Studies with stable isotopes II: Phenobarbital pharmacokinetics during monotherapy.

Six healthy adults receiving no other medications were given tracer doses of 90 mg of stable isotope-labeled phenobarbital (PB) intravenously before, and four weeks after, and 12 weeks after beginning therapy. Serum samples were collected for 96 hours after each injection, and the concentration of stable isotope-labeled PB in each sample was determined by gas chromatographic mass spectrometry. The volume of distribution, elimination half-life, and total clearance of PB did not differ significantly on any of the three occasions measured. Phenobarbital clearance did not correlate significantly with total PB serum concentration. Clearances determined from single-dose studies before beginning PB therapy accurately predicted steady-state PB serum concentrations. Therefore, it is not necessary to adjust PB dosage for time-dependent or dose-dependent changes in clearance during monotherapy. In addition, clearance or serum concentration determined at one dosing rate directly predicts serum concentration at another dosing rate.