Ozobax Solution Liquid: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Ozobax Solution Liquid is an oral form of baclofen, a GABA-ergic skeletal muscle relaxant used to treat spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis, including flexor spasms, related pain, clonus, and muscle rigidity. It may also help people with spinal cord injuries or other spinal cord diseases. It works by acting on the spinal cord to calm overactive nerve signals that cause tight or stiff muscles. The liquid form can be useful for patients who have difficulty swallowing tablets.

What is Ozobax Solution Liquid

Ozobax is a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA-ergic) agonist used to treat spasticity from multiple sclerosis, including flexor spasms, related pain, clonus, and muscle rigidity. It may also help people with spinal cord injuries or other spinal cord diseases.

Ozobax Solution Liquid uses

• Treatment of spasticity resulting from multiple sclerosis, including relief of flexor spasms and related pain, clonus, and muscular rigidity
• May be of some value in patients with spinal cord injuries and other spinal cord diseases
• Not indicated for treatment of muscle spasm caused by rheumatic disorders

Benefits of Ozobax Solution Liquid

• Helps reduce muscle spasticity and stiffness.
• Helps relieve painful flexor muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis.
• Helps reduce muscle rigidity and tightness.
• Can help control clonus, or repeated involuntary muscle contractions.
• May also help manage spasticity caused by spinal cord injuries or other spinal cord diseases.
• The oral liquid formulation can be useful for patients who have difficulty swallowing tablets.

How Ozobax Solution Liquid works

Baclofen is similar to a natural calming brain chemical called GABA. It reduces muscle spasms by acting on the spinal cord to lessen overactive nerve signals that cause tight or stiff muscles.

Ozobax Solution Liquid dosage

Use an oral dosing syringe to measure the correct amount of medicine; these can be obtained from your pharmacy. Follow your doctor's instructions carefully and use the medicine exactly as directed. Do not stop taking this medicine suddenly, even if you feel well, because sudden withdrawal can cause serious problems; ask your doctor before stopping. Tell your doctor right away if early withdrawal symptoms occur, such as increased spasticity, itching, or tingling in the arms or legs. Be careful with activities like driving or operating machinery when starting the medicine or after a dose increase, until you know how it affects you. Avoid alcohol and other substances that cause drowsiness while taking this medicine. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or plan to breastfeed.

Available forms and strengths

• Oral solution (5 mg/5 mL)

Side effects of Ozobax Solution Liquid

Common

• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Weakness
• Nausea
• Confusion
• Low blood pressure (hypotension)
• Headache
• Difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
• Constipation
• Urinary frequency
• Fatigue

Serious

• Sudden vision loss, blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, or seeing halos around lights
• Fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeats; fluttering in the chest; shortness of breath; sudden dizziness, lightheadedness, or passing out
• Severe headache, confusion, slurred speech, arm or leg weakness, trouble walking, loss of coordination, feeling unsteady, very stiff muscles, high fever, profuse sweating, or tremors
• Signs of an allergic reaction such as hives, difficulty breathing, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
• Severe drowsiness
• Trouble standing or sitting up straight, problems with balance
• Fever, seizures
• Confusion, hallucinations
• Muscle stiffness, itching, or tingling in hands and feet
• High blood pressure symptoms such as severe headache, blurred vision, or pounding in the neck or ears

Warnings and precautions

• Stopping this medicine suddenly can cause serious, even life-threatening problems like hallucinations, seizures, high fever, confusion, severe muscle stiffness, and organ failure. The dose should be lowered gradually under a doctor's guidance.
• This medicine should be used carefully in people who have had a stroke, since it hasn't shown much benefit for stroke patients and they may not tolerate it well.
• This medicine should be used carefully in people with psychotic disorders, schizophrenia, or confusional states, because it can make these conditions worse.
• This medicine should be used carefully in people with a history of autonomic dysreflexia, since pain signals or sudden stopping of the medicine can trigger an episode.
• This medicine should be used carefully in people with epilepsy because it can worsen seizure control.
• This medicine should be used carefully in people who need their muscle stiffness to help them stand upright or walk, since reducing spasticity could reduce their ability to function.
• This medicine is not for treating muscle spasms caused by rheumatic (inflammatory joint) disorders.
• This medicine is not recommended during pregnancy because it may harm an unborn baby. If used during pregnancy, the baby could be born with withdrawal symptoms such as tremors or seizures and may need medical treatment. Tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant.
• This medicine passes into breast milk. Breastfed babies can have withdrawal symptoms if the mother stops taking the medicine or stops breastfeeding. Ask your doctor before breastfeeding.
• Because this medicine is mainly removed from the body by the kidneys, it should be used carefully in people with kidney problems, and the dose may need to be lowered.
• Drinking alcohol with this medicine can cause dangerous side effects, including increased drowsiness.
• Avoid driving or doing anything dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you, since it can cause dizziness or drowsiness that may lead to falls, accidents, or injuries.

Storage

• Store OZOBAX in the refrigerator
• Store at 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F)
• Dispense in a tight, light-resistant container with a child-resistant closure

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away for serious eye symptoms like sudden vision loss, blurred or tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, or seeing halos around lights.
• Get emergency help right away for serious heart symptoms like a fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeat, fluttering in the chest, shortness of breath, or sudden dizziness or fainting.
• Get emergency help right away for a severe headache, confusion, slurred speech, arm or leg weakness, trouble walking, loss of coordination, feeling unsteady, very stiff muscles, high fever, heavy sweating, or tremors.
• 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.
• Call your doctor right away if you have severe drowsiness, trouble standing or sitting up straight, problems with balance, fever, seizures, confusion, hallucinations, muscle stiffness, itching or tingling in the hands and feet, or signs of high blood pressure like a severe headache, blurred vision, or pounding in the neck or ears.
• If an overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention or contact your local poison control center right away.

Alternatives

• Cyclobenzaprine
• Methocarbamol
• Tizanidine
• Baclofen Tablets