Fioricet with Codeine

Butalbital, acetaminophen, caffeine, and codeine combination is used to relieve symptoms of tension (or muscle contraction) headaches. Extended and repeated use of this product is not recommended.

Butalbital belongs to the group of medicines called barbiturates. Barbiturates act in the central nervous system (CNS) to produce their effects.

Acetaminophen is used to relieve pain and reduce fever in patients. It does not become habit-forming when taken for a long time. But acetaminophen may cause other unwanted effects when taken in large doses, including serious liver damage. Although rare, use of acetaminophen has been reported to lead to liver transplantation and death, usually at high doses and when multiple acetaminophen-containing products have been used.

Caffeine is a CNS stimulant that is used with pain relievers to increase their effect. It has also been used for migraine headaches. Codeine belongs to the group of medicine called narcotic analgesics (pain medicines). It acts on the central nervous system (CNS) to relieve pain.

When butalbital or codeine is used for a long time, it may become habit-forming, causing mental or physical dependence) when it is used for a long time or in large doses. Physical dependence may lead to withdrawal side effects when you stop taking the medicine. In patients who get headaches, the first symptom of withdrawal may be new (rebound) headaches.

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

This section provides information on the proper use of a number of products that contain butalbital, acetaminophen, caffeine, and codeine. It may not be specific to Fioricet with Codeine. Please read with care.

Take this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. If too much of this medicine is taken for a long time, it may become habit-forming and cause mental or physical dependence. Also, large amounts of acetaminophen may cause liver damage if taken for a long time.

This medicine should come with a Medication Guide. Read and follow the instructions carefully. Ask your doctor if you have any questions.

Carefully check the labels of all other medicines you are using, because they may also contain acetaminophen. It is not safe to use more than 4 grams (4,000 milligrams) of acetaminophen in one day (24 hours), as this may increase the risk for serious liver problems.

This medicine will relieve a headache best if you take it as soon as the headache begins. If you get warning signs of a migraine, take this medicine as soon as you are sure that the migraine is coming. This may even stop the headache pain from occurring. Lying down in a quiet, dark room for a while after taking the medicine also helps to relieve headaches.

People who get a lot of headaches may need to take a different medicine to help prevent headaches. It is important that you follow your doctor's directions about taking the other medicine, even if your headaches continue to occur. Headache-preventing medicines may take several weeks to start working. Even after they do start working, your headaches may not go away completely. However, your headaches should occur less often, and they should be less severe and easier to relieve than before. This will reduce the amount of headache relievers that you need. If you do not notice any improvement after several weeks of headache-preventing treatment, check with your doctor.

Dosing

The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

• For oral dosage form (capsules):
  • For tension headaches:
    • Adults—1 or 2 capsules every 4 hours as needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 6 capsules per day. Do not exceed 4 grams (4000 milligrams) of acetaminophen (Tylenol®) per day.
    • Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage

Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.

Keep out of the reach of children.

Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.

Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.

Store the medicine in a safe and secure place. Do not throw unused medicine in the trash. Ask your pharmacist about the best way to dispose of medicine you do not use.

• It is used to treat tension headaches.
• It may be given to you for other reasons. Talk with the doctor.

• If you have an allergy to butalbital, acetaminophen, caffeine, codeine, or any other part of Fioricet with Codeine.
• If you are allergic to any drugs like this one, any other drugs, foods, or other substances. Tell your doctor about the allergy and what signs you had, like rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat; or any other signs.
• If you have any of these health problems: Lung or breathing problems like asthma, trouble breathing, or sleep apnea; high levels of carbon dioxide in the blood; or stomach or bowel block or narrowing.
• If you have porphyria.
• If you have taken certain drugs used for low mood (depression) like isocarboxazid, phenelzine, or tranylcypromine or drugs used for Parkinson's disease like selegiline or rasagiline in the last 14 days. Taking this medicine within 14 days of those drugs can cause very bad high blood pressure.
• If you are taking any of these drugs: Linezolid or methylene blue.
• If you are taking any of these drugs: Buprenorphine, butorphanol, nalbuphine, or pentazocine.
• If you are breast-feeding. Do not breast-feed while you take Fioricet with Codeine.

This is not a list of all drugs or health problems that interact with this medicine.

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 Fioricet with Codeine with all of your drugs and health problems. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any drug without checking with your doctor.

• 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 a list of all your drugs (prescription, natural products, vitamins, OTC) with you. Give this list to your doctor.
• Talk with the doctor before starting any new drug, including prescription or OTC, natural products, or vitamins.
• This medicine comes with an extra patient fact sheet called a Medication Guide. Read it with care. Read it again each time this medicine is refilled. If you have any questions about Fioricet with Codeine, please talk with the doctor, 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 Fioricet with Codeine. 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 Fioricet with Codeine.

Review Date: October 4, 2017

This combination product is contraindicated under the following conditions:

Hepatotoxicity

Fioricet with Codeine contains butalbital, acetaminophen, caffeine, and codeine phosphate. Acetaminophen has been associated with cases of acute liver failure, at times resulting in liver transplant and death. Most of the cases of liver injury are associated with the use of acetaminophen at doses that exceed 4000 milligrams per day, and often involve more than one acetaminophen-containing product. The excessive intake of acetaminophen may be intentional to cause self-harm or unintentional as patients attempt to obtain more pain relief or unknowingly take other acetaminophen-containing products.

