Baclofen vs Flexeril Muscle Relaxer, Pain, Side Effects & Comparison
Baclofen vs Flexeril Muscle Relaxer, Pain, Side Effects & Comparison
However, for acute muscle pain and relief of spasms, Flexeril remains the primary medication. If you’re dealing with spasticity and chronic pain related to neurological disease or injury, such as multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury, then baclofen may be best for you. The most common adverse effects of cyclobenzaprine are drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness, and confusion (8).
- After successful graduation from Boston University, MA, Sharon gained a Master’s degree in Public Health.
- Alcohol and muscle relaxers are both depressants, which means they slow down your central nervous system.
- 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.
- Muscle relaxants are a somewhat common prescription due to the frequency of acute and chronic back pain.
Each type of prescription muscle relaxer has different possible side effects. It’s important to talk to your provider or a pharmacist about possible side effects of the specific medication you’re taking or thinking of taking. The different types and brands of skeletal muscle relaxers work in different ways to affect muscle function. Most muscle relaxers act as central nervous system depressants and cause a sedative effect, or prevent your nerves from sending pain signals to your brain. Healthcare providers mainly prescribe antispastic muscle relaxers to treat spasticity.
The drug interactions between these medications can be life threatening. Additionally, do not use Flexeril if you have had a heart attack, a heart rhythm disorder, congestive heart failure, heart block, or an overactive thyroid. If you’re experiencing acute back or prednisone and flexeril neck pain as a result of musculoskeletal injury or fibromyalgia, then cyclobenzaprine is your best option. Additionally, if you’re pregnant or nursing, you should use baclofen only if the perceived benefits of the drug outweigh the risks to the fetus or infant (2).
Compare Drugs
Cyclobenzaprine has been used in more clinical trials than other antispasmodic drug and consistently relieves pain (4). Baclofen is a muscle relaxant and antispastic used for treating spasm of skeletal muscles, muscle clonus, rigidity, and pain caused by multiple sclerosis. Baclofen is also injected into the spinal cord to treat severe spasticity, spinal cord injuries, and other spinal cord diseases. Providers mainly prescribe antispasmodic skeletal muscle relaxants for musculoskeletal and myofascial pain, especially lower back pain, and muscle spasms.
Gablofen vs. Flexeril comparison reveals in detail the similarities and differences between the two popularly prescribed muscle relaxants. While Gablofen and Flexeril are muscle relaxants, the former is the best choice for long-term use, while Flexeril is better for short-term use. Lioresal also will be the better option for the cases of multiple sclerosis, treating alcoholism and spinal cord issues.
Atherosclerosis may lead to muscle cramps and spasms since an inadequate quantity of nutrients in the blood supply is delivered to the muscle. According to studies, there isn’t really any muscle relaxant that is better than another, it only depends on which one works best for you. You should not drink alcohol while taking this medication since this combination slows your reaction time and thinking.
MeSH terms
Gablofen is usually prescribed as a long-term treatment for people suffering from long-term diseases such as multiple sclerosis. The medications are not to be used interchangeably because they’re meant to be used for different types of treatments. Whether the patient goes for Baclofen or Flexeril depends on what they need it for. Baclofen can be administered orally or intrathecally through a surgically inserted spinal cord pump. Intrathecal baclofen is generally considered if a patient demonstrates adverse effects or no response to oral delivery (2).
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Additional potential side effects of this drug include fatigue, headache, nervousness, dilated pupils, hallucinations, increased heart rate, and digestion issues (1, 8). There are no over-the-counter (OTC) muscle relaxants in the United States. But some OTC medications can help muscle issues (like soreness), such as NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and acetaminophen.
Side Effects And Precautions
Stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, particularly if you are an active person. This medication is used to treat pain caused by noninflammatory or inflammatory chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Moreover, when used at high doses, it has recently emerged as a treatment for alcohol dependence. Though Flexeril has been deemed unharmful to an unborn baby, further research needs to be done as to whether Flexeril can pass through breast milk and harm a newborn. Baclofen should not be taken during pregnancy as it can cause birth defects.
When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive. Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of baclofen oral liquid and granules in children younger than 12 years of age.