Dantrolene Sodium Coupons & Prices

Use a free Rx.com dantrolene sodium coupon to compare cash prices on this direct-acting skeletal muscle relaxant at more than 60,000 pharmacies near you. Dantrolene sodium is the generic form of Dantrium, and it is available as an FDA-approved generic oral capsule. Cash prices for the same capsule strength and quantity can differ a lot from one pharmacy to the next, even between stores on the same street, so it is worth checking before you fill. Enter your ZIP code above to see today's price at pharmacies in your area and show the coupon at the counter.

What is dantrolene sodium and how does it work?

Dantrolene sodium is a direct-acting skeletal muscle relaxant. Unlike relaxants that work mainly in the brain and spinal cord, dantrolene works at the muscle itself: it acts as a ryanodine receptor antagonist, reducing the release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum inside muscle cells. Less available calcium means less muscle contraction, which can ease stiffness and spasticity.

The oral capsules are FDA-approved for two uses: controlling chronic spasticity caused by upper motor neuron disorders such as spinal cord injury, stroke, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis; and, in people known to be susceptible to malignant hyperthermia, preventive treatment before surgery and follow-up therapy after a crisis. The capsules are not indicated for muscle spasm caused by rheumatic disorders. Separate intravenous products used in hospitals to treat an active malignant hyperthermia crisis are different formulations with their own labeling and are not what a retail coupon fills.

What does dantrolene sodium cost without insurance?

Dantrolene sodium capsules are available as an FDA-approved generic, which is substitutable for brand-name Dantrium at the pharmacy. That does not mean every pharmacy charges the same thing. Cash prices for generics are set store by store, and the spread between the cheapest and most expensive pharmacy in the same town can be wide. There is no manufacturer savings card for generic dantrolene sodium, so for people paying cash, comparing pharmacies is the practical way to control the cost.

Rx.com compares cash prices across more than 60,000 pharmacies. Enter your ZIP code above, pick your strength and quantity, and you will see today's price at nearby pharmacies. The coupon is free, there is no membership, and you can use it whether or not you have insurance. If you do have coverage, it is worth asking the pharmacist to check the coupon price against your copay, since the cash price is sometimes the lower of the two on generics.

Dantrolene sodium vs. other muscle relaxants

Dantrolene is unusual among muscle relaxants because it works directly on muscle tissue rather than on the central nervous system. Its brand-name counterpart for the oral capsule is Dantrium, which contains the same active ingredient. Other medicines used for spasticity or muscle spasm work differently and are not interchangeable with dantrolene:

• Baclofen and tizanidine are commonly used for spasticity from conditions such as multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury, but they act centrally.
• Cyclobenzaprine and methocarbamol are generally used for short-term muscle spasm from musculoskeletal problems, which is not what dantrolene capsules are approved for.
• Diazepam is sometimes used for muscle spasm and spasticity and is a controlled substance.

Only your prescriber can decide which of these fits your condition. If you are switching, ask about differences in monitoring, since dantrolene's liver monitoring requirement sets it apart. Prices vary by pharmacy for all of these, so compare each one on its own page.

Safety information you should know

Dantrolene sodium oral capsules carry a boxed warning for liver injury. Fatal and non-fatal symptomatic hepatitis has occurred. The risk is dose-related and is much higher at 800 mg per day or more than at doses up to 400 mg per day, and it rises with longer use, in women, in people over 35, and when other medicines that can harm the liver are taken at the same time. Overt hepatitis is most common between the 3rd and 12th month of therapy. Your prescriber should check liver function tests before you start and regularly during treatment, and should stop the drug if those tests become abnormal or if there is no clear benefit within 45 days. Dantrolene is contraindicated in active liver disease such as hepatitis or cirrhosis, and in people who need their muscle tone to stay upright or to function.

Other things to watch for: muscle weakness, drowsiness and dizziness (do not drive until you know how it affects you), diarrhea that can sometimes be severe enough to require stopping the drug, sensitivity to sunlight, and added drowsiness with alcohol or sedatives. Giving intravenous dantrolene together with calcium channel blockers such as verapamil has caused high potassium and cardiovascular collapse. Seizures and fluid around the lungs or heart have been reported rarely. Long-term safety in children under 5 with spasticity has not been established. This is a summary, not medical advice, and not a complete list of risks. Read the label and talk with your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.