Brand Names

How to Use

If you are unable to swallow the capsules, you may empty the number of capsules needed for one dose into a small amount of fruit juice or other liquid. Stir gently to mix the powder with the liquid before drinking. Drink the drug right away. Rinse the glass with a little more liquid and drink that also to make sure that you have taken all of the drug.

Dantrolene may be taken with or without food or on a full or empty stomach. However, if your family doctor tells you to take the drug a certain way, take it exactly as directed.

Take this drug only as directed by your family doctor . Do not take more of it and do not take it more often than your family doctor ordered. Dantrolene may cause liver damage or other unwanted effects if too much is taken.

Dosage

The number of capsules that you take depends on the strength of the drug. Always the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the drug depend on the medical problem for which you are taking dantrolene.

• For oral dosage form - capsules:
  • For prevention or treat of a malignant hyperthermic crisis:
    • Adults Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor. The usual dose is 4 to 8 milligrams - mg per kilogram - kg - 1.8 to 3.6 mg per pound of body weight. The family doctor will instruct you exactly when and how often to take your drug.
  • To relieve spasms:
    • Adults To start, 25 mg once a day. The family doctor may increase your dose as needed and tolerated. However, the dose is usually not more than 100 mg four times a day.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor. To start, the dose is usually 0.5 mg per kg - 0.23 mg per pound of body weight twice a day. The family doctor may increase the dose as needed and tolerated. However, the dose is usually not more than 3 mg per kg or 100 mg four times a day.
• For injection dosage form:
  • For prevention or treat of a malignant hyperthermia crisis:
    • Adults, teenagers and children Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your family doctor.

Missed dose If you miss a dose of this drug and remember within an hour or so of the missed dose, take it right away. Then go back to your regular dosing schedule. But if you do not remember until later, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage To store this drug:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store this drug in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the drug to break down.
• Do not keep outdated drug or drug no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded drug is out of the reach of children.