Patient/caregiver was educated on precautions to be exercised while taking metaxalone as follows:
- Metaxalone, especially when taken in high doses, can lead to depression of respiratory center in the brain, exacerbation of SOB, and difficulty breathing. Low oxygen levels in the body with elevated carbon-di-oxide levels can contribute to altered levels of consciousness, sedation, slow & shallow breathing, severely compromised endurance and exercise tolerance, extreme fatigue, and development of seizures. Severe cases might also lead to emergency situations, such as, respiratory arrest and can result in serious debility and death. This risk with metaxalone can be even high when it is taken along with any other products and medications causing central nervous and respiratory depression, such as, alcohol, opioid pain medications, antidepressants, antianxiety medications, and sedatives. Metaxalone must either be avoided for a better alternative or used with extra caution with close watch on breathing patterns in individuals with history of breathing issues, such as, asthma and COPD, to prevent development of any episodes of severe SOB and respiratory arrest. Notify your physician and seek emergency medical help for any difficulty breathing following metaxalone intake.
- Metaxalone 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. Metaxalone 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 metaxalone 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 metaxalone, 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.
