Drug interactions
Butalbital + Doxylamine
Severity: Moderate
Butalbital and Doxylamine: 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
Butalbital is a barbiturate in headache combinations and doxylamine is a sedating antihistamine. Their combination can cause pronounced drowsiness, dizziness and impaired thinking, and may depress breathing at higher doses.
What this interaction means in plain words
Butalbital and Doxylamine 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 via GABA-A potentiation and central H1 receptor blockade.
What to do
Avoid concurrent use where possible and monitor for oversedation. Advise patients not to drive or use alcohol.
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 Doxylamine
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Butalbital with Doxylamine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Butalbital and Doxylamine 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. Butalbital is a barbiturate in headache combinations and doxylamine is a sedating antihistamine. Their combination can cause pronounced drowsiness, dizziness and impaired thinking, and may depress breathing at higher doses.
How serious is the interaction between Butalbital and Doxylamine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Avoid concurrent use where possible and monitor for oversedation. Advise patients not to drive or use alcohol.
What other medicines interact with Doxylamine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Doxylamine with, for example, Belladonna and opium, Benzhydrocodone / acetaminophen, Brexanolone. The full list is on the Doxylamine page.
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