The risk of acute liver failure is higher in individuals with underlying liver disease and in individuals who ingest alcohol while taking acetaminophen.

Instruct patients to look for acetaminophen or APAP on package labels and not to use more than one product that contains acetaminophen. Instruct patients to seek medical attention immediately upon ingestion of more than 4000 milligrams of acetaminophen per day, even if they feel well.

Serious skin reactions

Rarely, acetaminophen may cause serious skin reactions such as acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP), Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), which can be fatal. Patients should be informed about the signs of serious skin reactions, and use of the drug should be discontinued at the first appearance of skin rash or any other sign of hypersensitivity.

Death Related to Ultra-Rapid Metabolism of Codeine to Morphine

Respiratory depression and death have occurred in children who received codeine in the post-operative period following tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy and had evidence of being ultra-rapid metabolizers of codeine (i.e., multiple copies of the gene for cytochrome P450 isoenzyme 2D6 or high morphine concentrations). Deaths have also occurred in nursing infants who were exposed to high levels of morphine in breast milk because their mothers were ultra-rapid metabolizers of codeine.

Some individuals may be ultra-rapid metabolizers because of a specific CYP2D6 genotype (gene duplications denoted as *1/*1xN or *1/*2xN). The prevalence of this CYP2D6 phenotype varies widely and has been estimated at 0.5 to 1% in Chinese and Japanese, 0.5 to 1% in Hispanics, 1 to 10% in Caucasians, 3% in African Americans, and 16 to 28% in North Africans, Ethiopians, and Arabs. Data are not available for other ethnic groups. These individuals convert codeine into its active metabolite, morphine, more rapidly and completely than other people. This rapid conversion results in higher than expected serum morphine levels. Even at labeled dosage regimens, individuals who are ultra-rapid metabolizers may have life-threatening or fatal respiratory depression or experience signs of overdose (such as extreme sleepiness, confusion, or shallow breathing).

Children with obstructive sleep apnea who are treated with codeine for post-tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy pain may be particularly sensitive to the respiratory depressant effects of codeine that has been rapidly metabolized to morphine. Fioricet with Codeine is contraindicated for post-operative pain management in all pediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy [see CONTRAINDICATIONS.]

When prescribing Fioricet with Codeine , healthcare providers should choose the lowest effective dose for the shortest period of time and inform patients and caregivers about these risks and the signs of morphine overdose.

Hypersensitivity/anaphylaxis

There have been post-marketing reports of hypersensitivity and anaphylaxis associated with use of acetaminophen. Clinical signs included swelling of the face, mouth, and throat, respiratory distress, urticaria, rash, pruritus, and vomiting. There were infrequent reports of life-threatening anaphylaxis requiring emergency medical attention. Instruct patients to discontinue Fioricet with Codeine immediately and seek medical care if they experience these symptoms. Do not prescribe Fioricet with Codeine for patients with acetaminophen allergy.

In the presence of head injury or other intracranial lesions, the respiratory depressant effects of codeine and other narcotics may be markedly enhanced, as well as their capacity for elevating cerebrospinal fluid pressure. Narcotics also produce other CNS depressant effects, such as drowsiness, that may further obscure the clinical course of the patients with head injuries.

Codeine or other narcotics may obscure signs on which to judge the diagnosis or clinical course of patients with acute abdominal conditions.

Butalbital and codeine are both habit-forming and potentially abusable. Consequently, the extended use of this combination product is not recommended.

Controlled Substance

Fioricet with Codeine is controlled by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is classified under Schedule III.

Abuse and Dependence

Butalbital

Barbiturates may be habit-forming: Tolerance, psychological dependence, and physical dependence may occur especially following prolonged use of high doses of barbiturates. The average daily dose for the barbiturate addict is usually about 1,500 mg. As tolerance to barbiturates develops, the amount needed to maintain the same level of intoxication increases; tolerance to a fatal dosage, however, does not increase more than twofold. As this occurs, the margin between an intoxication dosage and fatal dosage becomes smaller. The lethal dose of a barbiturate is far less if alcohol is also ingested. Major withdrawal symptoms (convulsions and delirium) may occur within 16 hours and last up to 5 days after abrupt cessation of these drugs. Intensity of withdrawal symptoms gradually declines over a period of approximately 15 days. Treatment of barbiturate dependence consists of cautious and gradual withdrawal of the drug. Barbiturate-dependent patients can be withdrawn by using a number of different withdrawal regimens. One method involves initiating treatment at the patient's regular dosage level and gradually decreasing the daily dosage as tolerated by the patient.

Codeine

Codeine can produce drug dependence of the morphine type and, therefore, has the potential for being abused. Psychological dependence, physical dependence, and tolerance may develop upon repeated administration and it should be prescribed and administered with the same degree of caution appropriate to the use of other oral narcotic medications.

