How to Use

For diseaseds taking the extended-release capsule or tablet form of this drug:

• These capsules or tablets are to be swallowed whole. Do not break, crush, or chew before swallowing.

For diseaseds using the rectal suppository form of this drug:

• To insert the suppository: First remove the foil wrapper and moisten the suppository with cold water. Lie down on your side and use your finger to push the suppository well up into the rectum.
• Wash your hands with soap and water.

Use this drug only as directed by your family doctor . Do not use more of it, do not use it more often and do not use it for a longer time than your family doctor ordered. If too much is using, it may become habit-forming - causing mental or physical dependence.

If you think this drug is not help you after you have taken it for a few weeks, do not increase the dose . To do so may increase the risk of your becoming dependent on the drug. Instead, check with your family doctor.

If you are taking this drug for epilepsy, it must be taken every day in regularly spaced doses as ordered by your family doctor in order for it to control your seizures . This is necessary to keep a constant amount of drug in the blood. To help keep the amount constant, do not miss any doses.

Dosage

The number of capsules, tablets, or teaspoonfuls of elixir that you take, the number of suppositories you use, or the number of injections you receive depends on the strength of the drug. Always the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses and the length of time you take the drug depend on the medical problem for which you are taking barbiturates .

For amobarbital
• For oral dosage form - tablets or capsules:
  • For trouble in sleeping:
    • Adults 65 to 200 milligrams - mg at bedtime.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • For daytime sedation:
    • Adults 50 to 300 mg, taken in smaller doses during the day.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 2 mg per kilogram - kg - 0.9 mg per pound of body weight taken three times a day.
  • For sedation before surgery:
    • Adults 200 mg taken one to two hours before surgery.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 2 to 6 mg per kg - 0.9 to 2.7 mg per pound of body weight, taken before surgery. However, the dose is usually not more than 100 mg.
  • For sedation during labor:
    • Adults 200 to 400 mg every one to three hours if needed. However, the total dose is usually not more than 1000 mg.
• For injection dosage form:
  • For trouble in sleeping:
    • Adults 65 to 200 mg, injected into a muscle or vein.
    • Children up to 6 years of age Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 2 to 3 mg per kg - 0.9 to 1.4 mg per pound of body weight, injected into a muscle.
    • Children 6 years of age and over Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 2 to 3 mg per kg - 0.9 to 1.4 mg per pound of body weight, injected into a muscle, or 65 to 500 mg injected into a vein.
  • For daytime sedation:
    • Adults 30 to 50 mg two or three times a day, injected into a muscle or vein.
  • For sedation before surgery:
    • Children Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 3 to 5 mg per kg - 1.4 to 2.3 mg per pound of body weight or 65 to 500 mg per dose, injected into a vein.
  • For control of seizures:
    • Adults and children 6 years of age and over 65 to 500 mg per dose, injected into a vein.
    • Children up to 6 years of age Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 3 to 5 mg per kg - 1.4 to 2.3 mg per pound of body weight, injected into a muscle or vein.

For aprobarbital
• For oral dosage form - elixir:
  • For trouble in sleeping:
    • Adults 40 to 160 milligrams - mg at bedtime.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • For daytime sedation:
    • Adults 40 mg three times a day.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.

For butabarbital
• For oral dosage form - elixir or tablets:
  • For trouble in sleeping:
    • Adults 50 to 100 milligrams - mg at bedtime.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • For daytime sedation:
    • Adults 15 to 30 mg three or four times a day.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 2 mg per kilogram - kg - 0.9 mg per pound of body weight three times a day.
  • For sedation before surgery:
    • Adults 50 to 100 mg sixty to ninety minutes before surgery.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 2 to 6 mg per kg - 0.9 to 2.7 mg per pound of body weight. However, the dose is usually not more than 100 mg.

For mephobarbital
• For oral dosage form - tablets:
  • For daytime sedation:
    • Adults 32 to 100 milligrams - mg three or four times a day.
    • Children 16 to 32 mg three or four times a day.
  • For control of seizures:
    • Adults 200 to 600 mg a day, taken in smaller doses during the day.
    • Children up to 5 years of age 16 to 32 mg three or four times a day.
    • Children 5 years of age and over 32 to 64 mg three or four times a day.

For metharbital
• For oral dosage form - tablets:
  • For control of seizures:
    • Adults At first, 100 milligrams - mg one to three times a day. Your family doctor may increase your dose if needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 800 mg a day.
    • Children 50 mg one to three times a day.

