Background: The growth of oral muscle relaxant prescriptions among older adults in the U.S. raises safety concern. Baclofen is a commonly used gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonist muscle relaxant that is associated with encephalopathy. We aimed to compare the risk of fall and fracture associated with oral baclofen against other muscle relaxants (tizanidine or cyclobenzaprine) in [...]

Background: Systemic muscle relaxant prescriptions have risen in United States. Baclofen is a commonly prescribed muscle relaxant that is gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonist and renally cleared. We aimed to determine the risk of encephalopathy and mortality associated with baclofen compared to an alternate muscle relaxant cyclobenzaprine in a real-world setting. Methods: We conducted a retrospective [...]

Case Presentation: A 64-year-old male with a medical history of left-occipital stroke and alcohol use disorder presented with progressively worsening dizziness & weakness of his extremities ongoing for six months. The complaints were associated with numbness of fingertips and toes with gait instability resulting in repeated falls. He correlated the symptoms with starting baclofen (taking [...]

Case Presentation: A 42 year-old Caucasian male with a past medical history significant for schizoaffective disorder with command auditory hallucinations, often commanding him to harm himself or others, with multiple suicide attempts by ingestion, and history of poly-substance abuse, was found by his friend on the floor of his apartment, seemingly unconscious, with copious amounts [...]

Case Presentation: This case report outlines the case of a 76 year-old male who presented with bacterial meningitis secondary to an infected intrathecal baclofen pump, but initial lumbar puncture cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) did not demonstrate pleocytosis. Patient endorsed worsening headache, vomiting, and bilateral lower extremity weakness 6 days prior to admission. He was immediately started [...]

Case Presentation: A 54-year-old tracheostomy and gastric tube dependent, non-verbal male with chronic spastic quadriplegia, autonomic dysautonomia, and recent ICU admissions for MDR pneumonia presented to the emergency department from his skilled nursing facility with acute hypertension. His home medications were notable for hydralazine, isosorbide mononitrate, clonidine, midodrine, and an intrathecal baclofen pump. He was [...]