Flexeril Uses, Dosage, Side Effects & Warnings

For nursing mothers, it is unknown if cyclobenzaprine is excreted in human milk. However, because it is closely related to tricyclic antidepressants, which are excreted in human milk, the FDA cautions against breastfeeding if using cyclobenzaprine. Abstracted data included setting, country of origin, treatment characteristics (dose, duration, and follow-up), demo graphics, number of participants enrolled, follow-up losses, adverse effects, and outcomes. Outcomes were extracted as either dichotomous or continuous variables (or both), depending on how they were reported in the studies. Naproxen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and it is a muscle relaxant (NSAID). Headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, constipation, and abdominal pain or discomfort are all common side effects of cyclobenzaprine and naproxen.

Acetaminophen can cause severe liver failure if excessive amounts are used and when combined with chronic alcohol use or other drugs that also impair liver function. Hydrocodone can impair thinking and the physical abilities required for driving or operating machinery. Hydrocodone can depress breathing, and should be used with caution in elderly, debilitated patients and in patients with serious lung disease. It’s reassuring to note that for most, flare-ups of sciatica will resolve with conservative treatments. This being said however, given that you’ve experienced sciatica in the past, it is possible for it to recur again in the future.

Our Flexeril (cyclobenzaprine) Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication. For most patients, the recommended dose of Flexeril is 5 mg three times a day. While all the medicines are effective, one specific muscle relaxant might work better than others for you. Methocarbamol can be used for long or short-term treatment as advised by a doctor. On the other hand, cyclobenzaprine is generally not prescribed for longer than two or three weeks.

How Muscle Relaxants Work

Cyclobenzaprine was given in 10-mg tablets, except in 2 studies,18,21 in which 5-mg tablets were used. The daily dose ranged from 10 to 60 mg, titrated based on the adverse effects, with a median dose of 30 mg/d. One study21 used a twice-daily dose of cyclobenzaprine, and the remainder of the studies18,22,24,25,30-37 used 3 times daily doses. The study duration averaged 12.3 days, ranging from 7 to 18 days (median, 14 days). Conservative treatment, such as physical therapy, exercise, and NSAIDs, should always be the first choice for remedying muscle spasms and related pain. Most healthcare professionals agree that muscle relaxants are overprescribed, especially since the risks and adverse effects outweigh the benefits in some cases (1).

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In a small number of cases, if the back pain is so severe that you can’t move, a short period of rest may be helpful but generally no longer than one to two days. The most common side effects of baclofen are muscle weakness, confusion, vertigo, nausea, and momentary sedation or drowsiness (2, 4, 11). Additional potential side effects of this drug include low blood pressure, swelling, shortness of breath, and insomnia among flexeril doses many other reported adverse effects (2). These side effects are most common with oral baclofen and less common with intrathecal baclofen because the drug is injected directly into the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord (11). Conservative treatment, such as physical therapy, exercise, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), should always be the first line of treatment for muscle spasm and related pain.

When you experience pain relief after using topical medication, try to perform simple lower back stretches. Stretches and targeted exercises can help prevent sciatica from recurring, by relieving the sciatic nerve compression, strengthening your tissues, and improving the flexibility in your lower back. A 2011, a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study published by The Journal of Rheumatology found that the drug may also be useful in treating those with fibromyalgia sleep better. A 2016 drug used to deliver cyclobenzaprine into the body of fibromyalgia patients was recently halted during trials.

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This approach is especially appropriate when studies measure the same concept but use various continuous scales. By standardization, the study results are transformed to a common scale (SD units) that facilitates pooling. A post-marketing surveillance program was carried out in 7607 patients with acute musculoskeletal disorders, and included 297 patients treated with FLEXERIL 10 mg for 30 days or longer. 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). If cyclobenzaprine is being misused, however, the person may continue to take the medication for much longer and may increase their dose too high, which could lead to dangerous side effects and overdose. As mentioned above, there is not a significant difference between Robaxin, Fexmid, Amrix, and other muscle relaxants in terms of efficacy in treating acute low back pain, other musculoskeletal pain, and muscle spasms.

• The more effective drug is the one that works best for a particular situation.
• Thirteen articles18,21,24,25,30-37 reported a global measure of symptom improvement.
• All analyses were done using Stata 6.0 (Stata Corp, College Station, Tex).
• Several over-the-counter (OTC) medications may provide sciatica pain relief.

Cyclobenzaprine therefore can be used in pregnancy if the physician feels that it is necessary. The use of MAO inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants with hydrocodone preparations may increase the effect of either the antidepressant or hydrocodone. The usual dose for adults is 1 to 2 tablets or capsules (hydrocodone 2.5 to 10 mg; acetaminophen 300 to 750 mg) every 4 to 6 hours or 15 mL of liquid every 4 to 6 hours as needed. The perceived benefits of taking any medication should always outweigh the potential risks.

One dose made me sleepy for the rest of the day AND the entire next day. That would have been somewhat acceptable if it did anything for my muscle spasms. But, it didn’t do anything at all for what it was supposed to help.

As management of overdose is complex and changing, it is recommended that the physician contact a poison control center for current information on treatment. Signs and symptoms of toxicity may develop rapidly after cyclobenzaprine overdose; therefore, hospital monitoring is required as soon as possible. The acute oral LD50 of FLEXERIL is approximately 338 and 425 mg/kg in mice and rats, respectively. The researchers performed a literature review to assess the evidence-basis for medications used for spine-related pain in older adults, with a focus on drug metabolism and adverse drug reactions. They then provided their recommendations based on safe and effective dosing.