of drug. Auxiliary components: stearic acid, potato starch, talc, sucrose.

Pharmacological effect of Phenobarbital

According to the instruction Phenobarbital possesses antigiperbilirubinemichesky, somnolent, anticonvulsant, myorelaxation and spasmolytic action. Phenobarbital suppresses a touch zone of a cerebral cortex, reduces a physical activity. The principle of effect of Phenobarbital is up to the end not established, however there is an assumption that drug suppresses the ascending carrying out in a reticular formation and blocks momentum transfer in a cerebral cortex.

Reviews of Phenobarbital demonstrate that this medicine considerably strengthens the neutralizing function of a liver and is quite often applied to fight against various intoxications of an organism.

Judging by reviews of Phenobarbital, small doses of drug possess the calming action therefore means is often used in complex therapy with other medicines (vasodilators, spasmolysants) in treatment of neurovegetative disturbances.

The direct oppressing effect of Phenobarbital on the center of breath is proved. Drug considerably lowers a tone of unstriated muscles of a GIT, reduces intensity of exchange processes at somnolent action a little.

Indications to Phenobarbital use

According to the instruction there are following indications to Phenobarbital use:

• epilepsy;
• hyperbilirubinemia;
• spasms of peripheral arteries and spastic paralysis;
• the inborn not hemolitic not conjugated hyperbilirubinemia;
• chronic intra hepatic cholestasia;
• sleeplessness, tension, uneasiness, fear, excitement, spasms of various genesis, tremor;
• alcoholic abstinence;
• the encephalitis caused by flu, measles, a rubella, chicken pox, whooping cough and a mononucleosis;
• neurovegetative frustration;
• generalized toniko-clonic attacks;
• focal attacks at children and adults.

Contraindications to Phenobarbital use

• heavy renal and/or liver failure;
• hypersensitivity to active ingredient of drug;
• porphyria;
• alcoholism;
• myasthenia;
• drug addiction;
• thyrotoxicosis;
• first and second trimesters of pregnancy;
• lactation period;
• the expressed anemia;
• hyperkinesias;
• bronkhoobstruktivny pulmonary diseases.

Side effects

Judging by reviews of Phenobarbital, the medicine quite often causes paradoxical reaction (unusual excitement) in the weakened patients, and also in children. In some cases prolonged use of medicine can make sick, locks, vomiting, an adynamy, weakness, dizziness. Seldom - an unconscious state, an ataxy, a depression, hallucinations, allergic reactions, hemolitic disturbances. Prolonged use of a medicine quite often leads to disturbance of bone formation and promotes development of rickets.

Phenobarbital route of administration

The recommended Phenobarbital doses according to the instruction following:

• as sedative medicine – po30-50 mg three times a day;
• as sleeping pill – on 100-200 mg for an hour to a dream;
• at epilepsy it is necessary to accept 50-100 mg of drug twice a day;
• as an antispasmodic - on 10-50 mg two-three times a day.

According to the instruction children should take Phenobarbital for half an hour to food twice a day. The recommended single doses of drug depending on age of the child:

• up to six months – 5 mg;
• from six months to one year – 10 mg;
• from one to two years – 20 mg;
• in three-four years – 30 mg;
• in five-six years – 40 mg;
• in seven-nine years – 50 mg;
• in ten-fourteen years – 75 mg of drug.

Overdose

At a single dose of one gram of the medicine Phenobarbital the following symptoms are observed: block, nystagmus, dizziness, headache, decrease or fervescence, speech smazannost, irritability, loss or weakening of reflexes, sleep disorders, difficulty and delay of breath, lump, ataxy, decrease in the ABP, bradi-or tachycardia, pneumonia, confusion of consciousness, fluid lungs, oliguria, narrowing of pupils. In these cases it is necessary to carry out symptomatic therapy.

At reception from 2 to 10 g of the drug Phenobarbital – a lethal outcome.

Phenobarbital interaction

Drug reduces antimicrobic activity of streptocides and antibiotics, and also antifungal effect of griseofulvin; reduces efficiency of doxycycline, estrogen, GKS, accelerating their destruction in a liver.

The concomitant use of Phenobarbital with atropine, belladonna extract, a dextrose, thiamin, niacin, analeptics and psychogogic medicines leads to decrease in somnolent effect of drug. Use of Phenobarbital in complex therapy with Reserpinum leads to reduction of anticonvulsant effect of a medicine and to strengthening of the same effect under the influence of Nialamidum, diazepam, amitriptyline, chlordiazepoxide.