Pickles asked
Can I take 10 mg of baclofen or similar muscle relaxant with my allergy medication? I usually take my allergy meds before I go to sleep so I won t feel so drowsy during the day. I m currently taking Zyrtec 10 mg and Chlor-Trimeton 10 mg. My doctor recently prescribed me muscle relaxers and I forgot to ask if its ok to talk with my allergy medication.
Answer
In your question, you mentioned that you take Chlor-Trimeton (chlorpheniramine) and Zyrtec (Cetirizine) in the evening at bedtime so you’re not drowsy during the day, and now your physician prescribed the baclofen to be added to your medication regimen. Let's discuss this combination on medication.
To begin, there are no known serious interactions between all of the medications you listed in your question. The muscle relaxant baclofen is typically prescribed three times daily, starting with a low dose like 10mg three times a day since it is a central nervous system depressant and known to cause drowsiness. From there, it can be adjusted to optimize the effects.
You didn't mention how often you take baclofen but if the doctor prescribed only one 10mg tablet daily, there should not be an issue taking the baclofen in the evening with the chlorpheniramine so that you aren’t sleepy during the day. Both should wear off by morning.
In regards to the allergy medications, both can cause drowsiness although Zyrtec typically is well tolerated and does not cause much sedation. Chlor-Trimeton on the other hand, will probably cause some sedation when you take it. You can take Zyrtec at bedtime along with the other medication however many people tolerate Zyrtec quite well during the day, taking it as a morning dose.
One suggestion for you could be that try taking Zyrtec in the morning on a day where you don’t have anything too important to do and see how it affects you. From there, there could try the following regimen: Taking the Zyrtec in the morning, and the Baclofen and Chlorpheniramine in the evening at bedtime. This could be an optimal way to take all the medication and avoid the sedation problems.
If your doctor did prescribe the baclofen three times daily, make sure you don’t operate any machinery (for example, drive a car), and do not drink alcohol while taking the baclofen until you see how you tolerate it. As I mentioned above, while there is no interaction with baclofen and allergy medicines, you want to be cognizant about the possible sedation issues with the combination, however you end up taking them.
To summarize, there is no interaction between the muscle relaxant baclofen and the allergy medication you are taking (Zyrtec, Chlor-Trimeton). However, each of those can cause drowsiness and sedation. The Chlor-Trimeton is known to be more likely to cause sedation than Zyrtec is so it may be advisable to take Chlor-Trimeton at night. Zyrtec for most people is well tolerated so morning or night may be OK.
I would recommend talking with your doctor and come up with a regimen that works well for you and your specific situation!
