Patient/caregiver was educated on the side-effects of using Paraflex as follows:
General allergic reactions
- Paraflex use can result in general allergic reactions, such as, skin rashes, hives, and itching.
- Some patients can present with symptoms of severe allergic and anaphylactic response with paraflex, such as, difficulty breathing, swelling of face, lips, throat, and tongue, with consequent difficulty breathing. Seek emergency medical help for such findings, especially with difficulty breathing, for any appropriate measures to be considered.
Gastrointestinal side-effects
- 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.
- Paraflex can also induce extreme constipation and abdominal distention, leading to functional intestinal obstruction and abdominal pain. Proper hydration measures and compliance with daily fluid intake recommendations can help with relief from constipation. If you experience any further bothersome constipation, report it to your physician for a recommendation on laxative/stool softener use. Observing compliance with fiber intake recommendations in the diet can also help with preventing episodes of constipation with the medication.
- Paraflex intake can contribute to gastrointestinal irritation and episodes of GI bleeding. Individuals can present with black tarry stools due to the blood from GI bleed getting partially digested before passing out into the stool. Individuals presenting with vomiting can show the GI bleed as coffee grounds in the vomit.
- Paraflex can also induce hepatic dysfunction and liver toxicity, leading to fatal liver failure. Individuals can present with symptoms of liver failure, such as, jaundice with yellowing of skin and eyes, itching of skin, upper right abdominal pain, abdominal distension, nausea and vomiting, confusion and disorientation, fluid retention in the body with swelling, and compromised appetite.
- Also, liver is the site of synthesis for blood clotting factors. In liver dysfunction, synthesis of clotting factors can be impaired leading to episodes of bleeding from the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts and bleeding episodes in the skin. Individuals with liver dysfunction can present with severe hemorrhages into the skin even from minor bruising, red tinged urine, fresh blood in the stool, or black tarry stool from partially digested blood in the intestines. Report any of these bleeding episodes to your physician immediately for appropriate measures to be considered.
