Healthy Skepticism Library item: 2412
Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.
Publication type: Journal Article
Romero CE, Baron JD, Knox AP, Hinchey JA, Ropper AH.
Barbiturate withdrawal following Internet purchase of Fioricet.
Arch Neurol 2004 Jul; 61:(7):1111-2
http://archneur.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/61/7/1111
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: The Internet enables businesses to advertise their pharmaceutical products and services without medical supervision. The Internet also allows for the unsupervised purchase of medications that may have neurologic consequences. OBJECTIVE: To describe acute withdrawal delirium following the abrupt discontinuation of Fioricet. PATIENT: The patient was a 37-year-old woman with a history of depression and migraine headaches but not drug abuse. She developed a florid withdrawal delirium following the discontinuation of a drug she purchased online. The medication, which contained butalbital, was self-administered in escalating doses for the treatment of chronic headaches. Daily doses of up to 750 mg to 1000 mg were reported. RESULTS: The patient was admitted to the hospital for the treatment of unexplained seizures that were followed by several days of an intense withdrawal syndrome. Little improvement was noted after the administration of benzodiazepines and phenothiazine. After parenteral phenobarbital administration, her symptoms resolved. CONCLUSIONS: The withdrawal state from barbiturates is similar to that from ethanol. Tolerance can develop with prolonged abuse, leading to escalating drug doses to achieve the desired effect. The suggested management of both types of withdrawal syndromes is similar, but the relative resistance of the behavioral and autonomic features in patients was remarkable. Physicians should be aware of the ease with which medications can be purchased without supervision from Internet pharmacies. The magnitude of the number of drugs that are made available through this means creates a proclivity to withdrawal states.
Keywords:
Publication Types:
Case Reports
MeSH Terms:
Acetaminophen/adverse effects*
Acetaminophen/economics
Adult
Barbiturates/adverse effects*
Barbiturates/economics
Caffeine/adverse effects*
Caffeine/economics
Drug Combinations
Female
Humans
Internet/economics*
Substance Withdrawal Syndrome/diagnosis*
Substances:
Barbiturates
Drug Combinations
Acetaminophen
Fioricet
Caffeine
barbituric acid
