Baclon Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Baclon Tablet contains baclofen, a skeletal muscle relaxant. It is used to treat muscle spasms, muscle stiffness, and muscle pain caused by conditions such as multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury. It works on the brain and spinal cord to relax muscles and reduce spasms, cramping, and tightness.

What is Baclon Tablet

Baclon contains baclofen, a muscle relaxant. It treats muscle spasms, muscle stiffness, and muscle pain caused by conditions like multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury.

Baclon Tablet uses

• Treats muscle spasms and muscle stiffness
• Treats spasticity (muscle stiffness and tightness) and muscle pain in people with multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury or disease

Benefits of Baclon Tablet

• Relaxes muscles and reduces muscle stiffness
• Relieves pain and improves muscle movement
• May allow other treatments, like physical therapy, to work better

How Baclon Tablet works

Baclofen works on the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system) to relax muscles and reduce spasms, cramping, and tightness.

Baclon Tablet dosage

• Take this medicine exactly as your doctor prescribes and follow the instructions on the label. 
• Keep taking it unless your care team tells you to stop, since stopping suddenly can cause serious side effects.
• If using granules, you can let them dissolve in your mouth or swallow them, with or without liquid. 
• You may mix granules with a small amount of liquid such as apple juice or milk, or with soft food such as applesauce, pudding, or yogurt, and take the mixture within 2 hours of mixing.
• Shake the oral liquid (suspension) before measuring a dose, and use the measuring device that comes with it rather than a kitchen spoon. 
• This medicine may also be given through a feeding tube if needed.
• Talk to your care team about using this medicine in children, as it may be prescribed for children as young as 12 for certain conditions, with precautions.
• If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember, but if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed one — do not take two doses at once.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet
• Oral granule
• Oral liquid (solution)
• Oral suspension

Side effects of Baclon Tablet

Common

• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Headache
• Muscle weakness or tiredness
• Nausea
• Constipation
• Confusion
• Feeling faint or lightheaded when standing up suddenly
• Increased need to urinate
• Sweating
• Trouble sleeping

Serious

• Allergic reactions such as skin rash, itching, hives, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
• Slow or shallow breathing, shortness of breath, feeling faint, severe dizziness, confusion, or trouble staying awake
• Hallucinations or seeing/hearing things that are not there
• Mental depression or other mood changes
• Seizures
• High fever
• Severe muscle stiffness or unexplained muscle stiffness
• Clumsiness, unsteadiness, or trembling
• Fainting
• Bloody or dark urine
• Chest pain or pounding heartbeat
• Ringing or buzzing in the ears
• Slurred speech or other speech problems
• Swelling of the ankles
• Muscle weakness, itching, tingling, or twitching in hands, arms, feet, or legs

Warnings and precautions

• Do not suddenly stop taking this medicine, as it can cause severe withdrawal symptoms including hallucinations, seizures, high fever, confusion, severe muscle stiffness, organ failure, and even death.
• This medicine adds to the effects of alcohol and other substances that slow down the nervous system, such as allergy or cold medicines, sedatives, sleeping pills, prescription pain medicine, seizure medicine, other muscle relaxants, or anesthetics.
• This medicine may increase the risk of developing an ovarian cyst.
• Do not take this medicine with opioid cough medications.
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Using this medicine during pregnancy may cause withdrawal symptoms like shakiness, seizures, or increased muscle tone in the newborn baby.
• There isn't enough research on how this medicine affects breastfeeding infants, so talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks before using it while breastfeeding.
• People with kidney disease may process this medicine more slowly, increasing its effects. Elderly patients with kidney disease have a higher risk of serious brain problems and should avoid this medicine or use it very cautiously.
• Avoid alcohol and other medicines that cause drowsiness unless advised.
• Avoid drinking alcohol while taking this medicine, as it can increase drowsiness and other side effects.
• This medicine may affect your coordination, reaction time, judgment, or cause dizziness, so don't drive or use machinery until you know how it affects you.

Storage

• Store at room temperature between 20 and 25 degrees C (68 and 77 degrees F)
• Keep container tightly closed
• Keep out of the reach of children and pets
• Get rid of any unused medication after the expiration date
• Store the oral liquid in the refrigerator; do not freeze
• Throw away any unused oral suspension 2 months after first opening
• Take unused or expired medicine to a medication take-back program if possible
• If you cannot return it, check the label or ask your care team whether it should go in the trash or be flushed; if trash is safe, mix the medicine with something like cat litter or coffee grounds, seal it in a bag, and throw it away

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away if you have trouble breathing or are unusually tired or sleepy.
• Seek emergency help if you think you've taken too much of this medicine, or if you notice blurred vision, dizziness, drowsiness, irregular or shallow breathing, seizures, or pale/blue lips or skin.
• Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction such as hives, trouble breathing, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Alternatives

• Cyclobenzaprine
• Methocarbamol
• Thiocolchicoside
• Tizanidine