I am currently tapering from Fioricet. it's a combo med it has Tylenol 40mg of caffeine and 50mg of butalbital.I got my first script when I was having dental work.I wish I never took one!I have had many addictions alcohol (that was a bad one I went 2 detox 2x for that) then Percocet then Soma I was taking 18 a day I tapered off the Soma 1 pill a day and didn't feel anything. No withdrawal at all.I have been taking 6 Fioricets a day everyday for 2 years now.I finally went to my doctor the same one that helped me get off Percocet. got off Percocet by taking Suboxone. My doctor has me tapering from the Fioricet since I was taking 6 a day he told me I had to immediately drop to 4 pills a day for 1 week then 3 pills a day for 1 week then 2 pills a day for 1 week then 1 pill a day for 1 week. Then I'm done.I'm terrified.I found out that the half life of Fioricet is 4-6 hrs but the half life of butalbital is 35 hours.that scares me a lot because the half life is so long.oi believe that half life is when one half of the drug is out of your body and the other half is still in yours body. Is that the right definition of half life? Because if it is that means that it will take 70 hours to get all the butalbital out of my body.I'm wondering as I'm tapering ( right now I'm on my week of taking 3 pills a day) is the drug slowly coming out of my body ? I hope it is.I do suffer from very bad anxiety I take Xanax 2mg three times a day.and I have never abused the Xanax I no a lot of people do I never did because I never got high from it even the 1st time I took it.I also take Effexor for depression. It doesn't help me much. I used to take Zoloft. I have found that antidepressants don't seem to work to get rid of my depression.what scares me more then anything is that I'm afraid of having withdrawal.I'm afraid of having withdrawal seizures(I have never had a seizure in my life) and I'm scared that I'm going to have withdrawals like shaking from head to toe and not being able to talk and drooling. I have been reading a lot on the internet and I read tons of horror stories like some girl posted that he dad was in a hospital for 6 day for Fioricet and in the hospital detox he was having seizure convulsions shaking from head to toe talking to people that weren't there and wandering around. I no that sounds crazy and my doctor told me not 2 believe what I read on the internet because people can write whatever they want it doesn't mean its true.I'm 35 years old and I have had addiction problems for 15 yrs.my longest addiction was alcohol.I cry a lot because I have 2 stop and I'm honestly so, so scared. I'm also scared that after I'm off the Fioricet I won't feel normal anymore or that I will be a shaking nervous wreck unable to do anything or function like a regular person. My friends who is a nurse told me that nothing bad is going to happen when I'm off the Fioricet . And that I will feel normal.I hope she right.I talked to my mom she grew up in the 60s and she told me that I will be totally fine and that in the 60s and 70s tons of people took barbituates they were very popular back then where as now they r not that popular.that made me feel better since I feel so alone.I am happy I found this group. I desperately need to talk to people that understand and suffer from addiction like myself.I do have a few more questions 1st does this sound life a good tapering plan? Will I have any kind of withdrawal? Or will this be just like when I stopped and tapered off the Soma? I hope so as i didn't have any withdraw when I was done.does anyone no if my definition of half life is right? And regarding half life does the fact that butalbital has a half life of 35 hours mean that the butalbital is working in other words am I feeling the effects of it for 35 hours?and does that mean that after 70 hours when it is totally gone mean that it would take 70 hours for me to have withdrawal symptoms?I'm asking this because I don't no if I have the correct definition of half life? Also has any1 here tapered off of Fioricet? Sorry this is so long (I have so many questions and fears. There hasn't been 1 day since I started tapering that I haven't cried sometimes I cry for hours because I'm just so worried.please respond to this I would like to meet other people like myself who suffer with the horrors of addiction. Thank you for listening to me.
Please help tapering from Fioricet - I'm terrified! New here, please help me?
Question posted by hard2 on 16 July 2011
Last updated on 13 February 2022 by ethanboyle71
10 Answers
I personally was on it for 3 years. For some reason, back then (15 - 22 years ago) for me it was so easy to come off these drugs.
Therefore, it was a cold turkey - no side effects, no withdrawals... nothing.
But again, I only used for 2.5 to 3 years.
I have been taking Esgic Plus (Fioricet) for over 30 years. Rarely more than one per day. My doctor changed and the new one will not prescribe. Is he told me to taper on my own until I run out. No big deal to her at all. I wake every morning and as soon as my eyes open my body reacts like it’s needing something or lacking something. Severe anxiety and an almost skin crawling sensation. Can not function and I take 1/2 of a Fioricet and over the next hour I begin to calm down by about 50%. I’ve taken it for a very long time but only one per day. I know what you are going thru and sympathetic towards you. However, I’m not even sure this is my problem
Be patient. I had use Fioricet regularly since 1985, sometimes as many as 8 pills a day. I wanted to quit. I had been taking about 4-5 pills about 2 months ago. I reduced 1 pill per week, every 13-15 days. Got down to one per day, for about 13 days, then quit. It’s now been 32 days without any Fioricet, and without any complications. No seizures, no headaches, nothing. You can do it, if that’s what you want.
I use to take Fioricet for a few years. But I didn’t take as many as you did. I’m sure that is a possible side effect if your body is that addicted. I didn’t have any side effects other than feeling better and less headaches.
I am also looking for help/suggestions on how to get off fioricet. I've been on it for around 20 years for chronic headaches and migraines. It's the only thing that works. Mine doesn't have codein and I have never struggled with anoy other substances. I do need it for my headaches, but I find that I need it for stress and to sleep I think. I take it every day... maybe 6 per day and it's always on my mind (not sure how to explain that). I don't think I want to be without it totally because I would have no option for headaches. Maxalt doesn't work. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I completely understand always on the mind . How many do I have left , what if I run out ? How will I feel ..
