Flexeril: Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, and some common FAQs

The usual dose is 5–10mg three times daily and treatment for more than 2–3 weeks is not recommended. A final limitation is that, in the real world, clinicians are not limited to just 1 treatment option. National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data suggest that patients presenting with low back pain are commonly given more than 1 treatment.12 Often, acetaminophen is combined with an NSAID or a muscle relaxant. Less commonly, patients are given a narcotic for the first few days of pain. To our knowledge, no studies have been done to determine the optimum combination of treatment modalities.

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Monitoring of plasma drug levels should not guide management of the patient. Dialysis is probably of no value because of low plasma concentrations of the drug. The plasma concentration of cyclobenzaprine is increased in patients with hepatic impairment (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Pharmacokinetics, Hepatic Impairment).

Neither publication represented studies for which original peer-reviewed data were available. This medication is sometimes prescribed for https://flexeril.live other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. It is not controlled under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), either.

Are Flexeril and Ultram the Same Thing?

Check with your doctor right away if you have anxiety, restlessness, a fast heartbeat, fever, sweating, muscle spasms, twitching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or see or hear things that are not there. These may be symptoms of a serious condition called serotonin syndrome. Your risk may be higher if you also take certain other medicines that affect serotonin levels in your body. The incidence of drowsiness, the most frequent adverse reaction, was similar with both drugs.

Cyclobenzaprine is used to help relax certain muscles in your body. It helps relieve pain, stiffness, and discomfort caused by strains, sprains, or injuries to your muscles. However, this medicine does not take the place of rest, exercise or physical therapy, or other treatment that your doctor may recommend for your medical problem.

Oral steroids come in many forms, but are usually ordered as a Medrol Dose Pack in which patients starts with a high dose for initial low back pain relief and then taper down to a lower dose over five or six days. Dogs can take muscle relaxers such as Flexeril for pain relief. Veterinarians suggest short-term treatments with Flexeril for dogs and cats with acute muscle spasms. However, the dosage strength differs for humans and dogs, and dogs are at risk for addiction. Providers mainly prescribe antispasmodic skeletal muscle relaxants for musculoskeletal and myofascial pain, especially lower back pain, and muscle spasms. Because of this possibility, we conducted a file drawer test to see how many unpublished studies with negative findings would have to be filed away somewhere to negate our findings.

FDA Drug Information

Background  Back pain is a common problem for which cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride is frequently prescribed. It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.

• The maximum dosage is 1 or 2 tablets every 4 to 6 hours, as needed for pain relief.
• Outcomes included global improvement and 5 specific domains of back pain (local pain, muscle spasm, range of motion, tenderness to palpation, and activities of daily living).
• Lower back pain accounts for twenty percent of physician visits in the US (1).
• If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
• Its actions on the CNS may also cause some of this medicine’s side effects.
• The other prescription muscle relaxants aren’t controlled substances.

Evidence suggests that the net effect of cyclobenzaprine is a reduction of tonic somatic motor activity, influencing both gamma (γ) and alpha (α) motor systems. In the higher dose groups this microscopic change was seen after 26 weeks and even earlier in rats which died prior to 26 weeks; at lower doses, the change was not seen until after 26 weeks. Pharmacologic similarities among the tricyclic drugs require that certain withdrawal symptoms be considered when FLEXERIL is administered, even though they have not been reported to occur with this drug. Abrupt cessation of treatment after prolonged administration rarely may produce nausea, headache, and malaise. Long-term usage could mask the underlying cause of the pain (1). Because of its long elimination half-life, dose tapering should be unnecessary after short term use.5,8 We identified no case reports of withdrawal effects.

Protect the patient’s airway, establish an intravenous line and initiate gastric decontamination. Observation with cardiac monitoring and observation for signs of CNS or respiratory depression, hypotension, cardiac dysrhythmias and/or conduction blocks, and seizures is necessary. If signs of toxicity occur at any time during this period, extended monitoring is required.

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use Flexeril only for the indication prescribed. Older adults may be more sensitive to the effects of this medicine. Do not use cyclobenzaprine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days, such as isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, or tranylcypromine. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.