How to deal with Muscoril (thiocolchicoside) side effects

Although not everyone has side effects from narcotics, some of the more common ones are drowsiness, constipation, and nausea and vomiting. Some people also might experience dizziness, mental effects (nightmares, confusion, hallucinations), a moderate decrease in rate and depth of breathing, or difficulty in urinating. You should always discuss side effects with your doctor or nurse. Side effects from narcotic pain relievers can usually be handled successfully.

What Can You Do About Drowsiness?

At first, narcotics cause some drowsiness in most people, but this usually goes away after a few days. If the narcotic is giving you pain relief for the first time in a long time, your drowsiness might be the result of the decrease in pain, allowing you much needed rest. This kind of drowsiness will go away after you “catch up” on your sleep. Drowsiness will also lessen as your body gets used to the medicine. Call your doctor or nurse if you feel you are too drowsy for your normal activities after you have been taking the medicine for a week. If you are drowsy, be very careful to avoid situations in which you might hurt yourself as a result of not being alert such as cooking, climbing stairs, or driving. Here are some ways to handle drowsiness:

• Wait a few days and see if it disappears.
• Check to see if there are other reasons for the drowsiness. Are you taking other medicines that can also cause drowsiness?
• Ask the doctor if you can take a smaller dose more frequently.
• If the narcotic is not relieving the pain, the pain itself may be wearing you out. In this case, better pain relief may result in less drowsiness. Ask your doctor what you can do to get better pain relief.
• Sometimes a small decrease in the dose of a narcotic will still give you pain relief but no drowsiness. If drowsiness is severe, you may be taking more narcotic than you need. Ask your doctor about lowering the amount you are presently taking.
• Ask your doctor if you can take a mild stimulant such as caffeine, or your doctor can prescribe a stimulant such as dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine) or methylphenidate (Ritalin).
• If drowsiness is severe or if it suddenly occurs after you have been taking narcotics for a while, notify your doctor or nurse right away.

What Can You Do About Constipation?

Narcotics cause constipation in most people. The stool does not move along the intestinal tract as fast as usual and becomes hard because more water is absorbed. Your doctor will probably prescribe a stool softener and a laxative. After checking with your doctor or nurse, you can try the following:

• Eat foods high in fiber or roughage such as uncooked fruits and vegetables and whole grain breads and cereals. Adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of unprocessed bran to your food adds bulk and stimulates bowel movements. Keeping a shaker of bran handy at mealtimes makes it easy to sprinkle on foods. A dietitian can suggest other ways to add fiber to your diet.
• Drink plenty of liquids. Eight to ten 8-ounce glasses of fluid each day will help keep your stools soft.
• Exercise as much as you are able.
• Eat foods that have helped relieve constipation in the past.
• Try to use the toilet or bedside commode when you have a bowel movement, even if that is the only time you get out of bed.
• Plan your bowel movements for the same time each day, if possible. Set aside time for sitting on the toilet or commode, preferably after a meal.
• Have a hot drink about half an hour before your planned time for a bowel movement.
• If you have difficulty eating enough bran or other foods high in fiber, check with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about using a bulk laxative such as Metamucil.

Be sure to check with your doctor or nurse before taking any laxative or stool softener on your own.

What Can You Do for Nausea and Vomiting?

Nausea and vomiting caused by narcotics usually will disappear after a few days of taking the medicine. The following suggestions may be helpful:

• If your nausea occurs mainly when you are walking around (as opposed to being in bed), remain in bed for an hour or so after you take your medicine. This type of nausea is like motion sickness. Sometimes the doctor will tell you to use medicines (such as Bonine or Dramamine) that can be bought without a prescription to counteract this type of nausea. Do not take these medicines without checking with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.
• If pain itself is the cause of the nausea, using narcotics to relieve the pain usually makes this nausea go away.
• Medicine (such as Compazine, or Torecan by mouth or by rectal suppositories) can sometimes be prescribed.
• Ask your doctor or nurse if some other medical condition or other medications you are taking such as steroids, anticancer drugs, or aspirin might be causing your nausea.

Some people mistakenly think they are allergic to narcotics if the narcotic causes nausea. Nausea and vomiting alone usually are not allergic responses. But nausea and vomiting accompanied by a rash or itching may be an allergic reaction. If this occurs, stop taking the drug and notify your doctor at once.