Patient was educated on contraindications for using Robaxin as follows:
- Robaxin must be avoided 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 robaxin, leading to complications such as, coma, breathing difficulty, and respiratory arrest, which can be fatal.
- Robaxin interacts with certain medications used to treat individuals with myasthenia gravis, compromises their therapeutic benefits, and thereby result in possible exacerbation of symptoms of myasthenia gravis. So, individuals on drugs for treatment of myasthenia gravis must be closely watched, if robaxin is prescribed for relief of muscle spasms. Robaxin must either be avoided for an alternative or used with extra caution in such individuals.
- Robaxin use in expectant mothers could increase risk for pregnancy complications. Robaxin can cross the placenta and enter the baby. Newborns can also present with harmful side-effects of the medication. Newborns exposed to robaxin in the uterus can present with harmful side-effects of the medication, such as, respiratory depression, breathing difficulties, and other toxicity with the medication. Robaxin can also pass into the breast milk and use in new mothers can also increase risk for complications in breastfed newborns. So, robaxin is avoided for an alternative safer drug or cautiously administered with careful monitoring for complications during pregnancy, in women planning for pregnancy, and in new mothers breastfeeding the newborns. Women in the child-bearing age group taking robaxin regularly must employ effective contraceptive measures in order to avoid getting pregnant.
