Muscle Relaxers: What They Are, Uses, Side Effects & Types

For example, providers sometimes prescribe diazepam to treat anxiety and seizures. It works by preventing nerve impulses (or pain sensations) from reaching your brain. Flexeril is used to treat skeletal muscle conditions such as pain, injury, or spasms in conjunction with rest and physical therapy. While it can be abused if it’s mismanaged, it really isn’t worth the health risks the high offers.

• And when this dependency gets out of hand, Flexeril addiction is possible, which can have long-term implications and health effects that can end up tearing apart your life as you know it.
• Cyclobenzaprine HCl relieves skeletal muscle spasm of local origin without interfering with muscle function.
• It’s worth noting that factors like age, liver function, and general health can cause the half-life to differ from patient to patient.
• During cyclobenzaprine addiction treatment, the medication will be slowly tapered off by a reduction of amounts over a certain time frame.

People with glaucoma, increased eye pressure, liver disease, and difficulty urinating may not react well to this particular muscle relaxer. Women who are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or breastfeeding shouldn’t take cyclobenzaprine. Individuals over the age of 65 should consider alternative options to cyclobenzaprine. Studies show that there are other safer, more effective drugs for treating muscle pain and insomnia in older patients. Patients can take cyclobenzaprine with or without food but should always follow the doctor’s instructions carefully. If you miss a dose, try to take it as soon as you remember unless it’s almost time for your next dose.

Cyclobenzaprine’s Effectiveness Timeframe

Whether cyclobenzaprine is superior to other drugs for the management of acute myofascial strain is unclear and it usually adds more side effects with little therapeutic gain (Turturro et al 2003). For neck pain, however, mixed results are obtained (Peloso et al 2005). There are no extensive studies on the use of cyclobenzaprine in the management of painful orofacial musculoskeletal conditions.

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In this case, skip the missed dose and follow your normal dosing schedule. It’s not recommended that you ever take a double dose of cyclobenzaprine unless directed by your doctor. It’s also not recommended that you take this muscle relaxer for more than 3 weeks. The short-acting tablets are made for patients 15 years of age or older.

VLD CBP effects on FM symptoms

The overall effectiveness of FLEXERIL was similar to that observed in the double-blind controlled studies; the overall incidence of adverse effects was less (see ADVERSE REACTIONS). These patients are generally more susceptible to drugs with potentially sedating effects, including cyclobenzaprine. FLEXERIL should be used with caution in subjects with mild hepatic impairment starting with a 5 mg dose and titrating slowly upward. Due to the lack of data in subjects with more severe hepatic insufficiency, the use of FLEXERIL in subjects with moderate to severe impairment is not recommended. Given the symptoms of a cyclobenzaprine high, you may be tempted to ask the question, “is Flexeril an opioid or is cyclobenzaprine a muscle relaxer of a different sort? Many people believe that Flexeril is a narcotic similar to other painkillers like OxyContin, Fentanyl, or Vicodin based on how it makes you feel alone.

Headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, constipation, and abdominal pain or discomfort are all common side effects of cyclobenzaprine and naproxen. CYCLOBENZAPRINE (sye kloe BEN za preen) treats muscle spasms. It works by relaxing your muscles, which reduces muscle stiffness.

Most patients taking the short-acting cyclobenzaprine tablets report feeling the effects within 20 to 30 minutes and lasting for four to six hours. The long-lasting capsules take slightly longer to take effect but you may feel relief for up to 24 hours. In most cases, it could take up to 37 hours for your body to fully eliminate the drug.

It is advisable to refrain from engaging in activities that demand alertness, such as driving or operating machinery, until you can do so safely. Additionally, avoid consuming alcoholic beverages, and if you use marijuana (cannabis), discuss it with your doctor. Cyclobenzaprine https://flexeril.live is available as an oral tablet that can be taken by mouth with or without food. The dosage and frequency of use of the medication will depend on several factors, such as the medical condition being treated, age, medical history, and other prescription medication regimens.

This article focuses on skeletal muscle relaxants, as opposed to smooth muscle relaxants. Smooth muscles are the muscles that you don’t have control over, like the muscles in your intestine, stomach and blood vessels. Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible side effects.

While the addictiveness of cyclobenzaprine is being debated, anyone exhibiting problematic patterns of substance use can benefit from addiction treatment. This is especially true if someone has been engaging in polydrug use with cyclobenzaprine and other substances. How cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) works is not well understood, but it helps alleviate stiffness, pain, and discomfort due to sprains, strains, or injuries to muscles. It is also sometimes prescribed off-label to treat fibromyalgia pain.