Baclofen, Oral/Intrathecal

What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: skeletal muscle relaxant

Generic and brand names: baclofen, intrathecal; baclofen, oral; Kemstro; Lioresal Intrathecal

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is used to decrease muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis or spinal cord diseases or injuries.

It may be used for other conditions as determined by your healthcare provider.

What should my healthcare provider know before I take this medicine?

Before taking this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• an allergic reaction to any medicine
• a stroke or other brain disease
• breathing problems
• diabetes
• kidney or liver problems
• mental or emotional problems
• Parkinson's disease
• phenylketonuria (PKU). The disintegrating tablet contains phenylalanine.
• seizures

Females of childbearing age: Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine without your healthcare provider's approval.

How do I take it?

Take this medicine exactly as your healthcare provider prescribes. Check the label on the medicine for directions about your specific dose. Do not take more or take it more often than directed. Your healthcare provider will adjust your dosage depending on how the medicine works for you. Do not stop taking this medicine without your healthcare provider's approval. Some conditions may become worse when the drug is suddenly stopped. Your dose must be gradually decreased to avoid side effects.

This medicine may be taken by mouth or given by a drug pump directly into the spinal fluid in your back. The pump is a small, battery operated disk and catheter that is implanted under your skin. It is refilled by your healthcare provider.

You may take this medicine with or without food. Taking it with meals may lessen the chance the drug will upset your stomach.

What if I miss a dose?

If you miss a dose and it is within an hour or so of the missed dose, take it right away. If you do not remember it until later, skip the missed dose and take the next one as directed. Do not take double doses. If you are not sure of what to do if you miss a dose, or if you miss more than one dose, contact your healthcare provider.

What if I overdose?

If you or anyone else has intentionally taken too much of this medicine, call 911 or go to the emergency room right away. If you pass out, have seizures, weakness or confusion, or have trouble breathing, call 911. If you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much of this medicine, call the poison control center. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. The poison control center number is 800-222-1222.

Symptoms of an acute overdose may include: muscle weakness, vomiting, drowsiness, pinpoint pupils, shallow breathing, fainting, coma, drooling, seizures.

What should I watch out for?

Make sure to keep all appointments to refill the pump. If the pump is not refilled on time, your muscle tightness may return and you may have severe withdrawal symptoms including hallucinations and convulsions (seizures).

Diabetics: This medicine may affect your blood sugar level and change the amount of insulin or other diabetes medicines you may need. Talk to your healthcare provider about this.

This medicine may make you dizzy or drowsy. Do not drive or operate machinery unless you are fully alert.

This medicine may make you feel dizzy or faint, especially when you get up from sitting or lying down. Getting up slowly may help.

This medicine may cause dry mouth. Use sugarless candy or gum, melt bits of ice in your mouth, or use a saliva substitute. If dry mouth lasts longer than 2 weeks, tell your healthcare provider about it.

This medicine increases the effects of alcohol and other drugs that slow down your nervous system. Do not drink alcohol or take other medicines unless your healthcare provider approves.

If you need emergency care, surgery, or dental work, tell the healthcare provider or dentist you are taking this medicine.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your healthcare provider right away. If you cannot reach your healthcare provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help): Allergic reaction (hives; itching; rash; trouble breathing; tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat).

Serious (report these to your healthcare provider right away): Severe muscle spasms; seizures; hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there); vomiting; chest pain or irregular heartbeat; bloody or dark urine; trouble urinating or frequent urination; fainting; confusion; ringing or buzzing in the ears.

Other: Depression, constipation, headache, trouble sleeping, drowsiness, dizziness, blurred vision, dry mouth, nausea.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking:

• alcohol
• antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl), chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton), clemastine (Tavist-1), brompheniramine, and dexchlorpheniramine (Polaramine)
• barbiturates such as phenobarbital, butabarbital (Butisol), and pentobarbital (Nembutal)
• herbal remedies such as St. John's wort, valerian, kava, and gotu kola
• other muscle relaxants
• pain medicines such as codeine, morphine, meperidine (Demerol), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), propoxyphene (Darvon, Darvon-N, Darvocet), tramadol (Ultram), and oxycodone (Roxicodone, OxyContin, OxyIR, Percocet, Tylox)
• phenothiazines such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), fluphenazine (Prolixin), prochlorperazine (Compazine), and thioridazine
• sedatives such as triazolam (Halcion), zolpidem (Ambien), and temazepam (Restoril)
• tranquilizers such as diazepam (Valium), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), lorazepam (Ativan), and alprazolam (Xanax)
• tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline, nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor), imipramine (Tofranil), and doxepin (Sinequan)

Do not drink alcohol while you are taking this medicine.

Keep a list of all your medicines with you. List all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take. Be sure that you tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

How should I store this medicine?

Store this medicine at room temperature. Keep the container tightly closed. Protect it from heat, high humidity, and bright light.

This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Ask your pharmacist for the best way to dispose of outdated medicine or medicine you have not used. Do not throw medicine in the trash.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.