Mysoline is a potent barbiturate drug used to treat severe seizure disorders. It’s also known by its generic name, primidone, and can also treat tremors, a nerve disorder that causes rhythmic shaking. The medication is strong enough to reduce abnormal electrical activity in the brain, making the conditions mentioned above manageable.
If you’re prescribed a medication like Mysoline, the experts at WebMD recommend that you keep constant levels of this medication in your system. You should always follow the instructions that a doctor gives you and take the drug at evenly spaced intervals. If you forget to take the medication or run out, it may lead to severe withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, sleep problems, twitching, and hallucinations. In many cases, Mysoline withdrawal can be severe and sometimes lead to seizures or death. For that reason, you should always be careful when using this drug.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that nearly 1.2 percent of the total United States population had epilepsy in 2015, affecting 3 million adults and 470,000 children. Although benzodiazepines are the most common form of treatment these days when it comes to epilepsy, barbiturates may be used by your physician in severe cases.
If a doctor prescribes a drug like Mysoline, it means they’ve exhausted all other resources. Mysoline is a last resort kind of drug because of its effectiveness in treating severe tremors or epilepsy. However, misusing the prescription and taking slightly more than you’re prescribed can lead to an overdose due to their potency. Barbiturates were largely phased out because of how addictive they are, which is why Mysoline is seldom prescribed anymore.
If a person is using and develops a chemical dependency or becomes addicted to the drug, Mysoline withdrawal is quite a challenge to overcome, especially if you’re alone. You can expect symptoms to be uncomfortable, but even more, they can lead to fatal outcomes if you don’t seek professional help. For this reason, you must seek the necessary channels to overcome this affliction. Professional addiction treatment in the form of medical detox can literally spell the difference between life and death.
What are Mysoline Withdrawal Symptoms?
Someone who ends their use of Mysoline abruptly or lowers their dose substantially will likely deal with withdrawal symptoms. The length of withdrawal and severity of symptoms will vary from one person to another and be based on sex, age, overall physical health, how long the person has used Mysoline if they use it in conjunction with other drugs, and the size of your last dose.
For example, a person who consumed substantial doses of Mysoline may experience fewer symptoms than someone who used the medication as prescribed due to these factors. For that reason, providing a definitive answer of how long or severe symptoms will be is a challenge.
Below is a generalized list of symptoms you can expect and include the following:
- Severe anxiety
- Stomach cramps
- Nausea and vomiting
- Irritability
- Fever
- Depression and severe mood swings
- Increased chance of severe seizures
- Seizures
- Severe depression
- Heart failure
- Hallucinations
- Death
As we described above, Mysoline withdrawal has the potential to be dangerous or even fatal if you don’t seek the right care. According to Medical News Today, 75 percent of those who withdraw from barbiturates will experience seizures. On top of that, another 66 percent could develop delirium that lasts for days.
Stages of Mysoline Withdrawal
If you seek the right care, your withdrawal symptoms will be eased with medications by addiction specialists and subside a few weeks after they start. The initial symptoms will take place within the first three days after you stop using Mysoline or cut down your dose. However, based on the factors we discussed above, there’s no definitive timeline for how long someone will experience these symptoms.
It’s vital to note that extremely uncomfortable symptoms like seizures, fatigue, and heart failure will accompany minor symptoms like drug cravings. The drug cravings are enough to push a person back to using Mysoline, which is why they should be in treatment. Relapsing after lowering your tolerance can also lead to an overdose.
Below is a generalized timeline for Mysoline withdrawal to help you understand what you might be facing.
- Days 1-3: The individual will be experiencing a host of withdrawal symptoms at this stage, and minor symptoms like nausea, vomiting, insomnia, and irritability will be noticeable at this point. At this stage of withdrawal, the brain is adapting to its electric chemistry and attempting to work without Mysoline, so it’s common to experience sudden and frequent mood changes. You will also notice distorted vision, weakness, dizziness, and hand tremors. Again, these symptoms will vary from one person to another. In some situations, anywhere from 16 hours to five days after the last dose, a person can have seizures or experience delirium. You should seek medical monitoring.
- Days 4-6: You’ll notice the symptoms decreasing in severity at this stage, although you’ll still encounter mood swings and insomnia. Anxiety can also be severe, especially in those who used barbiturates to treat a severe anxiety disorder. This is part of the experience and is normal, but if something doesn’t feel right, reach out for help immediately. You could still develop seizures.
- One week and beyond: By this point, it’s more than likely the severe symptoms will be a foregone conclusion. However, other symptoms can persist for weeks, months, or in the case of a severe user, up to a year from something known as post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS). This is a condition where withdrawal symptoms can persist once the acute stage concludes. In most cases, it’s severe enough to cause relapse, meaning medical detox and going through the continuum of care is necessary to help you cope with these changes and learn how to deal with them healthily.
Why Should I Detox?
At this point, you should understand the dangers associated with barbiturates and the damage they can cause during withdrawal. You should understand the value of seeking professional help and what it can do, including that it can save your life. Quitting drugs abruptly is painful, but in the case of barbiturates, it can lead to permanent damage, which isn’t the path you should want for yourself if you’re seeking sobriety. Barbiturates have largely been banned in the medical community because of their adverse effects during and after use. 
The intensity of withdrawals will be difficult to endure even with help, but it’ll be twice as hard as it has to be without it. Reaching out for medically assisted detox is the difference between failure and succeeding.
During a stay in a medical detox program, you’ll have round-the-clock access to a dedicated staff that ensures you’re safe from the moment you enter until the second you leave. Their focus is to keep you comfortable and provide you with medications to alleviate the worst of the withdrawal symptoms. Since it’s an unpredictable task to face, being in the presence of doctors will give you mental comfort in the event a seizure or something dangerous occurs. Your chances of remaining sober in the long-term increase dramatically when you have support.
What Is the Next Treatment Step?
Although detox to treat Mysoline withdrawal is a significant step, it won’t be enough to achieve long-term and meaningful sobriety. If you’re looking to change your life, you must spend at least 90 days for adequate care. A person struggling with Mysoline addiction must complete the continuum of care to give themselves a chance at being successful. While detox is enough to get you sober, it won’t teach you coping mechanisms to deal with triggers you’ll face outside the confines of treatment.
A person with a history of relapse or co-occurring disorders should consider residential treatment and live on-site with others on the same path to recovery. For others who may use treatment as a barrier to the help they need because it’ll remove them from obligations they must fulfill, outpatient treatment may be a better option. Outpatient treatment will satisfy the same therapy requirements and rigors of on-site care, but the client can head home once they complete their sessions.
No matter your needs, there’s an option for you to get the help you need. If you’ve been struggling with Mysoline addiction and fear withdrawals, be sure to pick up the phone today.
