Drug interactions
Butalbital + Oxazepam
Severity: Major
Butalbital and Oxazepam: major interaction.
Last updated Sources: UK SmPC
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 and combined with a benzodiazepine can cause excessive drowsiness, impaired coordination and respiratory depression. Risk is higher with alcohol or other depressants or in older adults.
What this interaction means in plain words
Butalbital and Oxazepam can interact in a way that may be serious. Using them together is sometimes necessary, but it needs a deliberate decision by the prescriber, a plan for monitoring, and clear advice on the warning signs to watch for.
Why it happens
Additive CNS depression via GABA-A receptor potentiation.
What to do
Avoid regular concurrent use; if needed, use the lowest effective doses and monitor for sedation and breathing problems. Counsel patients to avoid driving and alcohol.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Does the benefit of taking both outweigh the risk in my case?
- Do I need any blood test, ECG or other check while on both?
- What early warning signs should I watch for, and what should I do if they appear?
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References
Other interactions of Oxazepam
- Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates + Oxazepam Contraindicated
- Oxazepam + Sodium oxybate Contraindicated
- Alfentanil + Oxazepam Major
- Amobarbital + Oxazepam Major
- Baclofen + Oxazepam Major
- Belladonna and opium + Oxazepam Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Butalbital with Oxazepam?
MediHelp rates the interaction as major. Butalbital and Oxazepam can interact in a way that may be serious. Using them together is sometimes necessary, but it needs a deliberate decision by the prescriber, a plan for monitoring, and clear advice on the warning signs to watch for. Butalbital is a barbiturate and combined with a benzodiazepine can cause excessive drowsiness, impaired coordination and respiratory depression. Risk is higher with alcohol or other depressants or in older adults.
How serious is the interaction between Butalbital and Oxazepam?
MediHelp rates it major, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Avoid regular concurrent use; if needed, use the lowest effective doses and monitor for sedation and breathing problems. Counsel patients to avoid driving and alcohol.
What other medicines interact with Oxazepam?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Oxazepam with, for example, Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates, Sodium oxybate, Alfentanil. The full list is on the Oxazepam page.
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