Applies to acetaminophen / butalbital / caffeine / codeine: oral capsule

Along with its needed effects, acetaminophen / butalbital / caffeine / codeine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking acetaminophen / butalbital / caffeine / codeine:

• Confusion (mild)
• mental depression
• unusual excitement (mild)

• Bleeding or crusting sores on the lips
• chest pain
• convulsions
• fever with or without chills
• hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there)
• hive-like swellings on the eyelids, face, lips, or tongue
• hives, itching, or skin rash
• muscle cramps or pain
• red, thickened, or scaly skin
• sores, ulcers, or white spots in the mouth
• sore throat
• swollen or painful glands
• tightness in the chest
• troubled breathing

Get emergency help immediately if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur while taking acetaminophen / butalbital / caffeine / codeine:

• Anxiety (severe)
• cold and clammy skin
• confusion (severe)
• convulsions (seizures)
• dizziness, lightheadedness, drowsiness, or weakness (severe)
• excitement (severe)
• increased sleepiness in babies (more than usual)
• increased sweating
• irritability (severe)
• limpness (in babies)
• nausea or vomiting
• restlessness (severe)
• slow, fast, or irregular heartbeat
• slurred speech
• stomach cramps or pain
• swelling, pain, or tenderness in the upper abdomen or stomach area
• trembling or shaking of the hands or feet
• trouble sleeping (severe)
• unusually slow or troubled breathing

Some side effects of acetaminophen / butalbital / caffeine / codeine may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

• Bloated or "gassy" feeling
• dizziness or lightheadedness (mild)
• drowsiness (mild)
• nausea
• stomach pain (mild)
• vomiting

Applies to acetaminophen / butalbital / caffeine / codeine: oral capsule

General

The most frequently reported adverse events have included drowsiness, lightheadedness, dizziness, sedation, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and intoxicated feeling.[Ref]

Hepatic

Acetaminophen:
Frequency not reported: Liver failure[Ref]

Acute liver failure has been reported with acetaminophen use; many cases have been associated with use at doses in excess of 4 g/day, and often involving more than 1 acetaminophen-containing product.[Ref]

Respiratory

Common (1% to 10%): Shortness of breath
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Nasal congestion

Codeine:
Postmarketing reports: Respiratory depression including deaths[Ref]

Respiratory depression resulting in death has been reported in children who received codeine postoperatively following tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy. These children had evidence of being ultra-rapid metabolizers of codeine. Death has also been reported in nursing infants exposed to high levels of morphine in breast milk due to their breastfeeding mother being an ultra-rapid metabolizer of codeine.[Ref]

Hypersensitivity

Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Allergic reactions
Postmarketing reports: Anaphylaxis

Acetaminophen:
Postmarketing reports: Anaphylaxis[Ref]

Dermatologic

Several cases of dermatologic reactions including toxic epidermal necrolysis and erythema multiforme have been reported with butalbital/acetaminophen/caffeine.[Ref]

Butalbital/Acetaminophen/Caffeine/Codeine:
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Hyperhidrosis, pruritus
Frequency not reported: Toxic epidermal necrolysis, erythema multiforme

Acetaminophen:
Rare (less than 0.1%): Serious skin reactions such as acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and toxic epidermal necrolysis
Frequency not reported: Rash[Ref]

Psychiatric

Butalbital/Acetaminophen/Caffeine/Codeine:
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Agitation, euphoria

Caffeine:
Frequency not reported: Irritability, dependence[Ref]

Gastrointestinal

Common (1% to 10%): Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Dry mouth, difficulty swallowing, heartburn, flatulence, constipation[Ref]

Renal

Butalbital/Acetaminophen/Caffeine/Codeine:
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Diuresis

Caffeine:
Frequency not reported: Nephrotoxicity[Ref]

Hematologic

Acetaminophen:
Frequency not reported: Thrombocytopenia, agranulocytosis[Ref]

Cardiovascular

Butalbital/Acetaminophen/Caffeine/Codeine:
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Tachycardia

Caffeine:
Frequency not reported: Cardiac stimulation[Ref]

Nervous system

Butalbital/Acetaminophen/Caffeine/Codeine:
Common (1% to 10%): Drowsiness, lightheadedness, dizziness, sedation
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Headache, shaky feeling, tingly, fainting, numbness, seizures, mental confusion, excitement or depression due to intolerance

Caffeine:
Frequency not reported: Tremor

Opioids:
Frequency not reported: Serotonin syndrome (with concomitant serotonergic drugs)[Ref]

Other

Common (1% to 10%): Intoxicated feeling
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Fatigue, high energy, heavy eyelids, sluggishness, hot spells, fever, earache, tinnitus

Metabolic

Caffeine:
Frequency not reported: Hyperglycemia[Ref]

Musculoskeletal

Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Leg pain, muscle fatigue[Ref]

Endocrine

Opioids:
Frequency not reported: Adrenal insufficiency, androgen deficiency

Some side effects of Fioricet with Codeine may not be reported. Always consult your doctor or healthcare specialist for medical advice. You may also report side effects to the FDA.