My Fioricet Experience

When you're in your 20s the only things you think about are boys, fashion and music. You go to parties, enjoy meeting new friends and have as many dreams as the Earth could hold. As a young girl, your health is important but sometimes you fail to notice certain things. For me, it was the headaches. They used to appear after all-night parties, intense studying or when I was really stressed. They felt more like a tension, sometimes pulsating in my temples and I often felt the muscles in my neck and shoulders contracting painfully. It was only after several years that I asked for medical advice and found out I suffered from tension headaches.

I was prescribed Fioricet, a combination between: butalbital (barbiturate with sedative properties), acetaminophen (anti-inflammatory drug with pain killing effect) and caffeine (stimulant of the central nervous system). The doctor said that I should take one or two tablets every 4 hours, depending on how intense the pain really was. He carefully warned me about the mental and physical dependence this drug can cause due to butalbital. He prescribed a maximum dosage of 6 pills per day and mentioned that the risk for substance abuse is increased with the dosage. I followed the treatment as prescribed, respecting the treatment schedule and always consulting with the doctor. For a while, it worked.