Patient was educated on the precautions to be observed while taking Robaxin as follows:
- Robaxin must be avoided for a safer alternative or used with extra caution 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. Individuals must notify the physician regarding history of head injuries and brain damage, if any, to discuss their safety with robaxin intake.
- Robaxin use can sometimes result in intense muscle weakness and motor incoordination leading to shaking or jerking of one or other extremities. Concurrent administration of physical and occupational therapy can help improve the muscle weakness and independence with ADL performance. Compliance with use of recommended assistive device, if any, is important towards fall and accident prevention.
- Robaxin 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.
- Robaxin only helps with relieving muscle spasms, by temporarily depressing the brain and spinal cord and consequently inhibiting the nerve impulses sent to the skeletal muscle. Robaxin only relieves the spasms but does not fix the actual condition causing the muscle spasms and so, is not a permanent cure. Continue taking robaxin as ordered, even if you experience relief from muscle pain and spasms, until your physician orders for the discontinuation on the medication. Abrupt discontinuation on robaxin intake can result in more severe side-effects and worsening muscle spasms again. Discontinuation on robaxin use can be slow and gradual, using tapering doses, and must only be on your physician recommendation.
