Patient/caregiver was educated on the side-effects of using Dantrolene as follows:

Respiratory depression

  1. Dantrolene intake can rarely lead to depression of respiratory center in the brain and consequently cause exacerbation of SOB, and difficult breathing.
  2. This risk with dantrolene can be even high when it is taken along with any other products and medications causing central nervous depression, such as, alcohol, antidepressants, antianxiety medications, and sedatives.
  3. Individuals with history of breathing disorders, such as, asthma, emphysema, and COPD, are at increased risk for presentation with severe debility due to respiratory arrest from dantrolene intake.

Cardiovascular side-effects

  1. Dantrolene use can result in fast and pounding heartbeat. Individuals with history of cardiac arrhythmias can be at increased risk for precipitation of arrhythmic episodes with dantrolene use.
  2. Individuals taking dantrolene 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.
  3. Hypotension and confusion, secondary to dantrolene intake, can contribute to significantly increased risk for fall and accidents.
  4. Pericardium is a membrane surrounding the heart. Chronic use of dantrolene can induce inflammation of the pericardium (pericarditis), resulting in swelling of the pericardium, fluid accumulation around the heart, palpitations of heart, and episodes of chest pain. In severe cases of pericarditis, the fluid accumulation around the heart can prevent the heart from filling with blood to capacity when the heart relaxes. Low filling volume inside the heart during relaxation of heart results in less volume of blood pumped out of the heart when the heart contracts. This contributes to less blood supply to vital organs, such as, brain, liver, and lungs, eventually compromising their function too. Compromised vital organ function can lead to episodes of low blood pressure, confusion, dizziness, severe shortness of breath, fatigue, and weakness.