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Does Phenobarbital Interact with Phenytoin?

CDI records a moderate classification for Phenobarbital and Phenytoin. The stored summary is: Barbiturates have variable effects on phenytoin metabolism. Blood levels of both drugs should be monitored frequently during concurrent use. The mechanism involves variable effects on metabolism. Patients taking both medications should consult their healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing the dosage of either drug. This record was extracted from drug labeling through openFDA. NIH/NLM RxNorm is used for drug identities. The summary and severity classification are CDI's processed information, not a verbatim source quotation. Product, route, and patient circumstances matter.

Severity: Moderate
Phenytoin Class: Anti-epileptic Agent
Management: Monitor for effects
Data Source: U.S. FDA via OpenFDA

Recorded Mechanism

Variable effects on metabolism

What To Tell Your Doctor or Pharmacist

If you are taking Phenobarbital and your doctor is considering prescribing Phenytoin (or vice versa), make sure to:

Inform your doctor and pharmacist of all current medications, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements
Ask whether the benefits of combining these medications outweigh the risks for your specific situation
Ask what symptoms to watch for that would indicate the interaction is causing problems
Ask whether any dosage adjustments are needed
Never stop or change either medication without first consulting your healthcare provider

💊 Phenobarbital(Donnatal)+💊 Phenytoin(Phenytoin Infatabs)

Severity & Interaction Details

🟡

moderate

Be aware — moderate interaction

Documented interaction with manageable risk. May require dose adjustment or monitoring.

Severity scale

MinorContra

On record

Yes

Drug A class

—

Drug B class

Anti-epileptic Agent

Source

NLP:phenobarbital

What this means in plain English

Barbiturates have variable effects on phenytoin metabolism. Blood levels of both drugs should be monitored frequently during concurrent use.

About Phenobarbital and Phenytoin

Phenytoin is an Anti-epileptic Agent. Phenobarbital is also sold under the brand name Donnatal.

Source and Limitations

This record was produced by automated extraction from drug-label information, including AI processing. The summary and mechanism are not verbatim FDA quotations. The drug profiles below may describe different formulations from the source label. Confirm the exact product and route with your pharmacist. This page does not establish independent clinical review.

📖 Source: NLP:phenobarbital

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How this information is prepared: CDI uses automated extraction, including AI, to summarize drug labeling from openFDA and includes separately identified curated-reference records. RxNorm helps identify medications; it does not verify interaction claims. Extracted summaries and CDI severity classifications can contain errors and are not verbatim FDA statements or independent clinical review. Maintained by CheckDrugInteractions.com. See our methodology or report a correction at support@checkdruginteractions.com.

Data sourced from U.S. FDA drug labeling via openFDA and the NIH National Library of Medicine, supplemented with a small number of well-established interactions from curated clinical references. For informational purposes only. Always consult your pharmacist or physician.