How Effective is Flexeril, What are Its Side Effects & How Does Flexeril Work?

Flexeril which is also known as cyclobenzaprine is an effective muscle relaxant drug. Flexeril or cyclobenzaprine medicine works by hindering nerval pain sensations transmitted to your brain.

You should not use flexeril or cyclobenzaprine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor like tranylcypromine (Parnate), Selegiline (Emsam, Eldepryl), Phenelzine (Nardil), and Isocarboxazid (Marplan) in the past 2 weeks. Fatal and serious side effects may show up if you use flexeril or cyclobenzaprine your body has fully cleared the MAO inhibitors.

Flexeril is a brand name of cyclobenzaprine. Cyclobenzaprine is drug used to relax muscles by hindering painful nerve impulses directed to the brain.

Flexeril or cyclobenzaprine can also be effectively utilized in treatment of skeletal muscle cases like injury and pain together with physical therapy and rest therapy.

You should not take flexeril or cyclobenzaprine if you have recently had heart attack, or if you have a heart rhythm disorder, heart block, congestive heart failure or an overactive thyroid.

• Flexeril can be effectively used for short term alleviation of muscle spasms together with physical therapy and rest.
• Flexeril is the highly researched skeletal muscle relaxant.
• Flexeril or cyclobenzaprine alleviates skeletal muscle spasm without affecting the muscle functions.
• The effects of flexeril or cyclobenzaprine can last for long period of time.

Do not use flexeril or cyclobenzaprine if you recently suffered a heart attack or if you have an overactive thyroid, blockage of the heart, heart rhythm disorder.

Use of flexeril or cyclobenzaprine may also cripple your reactions and thinking ability. You should then be careful when operating machines, driving or doing tasks that need a sober mind. Avoid alcohol consumption when using this drug for it can escalate the side effects.

• Dosage prescription varies between two patients.
• It is not advisable for you to use Flexeril for more than 2 or 3 weeks.
• Do not drive, operate machines or perform duties that need an alert mind when using Flexeril. Sleeplessness caused by muscle spasms may be reduced by the sedetive effect of Flexeril in some patients.
• Do not use alcohol when taking flexeril or cyclobenzaprine.

The effectiveness and response of flexeril or cyclobenzaprine is excellent. The effects of this drug may take upto 4 days to reach a stable state. Our body eliminates flexeril or cyclobenzaprine slowly taking between seven to thirty seven hours.

Common side effects of flexeril or cyclobenzaprine include:

• Dry throat or mouth
• Unclear vision
• Feeling dizzy, fatigue or drowsy
• Lack if appetite, nausea and painful stomach are also side effects of flexeril or cyclobenzaprine.
• Weak muscles
• Constipation, gas or diarrhea.

You should seek immediate medical assistance if you have symptoms of allergic reactions to Flexeril, such as hives, breathing problems and the swelling of your tongue, lips, face or throat. Stop Flexeril intake and contact you physician at once if you get any of the below side effects:

Heavy feelings, pains in the chest as well as pains that scatter to the shoulders and arms, sweating, nausea and generally feeling sick.

Abrupt weakness or numbness, more so on one part of the body.

Abrupt confusion, headache, issues with balance, vision and speech.

A collapsing feeling or light headed.

Coordination problem, weakness and confusion.

Yellowing of your eyes or skin, pain in the stomach, nausea, dark urine, loss of appetite, low fever and stools that are clay colored

Convulsions and seizures.

Shocking behaviors and thoughts or hallucinations.

Uncommon weakness and easy bleeding or bruising.

Patients of between the age of 18 to 60 years and have no other medical problems, or using any other medicines may experience the following side effects after taking Flexeril.

• They may be sedated which can impair their thinking capacity and reactions. Do not drive or operate a machine in such a state. Also avoid alcohol.
• They mostly reported side effects of this age category include high eye pressure, dry mouth, headache, fatigue and difficulty when urinating.
• Rare reported cases are seizures, heart attacks or heart palpitations.
• The effects can also be the same as those of tricyclic antidepressants as they are structurally related to these ones.
• Sudden halting of Flexeril treatment may result to tiredness, headache or sickness. But these are not symptoms of addiction to this medicine.

You can suffer from lethal and severe side effects if you use Flexeril before the MAO inhibitors medicines have been eliminated from your body. Please do not take this drug if you recently suffered from a heart attack or if you still have the following conditions:

• Blocked heart
• A thyroid that is overactive
• Heart rhythm disorder
• Congestive heart failure;

Before taking Flexeril you should inform your doctor if you are allergic to some medicines or if you are having:

• Liver problems
• A prostate that is enlarged
• Difficulty when urinating; or
• Glaucoma

Flexeril or cyclobenzaprine is effectively used as a short term skeletal muscle relaxant in conjunction with rest and physical therapy (PT) in treatment of back pains and muscle spasm. The intake of flexeril or cyclobenzaprine is limited to serious side effects like seizure or sedation.