Dantrolene (Intravenous)

Generic name: Dantrolene
Drug class: Skeletal muscle relaxants

Usage of Dantrolene (Intravenous)

Dantrolene is used to prevent or treat a medical problem called malignant hyperthermia that may occur in some patients during or following surgery or anesthesia. Malignant hyperthermia consists of a group of symptoms including very high fever, fast and irregular heartbeat, and breathing problems. It is believed that the tendency to develop malignant hyperthermia is inherited.

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Dantrolene (Intravenous) side effects

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

Rare

Blue lips and fingernails

chest pain

coughing that sometimes produces a pink frothy sputum

difficult, fast, noisy breathing, sometimes with wheezing

difficulty swallowing

dizziness

fast heartbeat

hives

increased sweating

itching

pale skin

puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue

shortness of breath

skin rash

swelling in legs and ankles

tightness in chest

tissue necrosis

unusual tiredness or weakness

wheezing

Incidence not known

Changes in skin color, pain, tenderness, or swelling of foot or leg

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

Rare

Flushing or redness of skin

unusually warm skin

Incidence not known

Drowsiness

muscle weakness

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Before taking Dantrolene (Intravenous)

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic Reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of dantrolene in children.

Geriatric

Although appropriate studies on the relationship of age to the effects of dantrolene have not been performed in the geriatric patient, no geriatric-specific problems have been documented to date. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related kidney, liver, or heart problems, which may require caution in patients receiving dantrolene.

Breast Feeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Interactions with Medicines

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are receiving this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

Alprazolam

Amlodipine

Amobarbital

Aprobarbital

Buprenorphine

BUTAbarbital

Butalbital

Calcium Oxybate

Carisoprodol

Chloral Hydrate

Chlordiazepoxide

Chlorzoxazone

CinNarizine

Clevidipine

Clobazam

Clonazepam

Clorazepate

Diazepam

Diltiazem

Estazolam

Ethchlorvynol

Felodipine

Flunitrazepam

Flurazepam

Halazepam

Isradipine

Ketazolam

Levoketoconazole

Lorazepam

Lormetazepam

Magnesium Oxybate

Medazepam

Mephenesin

Mephobarbital

Meprobamate

Metaxalone

Methadone

Methocarbamol

Methohexital

Methotrexate

Midazolam

Nicardipine

Nifedipine

Nimodipine

Nisoldipine

Nitrazepam

Oxazepam

Oxycodone

Pentobarbital

Pexidartinib

Phenobarbital

Potassium Oxybate

Prazepam

Primidone

Quazepam

Secobarbital

Sodium Oxybate

Tapentadol

Temazepam

Thiopental

Triazolam

Verapamil

Interactions with Food/Tobacco/Alcohol

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Relate drugs

How to use Dantrolene (Intravenous)

Your doctor will prescribe your exact dose and tell you how often it should be given. This medicine is given through a needle placed in one of your veins.

Warnings

Your doctor will only give you a few doses of this medicine until your condition improves, and then you will be switched to an oral medicine that works the SAMe way. If you have any concerns about this, talk to your doctor.

This medicine may cause drowsiness, dizziness, or muscle weakness in some people. Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before you drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or are not alert or well-coordinated.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.