Hello,
Maybe I can give you some hope. I have been on Fiorinal and Codeine for 30 years. It started out innocently enough but before I knew it, I was taking 6 a day. A year later I was able to obtain extra and for many, many, many years I was taking in excess of 14 a day. In 2014, I was not able to get extra and so I was limited to six a day. Many times I took more than that in a day. I would usually run completely out before I got my next prescription. Anyway, long story but on January 19, 2018 I finally started my taper plan. I had read on a forum that a doctor advised a taper plan very similar to yours. So I reduced to 4 a day. I did that for three weeks. The sixth day was the hardest for me. Well, every day was hard. The sixth day was the worst. On February 6, I reduced to three a day. Today is Day five of three. Three is very hard. I take a dose of NyQuil each night to sleep. I also used the strongest Excedrin when I have a headache. So, please, do not feel alone.
We can do this. I am reducing by one each month. Actually, when I reduce to two, I might do that for two months. Either way, I think we are going to find that we have a lot more energy when the drugs are out of our system. God bless.
Just wanted to know how you are with this withdrawal? Are you still off F? If so, how do you feel?
I have taken Fioricet for over 30!years got migraine headaches. In 2014 got hit by car, thrown 15 feet and had brain bleed. I had nothing for pain, so I just kept taking more. I tapered off over a 6 month period. I took the last dose over a month ago and for the last three weeks, I am struggling with anxiety, depression and feeling completely disconnected from life. I work, but not focused. I read that it can take brain up to a year to adjust. I spend weekends in bed. It is miserable. I have just started a antidepressant and taking Ativan. Is there anything else that would help.
35hrs is how long the butalbital which is a barbiturate and that's what is so deadly about it. half life is This is the period of time required for the concentration or amount of drug in the body to be reduced by one-half. We usually consider the half life of a drug in relation to the amount of the drug in plasma. A drug's plasma half-life depends on how quickly the drug is eliminated from the plasma. after 35hrs the potent part of the medication is dissipated. and all is clear from the body.
Dear Hard2, I am going to leave you in LaurieShay's capable hands and extreme experience. She is better qualified for absolute sure about this problem. I am just a hairdresser, but used suboxone and did all the subs therapy, I know nothing about fiorcet. I am so sorry. I will keep you in my Prayers. Pattishan
Ohhh Patti O'Furniture,
Thou art so much more than "just a hairdresser"... are thou not the BP Wizardress Czarina??
ummmmmmm sorry, I am a bit bored and worried about Mary too!!!
SL
Haha, I meant as opposed to having true medical experience. But thank y'all for the vote of confidence.
I too am doing this, coming off of Fioricet. I was on 90 per month... yes thats 3 times a day. I was there for nearly 5 years. I finally decided, on my own, enough is enough. They keep the headaches away that is for sure. on the other hand, I suffer from PTSD so the FEAR of them damaging my liver, outweighed my headaches... sooo... About two weeks ago, I decided to only take them AS NEEDED! WHEW! The last couple of weeks have been filled with panic attacks and check pains, from the panic attacks. I have had plenty of upset stomach and gas. Not to mention the occasional dizzy spell. All this before I stopped to think it COULD BE WHAT I AM DOING WITH FIORICET! Well, anyway, Im not out of the woods yet. I have been taking one or two a day, mostly 1... Not bad, but borderline im sure. After reading up on this, should I continue with one or two a day or since it has been two weeks already, go with one and tough it out? EXPERT OPINIONS WELCOMED!!!
Hey hard2,
First let me try to explain how half life works. The half life period is the amount of time it takes half of the dose to leave the body, leaving the other half which will take another half life period for half of the half to leave the body ( so a fourth), then it will take another half life period for half of the fourth to leave the body (so an eighth), etc. So if the half life is 35 hours then it will take 35 hours for half the dose to leave the body, another 35 hours for half of the remaining half to leave the body, then another 35 hours for half of the fourth to leave the body, etc. I know that is difficult to understand but the bottom line is with the half life being 35 hours it is going to take upwards of a week for the butalbital to be out of your body after the last dose taken. All that being shared, you are on a good taper plan and really need to not worry. The anxiety will be controlled by the Xanax.
It is going to be a few more weeks before you have to give the fioricet up altogether so try to let it go for now and take it one day at a time.
We are here for you,
Laurie
Hi again Hard2,
I just want you to know, you are NOT alone in this struggle! Many of us on this site have had, or are having addiction issues.
I've not had a problem with Fioricet before, I've taken it a few times in the last fifteen years but that's it.
I did, however, do a cold turkey withdrawal off of prescribed OxyContin, and a picnic it was not. But opiate WD and barbiturate WD are like comparing apples to oranges I suppose.
Your taper plan sounds like a wise choice to me. Laurie Shay is very good at taper plans, and she will probably see your Q tomorrow, so hopefully she can give you some back up on that.
I'd like to ask you something... is it possible that you are making your taper worse by anticipating something horrible that may NEVER happen? Just a thought, and not a judgement!!!
Please think about this, and answer if you are up to it?
Your friend,
Hi,just wanted to know how's the easy way to taper off fioricet
How did it go? Any advice in hindsight?
Ices what were you going to suggest??
Related topics
fioricet, withdrawal, addiction, tapering
Further information
- Fioricet uses and safety info
- Fioricet prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Fioricet (detailed)
Similar questions
Search for questions
Still looking for answers? Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question.
