mephobarbital (Mebaral)

Introduction

Tradename: Mebaral. DEA-controlled substance: class 4.

Indications

• tonic-clonic (grand-mal) seizures
• absence (petit-mal) seizures
• anxiety, apprehension

Dosage

• 32-200 mg PO TID
• children: 4-10 mg/kg/day PO divided BID-QID

Tabs: 32, 50, 100 mg.

Pharmacokinetics

metabolized to phenobarbital

elimination via liver

elimination via kidney

Adverse effects

• common (> 10%)
  • dizziness, lightheadedness, drowsiness, "hangover"
• less common (1-10%)
  • confusion, depression, unusual excitement, nervousness, constipation, faintness, headache, nausea/vomiting, insomnia, nightmares
• uncommon (< 1%)
  • agranulocytosis, rash, exfoliative dermatitis, hallucinations, hypotension, megaloblastic anemia, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, thrombocytopenia, thrombophlebitis, respiratory depression, angioedema, dependence

• drug adverse effects of psychotropic agents
• drug adverse effects of sedatives

Drug interactions

(see phenobarbital)

• drug interaction(s) of beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists with barbiturates

Laboratory

• mephobarbital in hair
• mephobarbital in meconium
• mephobarbital in stool
• mephobarbital in milk
• mephobarbital in urine

More general terms

• sedative/hypnotic (tranquilizer)
• barbiturate

Additional terms

• phenobarbital; PB; PHB (Luminal, Barbita, Solfoton)

Database

• PubChem: http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=8271