Mephobarbital
Pronunciation:mef-oh-BAR-bi-tal
Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number:115-38-8
Formal Names:Mebaral, Methylphenobarbital, Methylphenobarbitone
Type:Depressant (barbiturate class).Seepage 20
Federal Schedule Listing:Schedule IV (DEA no. 2250)
USA Availability:Prescription
Pregnancy Category:D
Uses.Mephobarbital has both sedative and anticonvulsant effects. Anticon-
vulsant properties make the drug a standard treatment for epilepsy. When
used for that condition, stoppage of the drug must be handled carefully lest
a person start having a streak of seizures one after another (a potentially fatal
condition called status epilepticus). Sedative qualities make mephobarbital an
effective tranquilizer, with users feeling lighthearted and mellow without get-
ting very sleepy. Men metabolize the drug faster than women do, meaning a
dose will last longer in women. After ingestion the drug metabolizes into
phenobarbital, which seems to be a more potent sedative. Health care prac-
titioners sometimes administer those two drugs together.
Drawbacks.In an experiment comparing mephobarbital to phenobarbital in
epileptic children, parents reported fewer unwanted behavioral effects with
mephobarbital, and some pediatricians agree with that observation. The most
typical behavior problem in such children is hyperactivity. A formal test com-
paring the two drugs, however, found no difference in either unwanted con-
duct or therapeutic power.
Mephobarbital is to be avoided if a person has porphyria, a disease reflect-
ing a body chemistry disorder and in which a person may be harmed by
exposure to light. The drug should also be avoided if a person has a muscle-
weakening disease called myasthenia gravis, or a thyroid deficiency causing
an affliction called myxedema.
Persons using this drug may need extra vitamin D, due to possible defi-
ciency that might be caused by faster metabolism of the vitamin.
Abuse factors.Not enough scientific information to report on tolerance, de-
pendence, withdrawal, and addiction.
Drug interactions.Taking mephobarbital with acetaminophen (Tylenol and
similar products) may promote liver injury. Mephobarbital can interfere with