For pentobarbital
• For oral dosage form - elixir or capsules:
  • For trouble in sleeping:
    • Adults 100 milligrams - mg at bedtime.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • For daytime sedation:
    • Adults 20 mg three or four times a day.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 2 to 6 mg per kilogram - kg - 0.9 to 2.7 mg per pound of body weight per day.
  • For sedation before surgery:
    • Adults 100 mg before surgery.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 2 to 6 mg per kilogram - 0.9 to 2.7 mg per pound of body weight, taken before surgery. However, the dose is usually not more than 100 mg.
• For injection dosage form:
  • For trouble in sleeping:
    • Adults 150 to 200 mg, injected into a muscle. Or, 100 mg injected into a vein, with additional small doses given if needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 500 mg.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 2 to 6 mg per kg - 0.9 to 2.7 mg per pound of body weight, injected into a muscle. Or, 50 mg injected into a vein, with additional small doses given if needed.
  • For sedation before surgery:
    • Adults 150 to 200 mg, injected into a muscle.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 2 to 6 mg per kg - 0.9 to 2.7 mg per pound of body weight, injected into a muscle. However, the dose is usually not more than 100 mg.
  • For control of seizures:
    • Adults At first, 100 mg injected into a vein. Additional small doses may be given if needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 500 mg.
    • Children At first, 50 mg injected into a muscle or vein. Additional small doses may be given if needed.
• For rectal dosage form - suppositories:
  • For trouble in sleeping:
    • Adults 120 to 200 mg inserted into the rectum at bedtime.
    • Children up to 2 months of age Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
    • Children 2 months to 1 year of age 30 mg inserted into the rectum at bedtime.
    • Children 1 to 4 years of age 30 or 60 mg inserted into the rectum at bedtime.
    • Children 5 to 12 years of age 60 mg inserted into the rectum at bedtime.
    • Children 12 to 14 years of age 60 or 120 mg inserted into the rectum at bedtime.
  • For daytime sedation:
    • Adults 30 mg inserted into the rectum two to four times a day.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 2 mg per kg - 0.9 mg per pound of body weight, inserted into the rectum three times a day.
  • For sedation before surgery:
    • Children up to 2 months of age Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
    • Children 2 months to 1 year of age 30 mg inserted into the rectum.
    • Children 1 to 4 years of age 30 or 60 mg inserted into the rectum.
    • Children 5 to 12 years of age 60 mg inserted into the rectum.
    • Children 12 to 14 years of age 60 or 120 mg inserted into the rectum.

For phenobarbital
• For oral dosage form - elixir, capsules, or tablets:
  • For trouble in sleeping:
    • Adults 100 to 320 milligrams - mg at bedtime.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • For daytime sedation:
    • Adults 30 to 120 mg a day, taken in smaller doses two or three times during the day.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 2 mg per kilogram - kg - 0.9 mg per pound of body weight three times a day.
  • For sedation before surgery:
    • Children Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 1 to 3 mg per kg - 0.45 to 1.4 mg per pound of body weight.
  • For control of seizures:
    • Adults 60 to 250 mg a day.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 1 to 6 mg per kg - 0.45 to 2.7 mg per pound of body weight a day.
• For injection dosage form:
  • For trouble in sleeping:
    • Adults 100 to 325 mg, injected into a muscle or vein, or under the skin.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • For daytime sedation:
    • Adults 30 to 120 mg a day, injected into a muscle or a vein, or under the skin, in smaller doses two or three times during the day,
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • For sedation before surgery:
    • Adults 130 to 200 mg, injected into a muscle sixty to ninety minutes before surgery.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 1 to 3 mg per kg - 0.45 to 1.4 mg per pound of body weight, injected into a muscle or vein sixty to ninety minutes before surgery.
  • For control of seizures:
    • Adults 100 to 320 mg injected into a vein. The dose may be repeated if needed, but is usually not more than 600 mg a day. However, higher doses may be needed for certain types of continuing seizures.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor. At first, the usual dose is 10 to 20 mg per kg - 4.5 to 9 mg per pound of body weight, injected into a vein. Later, 1 to 6 mg per kg - 0.45 to 2.7 mg per pound of body weight a day, injected into a vein. Higher doses may be needed for certain types of continuing seizures.

For secobarbital
• For oral dosage form - capsules:
  • For trouble in sleeping:
    • Adults 100 milligrams - mg at bedtime.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • For daytime sedation:
    • Adults 30 to 50 mg three or four times a day.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 2 mg per kilogram - kg - 0.9 mg per pound of body weight three times a day.
  • For sedation before surgery:
    • Adults 200 to 300 mg one or two hours before surgery.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 2 to 6 mg per kg - 0.9 to 2.7 mg per pound of body weight one or two hours before surgery. However, the dose is usually not more than 100 mg.
• For injection dosage form:
  • For trouble in sleeping:
    • Adults 100 to 200 mg injected into a muscle, or 50 to 250 mg injected into a vein.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 3 to 5 mg per kg - 1.4 to 2.3 mg per pound of body weight, injected into a muscle. However, the dose is usually not more than 100 mg.
  • For sedation before dental procedures:
    • Adults Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 1.1 to 2.2 mg per kg - 0.5 to 1 mg per pound of body weight, injected into a muscle ten to fifteen minutes before the procedure.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your dentist.
  • For sedation before a nerve block:
    • Adults 100 to 150 mg, injected into a vein.
  • For sedation before surgery:
    • Children Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 4 to 5 mg per kg - 1.8 to 2.3 mg per pound of body weight, injected into a muscle.
  • For seizures from tetanus:
    • Adults Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 5.5 mg per kg - 2.5 mg per pound of body weight, injected into a muscle or vein. Dose may be repeated every three to four hours if needed.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 3 to 5 mg per kg - 1.4 to 2.3 mg per pound of body weight, injected into a muscle or vein.

For secobarbital and amobarbital combination
• For oral dosage form - capsules:
  • For trouble in sleeping:
    • Adults 1 capsule at bedtime.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • For sedation before surgery:
    • Adults 1 capsule taken one hour before surgery.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.

Missed dose If you are taking this drug regularly - for example, every day as in epilepsy and you do miss a dose, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage To store this drug:

• Keep out of the reach of children since overdose is especially dangerous in child.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store the capsule or tablet form of this drug in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the drug to break down.
• Keep the liquid form of this drug from freezing.
• Store the suppository form of this drug in the refrigerator.
• Do not keep outdated drug or drug no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded drug is out of the reach of children.