Cyclobenzaprine Flexeril Side Effects & Interactions

An individual might abuse Flexeril in order to feel relaxed, mildly euphoric, or sedated. Flexeril produces a variety of anticholinergic effects in high doses, altering the activity of brain neurotransmitters. Additionally, Flexeril users may experience mild withdrawal symptoms if the drug is used chronically in high doses. It is also possible for serious cyclobenzaprine side effects to occur, like seizures, heart arrhythmias, heart attack, or stroke. These are more likely to occur when a person has too much cyclobenzaprine in their system, for instance, if their prescription dose is too high or if they are misusing the drug. Sometimes, muscle relaxants like cyclobenzaprine are used “off-label” to treat conditions they’re not approved for, such as fibromyalgia.

Meclizine: Side Effects, Dosage, Uses, and More – Healthline

Meclizine: Side Effects, Dosage, Uses, and More.

Posted: Wed, 25 Aug 2021 21:11:12 GMT [source]

This is because it has the potential for strong and dangerous side effects that can be life-threatening when the drug is abused in high doses. If you’re taking a prescription muscle relaxer, you shouldn’t consume alcohol. Alcohol and muscle relaxers are both depressants, which means they slow down your central nervous system. If you take them together, the side effects are much more intense, which can be dangerous. Yes, prescription muscle relaxers can make you sleepy due to how they affect your central nervous system. Because of this, you should be cautious about operating heavy machinery, such as driving a car, or making important decisions while taking these medications.

What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Cyclobenzaprine?

Your doctor may start you on a lowered dose or a different dosing schedule. This can help keep levels of this drug from building up too much in your body. Examples of drugs that can cause interactions with cyclobenzaprine are listed below. Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

• This is not a complete list of Flexeril drug interactions.
• Using Flexeril with a CNS depressant is dangerous, because each drug will only amplify the other’s dangerous side effects.
• Prescription muscle relaxers can be effective in treating spasticity, muscle spasms and muscle-related pain.

Talk to your care team about the use of this medication in children. If this medication upsets your stomach, take it with food or milk. Selected from data included with permission and copyrighted by First Databank, Inc. This copyrighted material has been downloaded from a licensed data provider and is not for distribution, except as may be authorized by the applicable terms of use.

Pain Amplification Syndromes

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. 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.

This is due to the adverse side effects of antispasmodics, including addiction potential for some types of the medication. If your doctor prescribes an antidepressant for your pain, give it a try for several weeks. The drug will need to build up in your system in order to have maximum effect.

The risk of overdose is significantly increased when Flexeril is combined with other drugs, particularly alcohol or Benzodiazepines. This combination can cause extreme drowsiness and respiratory depression, but many people that abuse Flexeril will mix the substances anyway simply to increase the intoxication experienced. Cyclobenzaprine belongs to a class of drugs called muscle relaxants.

Reasons Flexeril Is Not A Controlled Substance

If you are prescribed cyclobenzaprine, follow your healthcare provider’s directions for how to take it. Muscle relaxants are a somewhat common prescription due to the frequency of acute and chronic back pain. Low back pain is a very common issue — it remains among the top five reasons people see a primary healthcare provider. Most cases of low back pain resolve without medical intervention.

In this study cyclobenzaprine (10mg/d) failed to significantly improve sleep in the short term but this may have been due to the relatively low dose employed. The usual dose is 5–10mg three times daily and treatment for more than 2–3 weeks is not recommended. Combining any of these drugs with alcohol or other depressants (including antihistamines, narcotics and some dental anesthetics) can make side effects more severe. flexeril and lorazepam Also, many of the medicines used to treat fibromyalgia work by boosting the amount of serotonin in your body. Taking two or more of these drugs together could lead to a potentially life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome. Symptoms usually begin within hours of combining the drugs and include confusion, agitation, irregular heartbeat, unstable blood pressure, tremors, muscle rigidity, nausea and vomiting.

Elderly patients seem to tolerate cyclobenzaprine less and may develop hallucinations as well as significant anticholinergic side effects, such as sedation. The use of significant lower dosing schedules in elderly patients may be prudent. How cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) works is not well understood, but it helps alleviate stiffness, pain, and discomfort due to sprains, strains, or injuries to muscles.