INDICES> changing from primidone to phenobarb

["Joe Talmud" <jtalmud@uctgsh1.uct.ac.za>]

INDICES>changing from primidone to phenobarb
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Greetings.

Primidone is no longer available in South Africa and we have to
convert all those patients still taking primidone to phenobarbitone?
We don't put new patients onto phenobarb anymore, but there are still
some around as its very cheap and still works well.

One of our suggestions is to give 50% of the primidone dose (usually
250mg)  together with 45mg phenobarb and again after a week or so
stop the primidone and give the full phenobarb dose (90mg/day)

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Joe Talmud
Drug Information Pharmacist
Medicines Information Centre
Dept Pharmacology, University of Cape Town Med School
K Floor, Old Main Building, Groote Schuur Hospital,
Observatory 7925
South Africa
Phone 021-4066427 Fax 27 21 4480503
e-mail  jtalmud@uctgsh1.uct.ac.za


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