Patient/caregiver was educated on precautions to be exercised while taking skelaxin as follows:
- Skelaxin use, especially in individuals with history of mood disorders, can occasionally result in exacerbation of mania and depressive symptoms, changes in behavior, hallucinations, and compromised sexual drive. Skelaxin must either be avoided for an alternative or used with extra caution in individuals with such history, to prevent exacerbation of mood disorders. Closely watching for the therapeutic response and developing side-effects, with timely reporting the findings to the physician, can allow appropriate changes in the dose of skelaxin and plan of care. This can help with better management of your condition and avoid risk for worsening of behavioral and mood disorders.
- Serotonin is one chemical in the brain, which in permissible amounts, is believed to reduce anxiety and promote happiness and well-being. Very excessive concentrations of serotonin in the brain can lead to serotonin syndrome. Individuals with serotonin syndrome can present with mania, excitement, hallucinations, agitation, insomnia, pounding heartbeat, very rapid heart rate, overactive reflexes, and diarrhea. Use of skelaxin, especially along with a few other antidepressants, such as, citalopram, fluoxetine, and sertraline, can result in dangerously elevated serotonin in the blood, leading to development of serotonin syndrome, and so, is contraindicated.
- Skelaxin could potentially interact with a lot of other medications and precipitate serious reactions. If you are being newly started on skelaxin, discuss with your physician regarding all your current medications and their safety with skelaxin. Also, notify your physician regarding any current skelaxin intake, if you are being started on any new medications and discuss their safety with skelaxin.
- Skelaxin must be avoided for a safer alternative or used with extra caution in individuals with history of severe head injury and brain damage. Individuals with history of head injury and brain damage can be at a high risk to present with severe depression of brain and associated respiratory centers with skelaxin, leading to complications such as, coma, breathing difficulty, and respiratory arrest, which can be fatal. Individuals must notify the physician regarding history of head injuries and brain damage, if any, to discuss their safety with skelaxin intake.
