Butalbital Addiction Symptoms and Treatment
Butalbital addiction is not something to turn a blind eye to. Learn more.
Butalbital addiction is largely unspoken about, primarily due to lack of education and awareness about the drug. Butalbital belongs to the barbiturate family, which are central nervous system depressants. Historically barbiturates were used for the treatment of anxiety and sleep disorders. However, due to their toxicity, they were often the cause of medicinal overdoses. Based on this, doctors began to stay away from prescribing these pharmaceuticals and replacing with "safer" drugs, such as those in the SSRI (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) family.
What is Butalbital
A type of barbiturate, Butalbital is often combined with other medications such as aspirin or paracetamol, and is used for treating general pain and headache. Particularly beneficial for migraine, Butalbital causes drowsiness, so is not recommended while working or driving.
Butalbital Addiction
Butalbital addiction is particularly dangerous due to it having both physical and psychological dependency qualities. Some of the addictive side effects include the following -
- Intoxication
- Light-headedness
- Sedation
- Euphoria
The real danger with addiction to Butalbital is that often, as a prescribed medication, a user can explain their requirement for it. It can be easier to hide its dependency than that of, say, an illicit substance. Some of the adverse symptoms of addiction to this drug are the following -
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Impaired judgement
- Memory loss
Particularly frightening is a rare side effect called Stevens-Johnson syndrome. This is a severe skin reaction that causes the skin to peel and blister. Complications of this reaction include dehydration, sepsis, pneumonia and even organ failure.
Butalbital Withdrawal
Given the awful ramifications of Butalbital addiction, treatment is highly recommended. Withdrawing should always be done in the safe hands of medical professionals, and easing withdrawal from butalbital is the ideal way to begin recovery. A cold turkey withdrawal approach can be extremely trying on the body, with side effects including-
- Hallucinations
- Seizures
- Muscle pains
- Sweating
- Insomnia
- Agitation
Withdrawal symptoms can last up to seven days and it can be an extremely unpleasant time. The greater period of use, the more intense that these symptoms will be. Some of the different types of detox that can be used to cease dependency in a medically controlled manner include -
- Rapid Drug Detox
- Inpatient Detox
- Gradual Detox
Gradual detox involves the controlled consumption of the drug, all the while tapering the dose. This aids in alleviating some of the nastiness of withdrawal side effects by making them less intense.
Inpatient Detox involves admittance to a rehab facility for medically supervised detox. This method is suitable for those who are in the grips of very intense addiction, and perhaps are not capable of detoxing without round-the-clock supervision. Often this form of detox involves a cold turkey approach. Due to the aggressiveness of this withdrawal, medical professionals need to be on hand always.
Rapid Detox involves the detoxification of drugs under anaesthesia. The presence of an aesthetic lessens the unpleasant side effects, thus enabling the patient to be more comfortable.
Choosing a detox option that is right for you or a loved one is very tough. Personal circumstances, depth of addiction and other environmental factors all contribute to a person's suitability to a withdrawal treatment. Going through Butalbital addiction can be horrendous for both the addict and the family, so getting help is imperative. Get help with Butalbital withdrawal treatment at a facility.