Comparison of Skeletal Muscle Relaxers

Compared to muscle relaxers, these treatments directly target where the pain originates. For the elderly, taking muscle relaxers can bring more harm than benefit. Senior citizens already suffer from decreased fitness levels and reduced motor skills on a daily basis. With muscle relaxer side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, and confusion, the chances of older patients getting into an accident increase dramatically. Most muscle relaxers work not by stopping what causes the pain, but by controlling the inhibition and excitation levels of motor neurons in the affected muscles. Muscle relaxers work by mimicking the action of naturally-occurring substances in the body, though exactly how they do so remains a challenge for researchers.

• Meanwhile, skeletal muscle relaxers like Dantrium, Flexeril, Lorzone, Robaxin, Skelaxin, Soma, and Zanaflex may need to be used with caution in people with preexisting liver or kidney disease.
• Even if you have insurance, the prices of Robaxin, Fexmid, Amrix, and other muscle relaxants may be cheaper through the BuzzRx discount program.
• Although antispastics and antispasmodics are both types of skeletal muscle relaxants, they have specific and different uses.
• The drug reduces pain in the first few days and works for up to two weeks.

It can also lead to impaired coordination, which can cause accidents. Also, taking a muscle relaxant with alcohol can increase the chance of abuse or dependence. Flexeril is also a muscle relaxant used to treat skeletal muscle spasms. For the treatment of painful peripheral musculoskeletal conditions and spasticity from upper motor neuron syndromes.

Legal Conditions and Terms

Use of Flexeril for periods longer than two or three weeks is not recommended. Consult your healthcare provider for medical advice regarding drug interactions. It’s important to thoroughly inform your doctor about all of your medical conditions because muscle relaxants might not be suitable flexeril for kidney stones for certain diseases and conditions. Take this medication by mouth with or without food as directed by your doctor. Do not increase your dose or use this drug more often or for longer than prescribed. Your condition will not improve any faster, and your risk of side effects will increase.

If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so. Flexeril is contraindicated in patients with congestive heart failure, hyperthyroidism and other heart issues. Metaxalone is contraindicated in patients with anemia and in patients with significantly impaired renal or hepatic function.

Meprobamate has a much longer duration of effect and drug accumulation may occur during chronic therapy. Unwanted effects are common with both drugs and include dizziness, drowsiness, disorientation, unsteadiness, slurred speech, ataxia, and tremor. In higher doses, patients may experience intoxication or drunken behavior, loss of balance and coordination, weakness, agitation, disorientation to place and time, and sleep disturbances.

metaxalone (Rx)

The other dosage form of this medicine is an injection solution into a muscle or into a vein. Robaxin needs to be taken three to four times a day to provide relief from muscle pain and muscle spasms. Drinking alcohol can be especially dangerous when taking muscle relaxers. Alcohol increases the sedative effects of the drugs and, in some cases, can lead to severe respiratory depression and death.

Myositis & Fatigue: Helping Patients Manage Their Symptoms – Hospital for Special Surgery

Myositis & Fatigue: Helping Patients Manage Their Symptoms.

Posted: Tue, 13 Feb 2018 08:00:00 GMT [source]

They can be used “on demand” when acute pain strikes but are generally not the drugs of choice for chronic musculoskeletal pain. While they all have similar mechanisms of action (in that they directly act on the central nervous system), they have different chemical structures and indications for use. Some have stronger sedative effects than others, while others are used to treat specific medical conditions (for example, injuries or diseases of the spinal cord). Pregabalin (Lyrica), an analogue of Lyrica, is possibly superior to gabapentin for anxiety or chronic nerve pain relief but takes about a week to work. It is also a controlled medication due to its addiction potential and is very expensive at this time.

Side effects include hemolytic anemia, leukopenia, hepatotoxicity, dizziness, drowsiness, light-headedness, paradoxical stimulation, abdominal pain, N/V, headache, and nervousness. Radiofrequency Ablation Procedure involves the use of specialized probes placed along the body to isolate the origins of nerve pain. These same probes then deliver electric signals to disrupt specific nerve conductive abilities. RAP is used to treat back and neck pain, trigeminal neuralgia, and chronic pain syndromes. They require medical examination beforehand to ascertain if the treatment is applicable and to pinpoint the area for treatment. Plus, they often provide immediate or near-immediate pain relief upon completion of the procedure.

Although antispastics and antispasmodics are both types of skeletal muscle relaxants, they have specific and different uses. In addition, some of these medications treat conditions not related to muscle function. For example, providers sometimes prescribe diazepam to treat anxiety and seizures. Skeletal muscle relaxants are commonly prescribed for the treatment of muscle spasms and discomfort.

Skelaxin and Flexeril are most commonly prescribed as their generic counterparts, metaxalone and cyclobenzaprine. The way they work is not completely understood, but may be due to central nervous system (CNS) depression and sedative effects. Carisoprodol is a centrally acting skeletal muscle relaxant commonly prescribed for the treatment of acute musculoskeletal pain. It is available in tablet form either on its own or in combination with aspirin or codeine.