Baclofen vs Flexeril: How to Pick One for Your Back Pain

Abrupt discontinuation of these drugs after long-term use can cause withdrawal symptoms. These medications should only be used under the supervision of a doctor or healthcare provider. In a head-to-head trial between methocarbamol and cyclobenzaprine, there was no significant difference in muscle spasms or tenderness. However, patients experienced slightly better improvements in local pain with cyclobenzaprine (48% vs. 40%). Cyclobenzaprine was also found to produce more somnolence or drowsiness (58% vs. 10%).

But, Flexeril may also cause more adverse effects like drowsiness and dry mouth. Discuss these treatment options with a doctor to find the best medication for you. Flexeril is one of the most studied muscle relaxants; thus, it has more supporting evidence for its effectiveness. In a systematic review, it was found that, in general, muscle relaxants are comparable in effectiveness. This review included other muscle relaxants such as metaxalone, baclofen, tizanidine, orphenadrine, and chlorzoxazone. Robaxin and Flexeril are effective treatments for treating musculoskeletal pain and muscle spasms.

However, no research suggests that long-term cyclobenzaprine use is safe or effective. Based on each medication’s dosage schedules, tizanidine could be slightly stronger over time. Treatment on either medicine starts with a small dose that is gradually increased under a doctor or pharmacist’s direction. Tizanidine and Flexeril are both muscle relaxers that can be used with a physical therapy program. If your doctor has presented these options to you, you may be considering which one is right for you and wondering how they compare. Read on to find out what each drug does so that you are informed when you speak with your doctor about the best medication to take.

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Addiction Resource does not favor or support any specific recovery center, nor do we claim to ensure the quality, validity, or effectiveness of any particular treatment center. No one should assume the information provided on Addiction Resource as authoritative and should always defer to the advice and care provided by a medical doctor. However, for acute muscle pain and relief of spasms, Flexeril remains the primary medication.

What are the main differences between Robaxin and Flexeril?

Both drugs are skeletal muscle relaxants or antispasmodic agents, but they contain different active ingredients. Methocarbamol typically needs to be taken up to 4 times a day, whereas cyclobenzaprine extended-release capsules offer the convenience of once-a-day dosing. Keep in mind that regular cyclobenzaprine tablets may require dosing of up to 3 times a day. All analyses were done using Stata 6.0 (Stata Corp, College Station, Tex). Analysis of the continuous outcome involved comparing standardized differences in means between control and treatment groups.

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Yes, cyclobenzaprine can be addictive, the active ingredient in medications like Flexeril, carries the potential for addiction when misused or taken in ways not prescribed by a medical professional. Though created to treat depression,doctors often prescribe this medication as a muscle relaxant due to the way it blocks nerve signals to suppress the central nervous system. This drug does not come in over the counter form and always requires a prescription.

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Patients with low back pain or fibromyalgia may benefit from treatment with cyclobenzaprine. Recent evidence showed similar effectiveness at half of its manufacturer recommended dose (5 mg), but with fewer adverse effects.33 It may optimally be used in younger patients with limited or no medical conditions. Higher doses of cyclobenzaprine or tizanidine would be appropriate to promote sedation in cases of more severe discomfort or perceived muscular spasm. Although there appears to be insufficient data on metaxalone and methocarbamol, these may be useful in patients who cannot tolerate the sedative properties of cyclobenzaprine or tizanidine. Anyone with a history of substance abuse should mention this medical history to their doctor. Muscle relaxants are some of the most commonly prescribed medications to treat back pain and other strains or sprains.

• Keep in mind that regular cyclobenzaprine tablets may require dosing of up to 3 times a day.
• If CER is dosed in the early evening (between 6 and 7 pm, as was the case in the clinical studies), then peak concentrations should occur in the middle of the night (between midnight and 2 am).
• Outcomes included global improvement and 5 specific domains of back pain (local pain, muscle spasm, range of motion, tenderness to palpation, and activities of daily living).
• Because methocarbamol may possess a general CNS-depressant effect, patients should be cautioned about combined effects with alcohol and other CNS depressants.
• In comparison, Tizanidine is more direct – blocking the nerve signals in the brain, reducing activity of the muscles that cause muscles to spasm.

Be aware of contraindications and drug interactions when taking these medications. The most common adverse effects of cyclobenzaprine are drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness, and confusion (8). Additional potential side effects of this drug include fatigue, aleve and flexeril headache, nervousness, dilated pupils, hallucinations, increased heart rate, and digestion issues (1, 8). The research regarding the efficacy of baclofen for the treatment of common musculoskeletal conditions, such as back pain, is limited (2, 4).

Cyclobenzaprine may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

Robaxin (methocarbamol) and Flexeril (cyclobenzaprine) are examples of skeletal muscle relaxants (SMRs) that your healthcare provider may prescribe if you experience muscle 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. While our results suggest a modest benefit from the use of cyclobenzaprine, there are several important limitations to these findings.

Abrupt discontinuation of baclofen may cause seizures and hallucinations, high fever, rebound spasticity, muscle rigidity, and rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown and wasting). Any drug information published on RxList.com regarding general drug information, drug side effects, drug usage, dosage, and more are sourced from the original drug documentation found in its FDA drug monograph. Patients should be cautioned that methocarbamol may cause drowsiness or dizziness, which may impair their ability to operate motor vehicles or machinery. Muscle relaxants should be avoided or monitored before operating machinery or driving a motor vehicle. Muscle relaxants like Robaxin or Flexeril can cause increased dizziness or drowsiness and impair cognitive performance. Robaxin can decrease the effectiveness of pyridostigmine bromide, a medication used to treat myasthenia gravis.