Drug interactions
Butalbital + Chlorpheniramine
Severity: Moderate
Butalbital and Chlorpheniramine: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Both drugs depress the central nervous system, so taking them together can produce more drowsiness, impaired psychomotor performance and reduced alertness than either alone. This matters for driving and for older or frail patients.
What this interaction means in plain words
Butalbital and Chlorpheniramine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Additive CNS depression from sedating H1-antihistamine activity and barbiturate GABA-A potentiation.
What to do
Warn the patient about drowsiness and advise against driving or operating machinery until the response is known. Avoid alcohol and other sedatives, and consider a non-sedating antihistamine if one is needed.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Chlorpheniramine
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Butalbital with Chlorpheniramine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Butalbital and Chlorpheniramine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Both drugs depress the central nervous system, so taking them together can produce more drowsiness, impaired psychomotor performance and reduced alertness than either alone. This matters for driving and for older or frail patients.
How serious is the interaction between Butalbital and Chlorpheniramine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Warn the patient about drowsiness and advise against driving or operating machinery until the response is known. Avoid alcohol and other sedatives, and consider a non-sedating antihistamine if one is needed.
What other medicines interact with Chlorpheniramine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Chlorpheniramine with, for example, Belladonna and opium, Benzhydrocodone / acetaminophen, Brexanolone. The full list is on the Chlorpheniramine page.
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