You should not use this medicine if you have had an allergic reaction to baclofen.
Uses:
Injectable
Your doctor will prescribe your exact dose. Your dose may need to be changed several times in order to find out what works best for you. This medicine is given through a needle directly into your spinal cord.
You will first be given one or two test doses, to see if this medicine will work for you. A nurse or other trained health professional will give you this test dose in a clinic or hospital. You will need to stay for 4 to 8 hours to make sure the medicine does not cause any problems.
If your muscle spasms get better with the test dose, then you may be able to start using this medicine all the time. You will need to have a special pump placed under your skin, which will pump medicine directly into your back all day.
This medicine comes with patient instructions. Read and follow these instructions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
Your family or other caregivers need to how to properly use your pump and medicine. Make sure you and your caregivers all know these three things: (1) Signs that you are getting too much or too little medicine. (2) What to do if you have any of these signs. (3) How to care for the pump and the needle that is placed in your back.
If a dose is missed:
Keep all appointments to check and refill your pump so you do not run out of medicine. This medicine needs to be given on a fixed schedule. If you miss an appointment, schedule a new one right away and call your doctor for instructions.
Storage:
Ask your pharmacist, doctor, or health caregiver about the best way to dispose of any supplies you do not need.
Keep all medicine away from children and never share your medicine with anyone.
Special precautions:
Before taking, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to any medications. tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking. tell your doctor if you have or have ever had heart failure or liver disease. tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking, call your doctor
Make sure your doctor knows if you are also using any other medicine to treat your MS, cerebral palsy, or related muscle problems. Tell your doctor if you are using any medicines that make you sleepy. These include sleeping pills, cold and allergy medicine, narcotic pain relievers, and sedatives.
Warnings:
Make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have kidney disease or any kind of infection. Tell your doctor if you have ever had problems with involuntary (reflex) muscles (such as those used for digestion). Make sure your doctor knows if you are being treated for mental illness, such as psychosis or schizophrenia.
Tell your doctor if you have ever used baclofen before, and if you had problems when you stopped using it.
Call your doctor and go to the nearest emergency room right away if you have any of these symptoms: high fever, increased muscle spasms or stiffness, confusion, lightheadedness, unusual thoughts, itching, or numbness and tingling These are signs that you are not receiving enough medicine. This is dangerous. Know what the pump alarm sounds like and what to do if the alarm goes off.
Do not stop using this medicine suddenly without asking your doctor. You may need to slowly decrease your dose before stopping it completely.
Ask your doctor for an Emergency Card listing the symptoms that may happen if you get too much or too little medicine. Carry the card with you at all times.
Your doctor will need to check your progress at regular visits while you are using this medicine. Be sure to keep all appointments.
This medicine may make you dizzy or drowsy. Avoid driving, using machines, or doing anything else that could be dangerous if you are not alert.
Side Effects:
Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
Decrease in how much or how often you urinate
Fainting, shallow breathing, seizures
Muscle weakness
Pain, redness, or swelling around the pump or needle