Skeletal Muscle Relaxants (Systemic)
Before Using This MedicineIn deciding to use a medicine,
the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will
do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For the skeletal muscle
relaxants, the following should be considered:
Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or
allergic reaction to any of the skeletal muscle relaxants or to carbromal,
mebutamate, meprobamate (e.g., Equanil), or tybamate. Also tell your health
care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods,
preservatives, or dyes.
Pregnancy - Although skeletal muscle relaxants have not been
shown to cause birth defects or other problems, studies on birth defects have
not been done in pregnant women. Studies in animals with metaxalone have not
shown that it causes birth defects.
Breast-feeding - Carisoprodol passes into the breast milk and may
cause drowsiness or stomach upset in nursing babies. It is not known whether
chlorphenesin, chlorzoxazone, metaxalone, or methocarbamol passes into the
breast milk. However, these medicines have not been reported to cause problems
in nursing babies.
Children - Studies with the skeletal muscle relaxants have been
done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing
use of these medicines in children with use in other age groups. However,
carisoprodol and chlorzoxazone have been used in children. They have not been
reported to cause different side effects or problems in children than they
do in adults.
Older adults - Many medicines have not been tested in older people.
Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they
do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in
older people. There is no specific information about the use of skeletal muscle
relaxants in the elderly.
Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used
together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together
even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to
change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking
a skeletal muscle relaxant, it is especially important that your health care
professional know if you are taking any of the following:
-
Alcohol or
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Central nervous system (CNS) depressants or
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Tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline [e.g., Elavil], amoxapine
[e.g., Asendin], clomipramine [e.g., Anafranil], desipramine [e.g., Pertofrane],
doxepin [e.g., Sinequan], imipramine [e.g., Tofranil], nortriptyline [e.g.,
Aventyl], protriptyline [e.g., Vivactil], trimipramine [e.g., Surmontil]) - The
chance of side effects may be increased
Other medical problems - The presence of other medical
problems may affect the use of a skeletal muscle relaxant. Make sure you tell
your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
-
Allergies, history of, or
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Blood disease caused by an allergy or reaction to any other medicine,
history of, or
-
Drug abuse or dependence, or history of, or
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Kidney disease or
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Liver disease or
-
Porphyria - Depending on which of the skeletal muscle relaxants
you take, the chance of side effects may be increased; your doctor can choose
a muscle relaxant that is less likely to cause problems
-
Epilepsy - Convulsions may be more likely to occur if methocarbamol
is given by injection
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