Is Fioricet considered a narcotic or controlled substance?

Fioricet ( unless it says with codeine) is not a narcotic but it is considered a controlled substance in a few states because of the butalbital it contains. I have had a couple of doctors tell me it was controlled substance and not wanting to prescribe it to me. It helps more than anything else on my tension headaches and I don't know why they say that because I know for a fact it is not a controlled substance as of yet anyways!

I've been taking Fioricet 4/5 years and find it very helpful in relieving my tension headaches I find it all so very helpful that is not a schedule narcotic I hope it remains this way

It should be a controlled substance because of the butalbital,however, it is not a controlled substance. You can get a prescription that most people would have for a month at a time and in about a week or so you can go get it refilled without a problem at all. Some pharmacists will not refill it that quickly, put it this way I've never had a problem getting it refilled early, significantly early

The US government makes this confusing, and their scheduling is nonsensical. (as always).

New formulations of Fioricet (300mg acetaminophen, 50mg butalbital, 40mg caffeine) are scheduled CIII.

Old formulations of Fioricet (325mg acetaminophen, 50mg butalbital, 40mg caffeine) are NOT a controlled substance. 25mg more acetaminophen means it is not scheduled.

An easier answer: Fioricet CAPSULES are new formulation. The capsules are scheduled CIII.
Fioricet TABLETS are old formulation, and are NOT a controlled substance.

Hi, I was on Fioricet then Fioricet with codeine for a while but had to stop the medication, I was told it was giving me rebound headaches which is when they wanted me to stop taking them. So be very careful, Liz.

There is a form of Fioricet that has codeine in it. If you have plain Fioricet it doesnt have codeine but it does have butalbital which is a mild barbiturate and it can make you feel like you are a little drunk. Fioricet with codeine or Fioricet #3 has 30mg of codeine in it as well as all the other ingredients that plain Fioricet has and codeine is a Schedule 3 opioid (or narcotic). If you are unsure of which kind you have, you can ask your pharmacist. With both kinds, Fioricet and Fioricet #3, you should not drive or do any activities that require you to be alert until you know how you react to the medication so if it makes you feel woozy, you shouldnt perform any tasks that require you to be alert like drive.

Hello Rikceta,

Fioricet ( Butalbital / Acetaminophen / Caffeine ) is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act, and belongs to the drug class of analgesic combinations.

Acetaminophen belongs to the drug class of miscellaneous analgesics.

Butalbital is in a group of drugs called barbiturates. It relaxes muscle contractions involved in a tension headache.

Caffeine belongs to the drug class of CNS stimulants.

Read more at: https://www.drugs.com/fioricet.html