Flexeril

2 Views • 08/18/25

Side Effects

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Most Flexeril prescriptions are dispensed as the generic cyclobenzaprine. This muscle relaxant may offer some fleeting advantages over placebo and remains among the top 50 drugs in the country. Fortunately Flexeril is not a controlled substance, not an opioid and not addictive. Unfortunately it also does not work very well.

One study determined adding generic Flexeril to over-the-counter naproxen failed to offer any advantage compared to naproxen alone. In spite of this, 2/3 of the patients, mostly suffering from low back pain, asked to receive the same therapy if their pain returned.

The maximum recommended course of treatment should not extend beyond 2-3 weeks since its indication remains acute muscle spasm. The typical dose is 5 mg three times a day, but this may be doubled if necessary. Flexeril finds use not as a single agent but in combination with an analgesic for active pain control.

Flexeril belongs to the cyclical antidepressants – a class of medicines discovered in 1889. Side effects include abdominal pain, decreased intestinal activity and reduced mental alertness. Drowsiness occurs in about 1 in 3 people taking the drug with complaints of dry mouth in 1 out of every 4 patients. Other adverse reactions include painful ejaculation, abnormal cardiac rhythms, abnormal thinking and difficulty swallowing.

Combining Flexeril with other central nervous system acting drugs poses special hazards. Complications are more likely to appear among individuals also taking benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium), opioids (hydrocodone, oxycodone), phenothiazines (Abilify, Vrylar, Prolixin, Mellaril), phenobarbital and alcohol.

Flexeril increases risk of seizures especially in those receiving tramadol and must not be taken within 2 weeks of an MAO inhibitor.

Elderly individuals appear especially liable to cognitive difficulties resulting from Flexeril. Medical authorities suggest avoiding Flexeril among those past age 65.

Overall the drug presents a robust list of side effects along with a lack of defined benefit. Clearly this might be one to think twice about before beginning a course of therpay. For convenience, Teva manufactures a delayed release version of the drug. While gereric forms of the immediate release Flexeril cost as little as $10 a month, Teva’s name brand Amrix carries a cash price tag of about $1400 a month. Go figure.

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