Patient/caregiver was educated on precautions to be exercised while taking chlorzoxazone as follows:
- Do not take chlorzoxazone along with alcohol, opioid pain medications, such as, hydrocodone and codeine, antipsychotic medications, antidepressant medications, anti-seizure medications, muscle relaxants, antihistamines, OTC cough syrups, and any other medications that carry a risk for depression of the central nervous system and the respiratory center, resulting in episodes of dizziness, confusion, difficulty breathing, and respiratory arrest. The individual influence of these medications on respirations and central nervous system can get added up, thus leading to severe respiratory depression, confusion, coma, and can even be fatal.
- Chlorzoxazone, especially when taken in high doses, can lead to depression of respiratory center in the brain, exacerbation of SOB, and difficulty breathing. Low oxygen levels in the body with elevated carbon-di-oxide levels can contribute to altered levels of consciousness, sedation, slow & shallow breathing, severely compromised endurance and exercise tolerance, extreme fatigue, and development of seizures. Severe cases might also lead to emergency situations, such as, respiratory arrest and can result in serious debility and death. This risk with chlorzoxazone can be even high when it is taken along with any other products and medications causing central nervous and respiratory depression, such as, alcohol, opioid pain medications, antidepressants, antianxiety medications, and sedatives. Chlorzoxazone could either be avoided for a safer alternative or used with extra caution with close watch for symptoms of respiratory failure in individuals with history of breathing issues, such as, asthma and COPD, to prevent development of any episodes of severe SOB and respiratory arrest.
- Chlorzoxazone use can also result in fast and pounding heartbeat. Individuals with history of cardiac arrhythmias can be at increased risk for precipitation of arrhythmic episodes with chlorzoxazone use and must be increasingly watchful to report worsening symptoms of arrhythmias, such as, chest pain, low blood pressure, confusion, dizziness, increasing shortness of breath, and worsening fatigue. Hypotension and irregular heartbeat, secondary to chlorzoxazone intake, can contribute to the confusion and dizziness, thus significantly increasing the risk for fall and accidents. Chlorzoxazone could best be avoided for a safer alternative or used with extra caution with close watch for symptoms of worsening arrhythmias in individuals with history of the same.
