Dantrolene for the Treatment of Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy-Induced Painful Muscle Spasms: A Case Report

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a rare neurological disorder that causes progressive weakness, sensory dysfunction, and often debilitating muscle spasms and pain. A man in his early 30s with a history of Hodgkin's lymphoma treated with chemotherapy developed neurologic symptoms initially misdiagnosed as chemotherapy-induced neuropathy. A diagnosis of CIDP was subsequently confirmed by nerve conduction studies. Despite treatment with muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, botulinum toxin injections, and opioids, the patient's muscle spasms remained refractory. Dantrolene was then introduced at 25 mg orally 4 times/d, resulting in a significant reduction in the frequency and intensity of muscle spasms.