Butisol Sodium (Oral)

Generic name:butabarbital (oral route) [ bue-ta-BAR-bi-tal-SOE-dee-um ]
Drug class:Barbiturates

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Feb 20, 2022.

Commonly used brand name(s)

In the U.S.

• Butisol Sodium

Available Dosage Forms:

• Tablet

Therapeutic Class: Sedative

Pharmacologic Class: Butabarbital

Uses for Butisol Sodium

Butabarbital is used to treat insomnia (trouble sleeping). It is also used before a surgical procedure to make a person sleep (be unconscious).

Butabarbital belongs to the group of medicines called barbiturates. They act in the central nervous system (CNS) to slow down the nervous system. When used to treat insomnia, butabarbital will help you get to sleep faster and sleep throughout the night. In most cases, sleep medicines should only be used for short periods of time, such as 1 or 2 days, and for no longer than 1 or 2 weeks.

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

Before using Butisol Sodium

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of butabarbital in children when used before a surgical procedure. However, safety and efficacy have not been established in children to treat insomnia.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of butabarbital in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more sensitive to the effects of this medicine and are more likely to have age-related liver or kidney problems, which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving this medicine.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Interactions with medicines

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are presc...