Jean,

Fioricet is a compound of butalbital (a barbiturate), acetaminophen, and caffeine. It cannot abort a Migaine. It's a pain medication used to mask pain for a few hours.

Fioricet has a huge potential to cause medication overuse headaches, aka rebound, if used more than two or three days a week. For more information on this, see Medication Overuse Headache - When the Remedy Backfires.

An additional problem with Fioricet is that if you've been using it frequently for a period of time (as you have), you should NOT just discontinue it because doing so has a slight chance of causing problems including seizures. You need to call your doctor and get his assistance discontinuing this medication.

Since you listed this question in the category "Migraine Medications," I'm assuming that you're taking Fioricet for Migraines. Is there a reason your doctor prescribed it rather than a Migraine abortive medication such as Imitrex, Maxalt, or the others? This article may be of use to you -- Preventive, Abortive, and Rescue Medications -- What's the Difference? If you're having frequent Migraines, it's also time to talk with your doctor about prevention.

Good luck,

Teri