phenobarbital vs progesterone

According to this portal's Publishing Organization, this page was last reviewed in August 2026 against our methodology. Figures and extracts on this site, including tables above 1,000 rows when the corpus is that large, are the publisher's responsibility.

Side-by-side comparison of phenobarbital and progesterone. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

Estradiol, Estrone Progesterone, and Other Steroidal Hormones Pretreatment with or concurrent administration of phenobarbital may decrease the effect of estradiol by increasing its metabolism.

Drug Class
phenobarbital Anticonvulsant (Barbiturate)
progesterone Progestogen Hormone
Type
phenobarbital Prescription
progesterone Prescription
Summary
phenobarbital

Phenobarbital is a medicine that can help control seizures and calm you down. It belongs to a class of drugs called barbiturates.

progesterone

Progesterone capsules contain a hormone that helps regulate your menstrual cycle and supports pregnancy. It is also used to prevent overgrowth of the uterine lining in women taking estrogen after menopause.

What It Treats
phenobarbital

This medicine is used to treat generalized and partial seizures. Seizures are caused by unusual electrical activity in the brain. Phenobarbital helps to reduce this activity and prevent seizures.

progesterone

Progesterone capsules are used to prevent the lining of the uterus from growing too much in women who have gone through menopause and are taking estrogen. This medicine is also used to restart menstrual periods that have stopped in women who are not pregnant or going through menopause. This condition is called secondary amenorrhea.

How It Works
phenobarbital

Phenobarbital works by slowing down the activity of your brain and nervous system. It increases the effects of a natural chemical in the body called GABA. This helps to reduce seizures and promote relaxation.

progesterone

Progesterone is a hormone naturally produced by your body. This medicine works by increasing progesterone levels in your body. This helps to regulate your menstrual cycle and protect the uterus.

Common Side Effects
phenobarbital
  • Drowsiness
  • Sedation
  • Lethargy
  • Vertigo
progesterone
  • Headache
  • Breast tenderness
  • Joint pain
  • Depression
  • Dizziness
FAERS Reports
phenobarbital
  • Seizure 1,534
  • Drug Interaction 635
  • Toxicity To Various Agents 621
  • Status Epilepticus 482
  • Multiple-Drug Resistance 442
progesterone
  • Headache 1,946
  • Fatigue 1,673
  • Pain 1,370
  • Nausea 1,362
  • Rash 903
Serious Warnings
phenobarbital

You should not take this medicine if you are allergic to barbiturates. Also, do not take it if you have a history of porphyria, severe liver problems, or breathing problems.

progesterone

Estrogen plus progestin therapy should not be used to prevent heart disease or dementia. Estrogen plus progestin may increase your risk of blood clots, stroke, heart attack, breast cancer, and dementia. Progesterone with estrogens should be prescribed at the lowest effective doses and for the shortest duration.

Pregnancy
phenobarbital

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Phenobarbital can harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking this medicine while breastfeeding.

progesterone

You should not take progesterone capsules if you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant. Talk to your doctor if you become pregnant while taking this medicine. It is not known if progesterone passes into breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of breastfeeding while taking this medicine.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

Compare phenobarbital with

How to Read This phenobarbital vs progesterone Comparison

phenobarbital is classified in the Anticonvulsant (Barbiturate) drug class, while progesterone sits within the Progestogen Hormone class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, phenobarbital has 3,714 submissions while progesterone has 7,254. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to phenobarbital makes your body break down progesterone faster than usual. this can make the progesterone treatment less effective.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for phenobarbital or progesterone.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.