Patient/caregiver was educated on precautions to be exercised while taking dantrolene as follows:
- Dantrolene use can result in episodes of confusion, dizziness, and light-headedness. Starting the medication at a low dose and gradually increasing the dose, to help optimum control of your symptoms, can contribute to reducing the risk for drowsiness and dizziness due to the medication. Do not change the prescribed dose on this medication without consulting your physician. The dizziness should progressively decrease and ease out in due course of time. If the dizziness continues/worsens and becomes bothersome, report it to your physician and other health care personnel, for any change in plan of care to be considered. Stay away from activities, such as, driving and operating heavy machinery, until you are used to the side effects caused by dantrolene intake. Observing compliance with use of recommended assistive devices, such as, cane and walker can further safety during confused states. Avoiding quick changes in position can also contribute towards fall and accident prevention.
- Do not take dantrolene with alcohol or opioid pain medications, such as, hydrocodone and codeine, as these products can add to the dizziness and confusion caused by dantrolene. A number of OTC cough medications, antihistamines, antiseizure, antidepressant, and antianxiety medications, can potentiate the confusion caused by dantrolene and so, must be avoided taking along with dantrolene. Avoid taking any other medications with potential to cause drowsiness along with dantrolene at the same time.
- Calcium channel blockers, such as, nifedipine, verapamil, and amlodipine, are drugs used to treat conditions like HTN, arrhythmias, and heart failure. Concurrent administration of these drugs with dantrolene can result in life-threatening arrhythmias and cardiac arrest, and so, must be avoided. Check with your physician regarding any safer alternatives for calcium channel blockers to avoid these dire consequences. Dantrolene could potentially interact with a lot of other medications and precipitate serious reactions. If you are being newly started on dantrolene, discuss with your physician regarding all your current medications and their safety with dantrolene. Also, notify your physician regarding any current dantrolene intake, if you are being started on any new medications and discuss their safety with dantrolene.
- Your physician could change the dose of dantrolene, based on the response you show, relief obtained, and side-effects presented with. So, maintain compliance with follow-up physician appointments and be accommodative to the plan of dose changes, until you show an optimum response.
