Cyclobenzaprine Flexeril Side Effects & Interactions

Additionally, Flexeril users may experience mild withdrawal symptoms if the drug is used chronically in high doses. Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) is structurally similar to TCAs and, as such, demonstrates significant anticholinergic side effects. It differs from the TCA amitriptyline by only one double bond. It is generally used for musculoskeletal conditions, including fibromyalgia and low back pain. Cyclobenzaprine is best used in short-term treatment but may be used intermittently or long-term for chronic pain. It is structurally similar to the tricyclic antidepressants and adverse effects similar to those seen with the tricyclic antidepressants are therefore to be expected.

That’s why it’s important to know your dosage, understand how long the effects last, and how long it stays in your system. Many insurance companies require prior authorization for this drug. This means your doctor will need to get approval from your insurance company before your insurance company will pay for the prescription. Examples of drugs that can cause interactions with cyclobenzaprine are listed below. Cyclobenzaprine oral tablet may cause drowsiness and dizziness. This is more likely to happen in the few hours after you take it.

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Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects. This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription/nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicines without your doctor’s approval. Flexeril is prescribed to treat short-term pain and discomfort that stems from muscle injuries, including strains, sprains, and spasms.

What are the possible side effects of cyclobenzaprine?

Multiple drug ingestion (including alcohol) is common in deliberate cyclobenzaprine overdose. 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. 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.

Just because cyclobenzaprine isn’t an opioid though doesn’t mean it hasn’t become a substance of abuse. Many treatment programs offer medical detoxification to address physical dependence in a safe environment with caring physicians and nurses who will work to alleviate symptoms and increase your comfort. There are options available across the full continuum of care to help with substance abuse. The incidence of drowsiness, the most frequent adverse reaction, was similar with both drugs.

Legal Conditions and Terms

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. (‘Multum’) is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum’s drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient.

• It’s structurally similar to tricyclic antidepressants, though not used as an antidepressant treatment itself.
• Everyone metabolizes drugs differently, which means the effects and total duration of medication can range from person to person and, in some cases, even day to day.
• Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company.
• Cyclobenzaprine, commonly prescribed under the brand name Flexeril, is a prescription skeletal muscle relaxant used primarily to treat muscle spasms.
• Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed.

To find out how this drug might interact with something else you’re taking, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Using cyclobenzaprine with other drugs that make you drowsy can worsen this effect. Ask your doctor before using opioid medication, a sleeping pill, a muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety or seizures. Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

During this time, it’s recommended to avoid drinking alcohol, operating machinery, driving, or any high performing tasks. With a half-life ranging from 8 to 37 hours for immediate-release and between flexeril and cocaine 32 and 33 hours for extended-release, cyclobenzaprine can potentially stay in the body for up to three days. It accumulates and, if dosed three times a day, can reach steady-state within 3-4 days.

Concomitant use of monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors or within 14 days after their discontinuation. Hyperpyretic crisis seizures, and deaths have occurred in patients receiving cyclobenzaprine (or structurally similar tricyclic antidepressants) concomitantly with MAO inhibitor drugs. The overall incidence of adverse reactions among patients in the surveillance program was less than the incidence in the controlled clinical studies.

Before taking cyclobenzaprine, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Flexeril is usually taken once daily for only 2 or 3 weeks. Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Do not use Flexeril if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. Within the last five years, emergency room department visits related to muscle relaxant abuse almost doubled; they increased from 15,830 to 31,763 visits.