Precautions and Warnings With Metaxalone

Talk to your healthcare provider about the precautions and warnings with metaxalone before taking the medication to help ensure a safe treatment process. Metaxalone may cause problems in people with certain health conditions, such as liver disease, kidney disease, or anemia. Warnings and precautions with metaxalone also apply to people who have certain allergies and to women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

 

What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider Before Taking Metaxalone?

You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking metaxalone (Skelaxin®) if you have:
 
  • Liver disease, such as liver failure, cirrhosis, or hepatitis
  • Kidney disease, such as kidney failure (renal failure)
  • Anemia
  • Any allergies, including allergies to foods, dyes, or preservatives.
     
Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are:
 
  • Pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant
  • Breastfeeding.
     
Make sure to tell your healthcare provider about any other medicines you are taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
 

Specific Precautions and Warnings With Metaxalone

Some of the warnings and precautions to be aware of prior to taking metaxalone include the following:
 
  • If you have liver disease, you will need blood tests to make sure that metaxalone is not making it worse.
     
  • The medication commonly causes drowsiness and dizziness, which may interfere with your ability to drive a car, operate heavy machinery, or focus mentally. Elderly people may be more susceptible to these side effects.
     
  • You should avoid alcohol while taking metaxalone, as additive effects (such as increased drowsiness, confusion, or memory loss) could occur.
     
  • Metaxalone can potentially interact with many other medications (see Drug Interactions With Metaxalone).
     
  • It is not known if metaxalone is safe for use during pregnancy (see Skelaxin and Pregnancy).
     
  • It is not known if metaxalone passes through breast milk in humans. Therefore, if you are breastfeeding or plan to start, discuss this with your healthcare provider prior to taking the drug (see Skelaxin and Breastfeeding).
     
(Precautions and Warnings With Metaxalone Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;