Cyclobenzaprine Flexeril Side Effects, Interactions, Uses, Dosage, Warnings

If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional. Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine flexeril. or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals.

Elderly patients have higher plasma levels and an increase in plasma half-life of Cyclobenzaprine. This phenomenon can be linked to age-related physiologic changes to liver, kidney, and heart function in the elderly. Therefore, the use of Cyclobenzaprine is contraindicated in patients older than 65, due to the increased risk of Cyclobenzaprine side effects. However, if cyclobenzaprine use is absolutely required in the elderly, these cyclobenzaprine warnings must be clearly discussed with the patients before the prescription. Soma withdrawal is usually more severe and can include symptoms like hallucinations and seizures.

FLEXERIL(R) 5 mg for the Treatment of Muscle Spasm Reaches … – Pharmaceutical Online

FLEXERIL(R) 5 mg for the Treatment of Muscle Spasm Reaches ….

Posted: Mon, 02 Jan 2017 16:31:41 GMT [source]

Clinical indications for cyclobenzaprine are described below. The most common adverse reactions to cyclobenzaprine are somnolence, dry mucous membranes, dizziness, and confusion. Less commonly, tachycardia, dysarthria, disorientation, and hallucinations have been reported [2].

Take control of your life

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. Cyclobenzaprine has not been tested in pediatric patients younger than 15 years of age.

• Most inpatient and outpatient rehab programs include cognitive behavioral therapy that will help you learn the coping skills needed for long-term recovery.
• Formulations include immediate-release and extended-release.
• Don’t take this medicine for longer than three weeks without talking to your doctor.
• You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital.
• If EKG demonstrates QRS prolongation, the clinician should initiate sodium bicarbonate therapy.

Cyclobenzaprine is structurally and pharmacologically related to tricyclic antidepressants. Among the most dreaded toxicities linked with cyclical antidepressants, overdoses affect fast-acting sodium channels in the cardiac conduction system. Cyclical antidepressants block the cardiac sodium channel and cause prolongation of cardiac depolarization, which manifests as QRS widening on electrocardiograms. There is also evidence that cyclical antidepressants may decrease the seizure threshold by interfering with chloride conductance on the GABA receptor.

Patient Handout

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. Prescription use of Cyclobenzaprine subjected to the supervision of a licensed doctor is most commonly linked with a non-emergent, tolerable adverse reaction. These reactions develop in ≥3% of the patients and consist of xerostomia, drowsiness, and dizziness all connected to the anticholinergic effects of cyclobenzaprine drug class.

Patients should be advised to exercise caution when driving or operating machinery. But for the safety of other road users, patients taking Flexeril are not encouraged to drive. Therefore, when considering the use of cyclobenzaprine while pregnant the necessity for maternal use should be weighed against the benefits of breastfeeding in infants.

Overdose symptoms may include severe drowsiness, vomiting, fast heartbeats, tremors, agitation, or hallucinations. In a pharmacokinetic study of sixteen subjects with hepatic impairment (15 mild, 1 moderate per Child-Pugh score), both AUC and Cmax were approximately double the values seen in the healthy control group. Based on the findings, FLEXERIL should be used with caution in subjects with mild hepatic impairment starting with the 5 mg dose and titrating slowly upward. Due to the lack of data in subjects with more severe hepatic insufficiency, the use of FLEXERIL in subjects with moderate to severe impairment is not recommended. Acute recovery phase of myocardial infarction, and patients with arrhythmias, heart block or conduction disturbances, or congestive heart failure.

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. Cyclobenzaprine acts on the central nervous system (CNS) to produce its muscle relaxant effects.

Cyclobenzaprine may interact with other medications

Flexeril interacts with other medications and drugs that slow the brain’s processes, such as alcohol, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and narcotics. Abrupt cessation of Flexeril after prolonged therapy may cause withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and weakness. However, the half-life of immediate-release cyclobenzaprine is 18 hours on average, with a range of 8-37 hours.