Flexeril Uses, Dosage, Side Effects & Warnings

Get professional help from an online addiction and mental health counselor from BetterHelp. Secondary endpoints included a physician’s evaluation of the presence and extent of palpable muscle spasm. Analysis of the data from controlled studies shows that FLEXERIL produces clinical improvement whether or not sedation occurs. In light of these findings, therapy with FLEXERIL in the elderly should be initiated with a 5 mg dose and titrated slowly upward. Since overdosage is often deliberate, patients may attempt suicide by other means during the recovery phase.

Women who are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or breastfeeding shouldn’t take cyclobenzaprine.
It’s not considered a dangerous method of getting rid of specific muscular pain.
Cyclobenzaprine is used to help relax certain muscles in your body.
It is not an anti-inflammatory drug and does not reduce any inflammation to provide muscle relief.
Flexeril, Amrix, and Fexmid are some of the brand names for cyclobenzaprine.
Flexeril is a strong muscle relaxant used with rest and physical therapy to treat muscle spasms.

The plasma concentration of cyclobenzaprine is increased in the elderly (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Pharmacokinetics, Elderly). For these reasons, in the elderly, cyclobenzaprine should be used only if clearly needed. In such patients FLEXERIL should be initiated with a 5 mg dose and titrated slowly upward.

For instance, a person may be seen as using cocaine when they’re not. Given the potential for abuse of this drug, it’s important to know the proper dosage for this particular muscle relaxer. You and your doctor can you take flexeril and gabapentin will work out the proper cyclobenzaprine dosage for your particular situation. However, in general, physicians will prescribe Flexeril dosages according to the guidelines below as provided by the Mayo Clinic.

DRUGS AND MEDICATIONS CENTER

This is because the liver will take longer to process the drug through. It’s important that someone on Flexeril let the test administrator know they’re taking Flexeril. This is because it can give false positives on other narcotic substances.

This is especially true if someone has been engaging in polydrug use with cyclobenzaprine and other substances. This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. Flexeril usually takes between 45 minutes to an hour to work after being ingested to show relaxation activity. It peaks at around 3 to 4 hours, and then the effects begin to wear off. This timeline is appropriate for an immediate-release formulation. In the case of an extended-release formulation, the effects last for up to 24 hours.

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Flexeril works by acting on the central nervous system, blocking pain sensations that would otherwise travel from sore and spasming muscles to the brain. This pain-blocking mechanism can contribute to abuse of the medication and may result in Flexeril addiction. I had been prescribed this drug for back pain and to help with muscle spasms.

Pain Amplification Syndromes

However, overcoming any addiction can be an incredibly trying process. So, please don’t discount the need for professional treatment if you’re addicted to Flexeril. If you attempt to quit using it on your own, you put yourself at risk for an overdose. The DEA found that nearly 25 million prescriptions were given out for cyclobenzaprine, the active ingredient in Flexeril.

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I felt the second dose kick in about two and a half hours after I started. The sedation I felt was extreme and I felt very relaxed. It was almost as if it would be too difficult for me to even move.

Cyclobenzaprine Misuse Statistics

However a person becomes addictive, it is difficult to quit without the help of a treatment program that supports detox and eases withdrawal symptoms. 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. Cyclobenzaprine is used short-term to treat muscle spasms.

It is not known whether this drug is excreted in human milk. Tricyclic antidepressants have been reported to produce arrhythmias, sinus tachycardia, prolongation of the conduction time leading to myocardial infarction and stroke. Less frequent dosing should be considered for hepatically impaired or elderly patients (see PRECAUTIONS, Impaired Hepatic Function, and Use in the Elderly). Taking MAO inhibitors with this medication may cause a serious (possibly fatal) drug interaction.