Patient/caregiver was educated on how to take Baclofen as follows:
- Take the medication at the same time, every day, to avoid forgetting the medication. Taking the medication at regularly spaced intervals helps to maintain appropriate blood levels of baclofen needed to derive the desired beneficial effects and also prevent toxicity with the medication.
- Maintain strict compliance with intake of the medication as ordered, with regards to dosage and frequency, to derive the benefit of the medication.
- Do not change the dose on this medication without consulting your physician.
- This medication can induce some nausea and vomiting, especially when taken on empty stomach. Taking the medication with a glass of water and some food or snack can help avoid these unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms.
- Baclofen can induce severe dizziness and make one drowsy. 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. If the dizziness 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 baclofen intake.
- Do not take baclofen with alcohol or opioid pain medications, such as, hydrocodone and codeine, as these products can add to the dizziness and confusion caused by baclofen. A number of OTC cough medications, antihistamines, antiseizure, antidepressant, and antianxiety medications, can potentiate the confusion caused by baclofen and so, must be avoided taking along with baclofen. Avoid taking any other medications with potential to cause drowsiness along with baclofen at the same time.
- Baclofen could potentially interact with a lot of other medications and precipitate serious reactions. If you are being newly started on baclofen, discuss with your physician regarding all your current medications and their safety with baclofen. Also, notify your physician regarding any current baclofen intake, if you are being started on any new medications and discuss their safety with baclofen.
- Take the regular tablet as a whole with a glass of water. If you encounter difficulty swallowing the whole regular tablet, check with your doctor if you may cut the pill and swallow it in pieces with a glass of water. Usually tablets that can be cut bear a scoreline, displaying the line of cut. Check if your tablet has any. For individuals with severe swallowing difficulties, check with your doctor if you may also crush the tablet and sprinkle the powder on a spoonful of soft jelly or applesauce and swallow the jelly or sauce along with the medication. Other preparations of medication could also be available to help an easy intake. Check with your physician on the same.
- Baclofen could also be prescribed as an oral syrup/suspension, especially for individuals with swallowing difficulty. When taking baclofen as an oral syrup/suspension, use a measuring spoon/cup to measure the correct dose being taken, in order to avoid risk for over/under dosing. Also, do not forgot to shake the suspension well before you use it. This oral suspension can be concentrated and likely to precipitate unpleasant nausea and vomiting sensations. Mixing the concentrated liquid medication into a salad or snack and consuming it after gentle stirring for a few seconds can help avoid the unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms.
- Baclofen can take some time, about a week or two, to fairly adjust to your body, before any optimal relief with muscle spasms and easing of side-effects is experienced. So, do not discontinue taking the medication without your physician’s consult, as you failed to see the desired result immediately after taking the medication.
- Baclofen only helps with relieving muscle spasms, by inhibiting the conduction of nerve impulses from the spinal cord and to the skeletal muscles. Baclofen only temporarily relieves the spasms but does not fix the actual condition causing the muscle spasms and so, is not a permanent cure. Continue taking baclofen as ordered, even if you experience relief from muscle pain and spasms, until your physician orders for the discontinuation on the medication.
- Individuals on sudden withdrawal from baclofen, especially after prolonged use or use in high doses, can present with unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, such as, listlessness, lack of energy, exacerbation of depressive symptoms, anxiety, agitation, sleep disturbances, confusion, appetite changes, delusions, hallucinations, mania, bad muscle spasms, and seizures. Discontinuation on baclofen use must be slow and gradual, using tapering doses, and only on your physician recommendation.
- Your physician could change the dose of baclofen, 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.
- Notify your doctor of any unresolving muscle spasms, progressively worsening muscle pain and discomfort, compromised range of motion in the involved muscle groups, and any continuing or worsening unpleasant side-effects, so that, your dosage on the medication could be revised.
- While taking baclofen, periodical labs could be ordered for evaluation of kidney functions. So, maintain compliance with follow-up physician appointments and lab draws ordered. Be accommodative to the plan of dose changes to achieve an optimum response and prevent development of any undesired side-effects.
- If you miss a dose, try taking it at the earliest notice of noncompliance. If it is time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take the dose scheduled. Do not take an extra dose to try making up for the missed dose, which can result in toxicity. Notify your doctor and other health care personnel regarding your dose noncompliance.
