Compare Muscle Relaxers: OTC vs Prescription, Side Effects, Cost

You should work with your healthcare providers to develop a comprehensive recovery plan that includes rest, stretching, physical therapy, and exercise to treat muscle spasms. Muscle relaxants are also used to treat skeletal muscle spasms (tension, cramping, or involuntary contractions). For example, they are used to treat muscle spasms caused by conditions such as acute low back pain, tension headaches, and fibromyalgia.

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Anyone who is chronically abusing the drug will experience withdrawal. The process of quitting the drug is presented various withdrawal signs and symptoms. Naproxen (Aleve) is a popular and accessible nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. It treats muscle pain, migraines, osteoarthritis, headaches, cramps, fever, and minor injuries. This over the counter muscle relaxer daily usage is generally safe when someone follows the instructions.

Antispasmodics are used to treat muscle spasms, and antispastics are used to treat muscle spasticity. Some antispasmodics, such as tizanidine, can be used to treat muscle spasticity. However, antispastics should not be used to treat muscle spasms. There are many prescription and over-the-counter medications available that can provide relief for muscle spasms and muscle spasticity. Muscle relaxants should always be used at the recommended dosage and for the prescribed time frame.

What other drugs will affect Flexeril?

Continue reading more about cyclobenzaprine high effects that lead some people to abuse the drug. Research is lacking on whether or not antispasmodics are more effective in treating muscle pain and spasms than NSAIDs or acetaminophen. Antispasmodics have more side effects than NSAIDs and acetaminophen, so it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of taking these medications. Over-the-counter pain relievers can help relieve back pain, neck pain, and other muscle pain symptoms for many people. If you’re unsure about using over-the-counter muscle relaxers, reach out to your doctor to discuss if OTC pain relief is the right solution for you.

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However, when moderate or severe pain persists, prescription muscle relaxants are recommended. As prescribed muscle relaxers act on the CNS to inhibit muscle contractions, which cause pain, they are known as habit-forming drugs with a potential of leading to muscle relaxant overdose. Due to these facts, all drugs from this class are put into a prescription-based category. Therefore, a few over the counter muscle relaxers still exist. Some of the popular and commonly prescribed muscle relaxants are briefly described below. Severe pain can seriously affect your quality of sleep, causing uncomfortable cranky mornings.

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Some patients taking SNRIs report nausea, dizziness, and dizziness (21). Both SSRIs and SNRIS may be linked to serotonin syndrome (23). If you have neck or back pain, or you’re dealing with some other condition that causes muscle flexeril kidney spasms, your doctor might prescribe a muscle relaxer (or muscle relaxant) for you. Doctors prescribe metaxalone in combination with rest, physical therapy, and other nondrug treatment strategies for painful muscle conditions.

• But if those don’t work, or you can’t take them because you have another issue like liver problems or ulcers, you may need to try a muscle relaxant.
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
• OTC treatment options include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen, or a combination of both.
• Centrally acting SMRs are used in addition to rest and physical therapy to help relieve muscle spasms.

Using Flexeril with other drugs that make you drowsy can worsen this effect. Ask your doctor before using opioid medication, a sleeping pill, a muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety or seizures. Our writers and reviewers are experienced professionals in medicine, addiction treatment, and healthcare. AddictionResource fact-checks all the information before publishing and uses only credible and trusted sources when citing any medical data. The Verified badge on our articles is a trusted sign of the most comprehensive scientifically-based medical content. If you have any concern that our content is inaccurate or it should be updated, please let our team know at [email protected].

Diazepam (Valium) is a benzodiazepine used to relieve muscle spasms caused by inflammation, trauma, or muscle spasticity. It works by increasing the activity of a certain neurotransmitter to decrease the occurrence of muscle spasms. Side effects can include drowsiness, fatigue, and muscle weakness.

Since muscle relaxant drugs are used as second-line medications, they are available by prescription only. However some otc muscle relaxers are also available on the market and are relatively safe. If a person abusing acetaminophen suddenly stops misusing the over the counter muscle relaxer, withdrawal symptoms can occur. These withdrawal symptoms may range from bone and muscle pain and restlessness to diarrhea and vomiting.