Locatelli F, Pozzi M, Avantaggiato P, Lanfranchi M, Tufarulo L, Amorelli V, Rizzi G, Radice S, Galbiati S, Clementi E, Strazzer S
Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.
J Clin Pharm Ther. 2014 Aug;39(4):449-51. doi: 10.1111/jcpt.12161. Epub 2014 Apr 12.
Dantrolene can be combined with baclofen to better treat spasticity, but may cause muscular weakness and dysphagia. We instead describe a pharyngeal spasm due to dantrolene.
A 12-year-old male received dantrolene 3 mg/kg/day in adjunct to baclofen 2 mg/kg/day, to improve spasticity. After 5 days of full-dose dantrolene, his dysphagia worsened and he developed pharyngeal spasm. Dantrolene was suspected for an adverse reaction and removed. The patient subsequently improved.
Causality analysis determined a probable relationship between dantrolene and pharyngeal spasm. This may be due to direct muscle contraction by dantrolene, an effect seen previously in vitro.
