What happens if you take muscle relaxers for years?

Muscle Relaxer Abuse

Prolonged use can lead to increased tolerance and physical dependence, especially with Soma. For this reason, muscle relaxers are intended as a short-term treatment not to be prescribed for more than 2-3 weeks.

What do muscle relaxers do to your brain?

Muscle relaxers are sedative and tranquilizer medications that are used to treat muscle spasms and tension. They have a sedative effect and commonly work on the central nervous system by slowing it down or interfering with nerve transmission that can signal your muscles to spasm.

Are muscle relaxers harmful to the body?

Some muscle relaxants, however, can have potentially serious side effects, like liver damage. Your doctor will work with you to find the medication that makes the most sense for your situation. The most common side effects include: Tiredness, drowsiness, or sedation effect.

What is a good long-term muscle relaxer?

Taken as 800 mg tablets 3 to 4 times a day, metaxalone (Skelaxin) has the fewest reported side effects and lowest sedation potential of the muscle relaxants based on clinical studies. Simply put, it is the best-tolerated of the muscle relaxants.

What do muscle relaxers do to your heart?

Effects on the heart warning: This drug may cause heart arrhythmias (heart rate or rhythm problems). Your risk may be higher if you take a drug to treat depression or if you already have heart problems. If these issues aren't treated, they can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Muscle Relaxers - Mechanisms, Indications, Side Effects

Do muscle relaxers cause long term damage?

Muscle Relaxer Abuse

Prolonged use can lead to increased tolerance and physical dependence, especially with Soma. For this reason, muscle relaxers are intended as a short-term treatment not to be prescribed for more than 2-3 weeks.

Who shouldn't take muscle relaxers?

Serious side effects associated with their use include dizziness, falls, fractures, car accidents, dependence and overdose. Muscle relaxants pose a significant risk to people over 65, and the American Geriatrics Society advises against their use in this age group.

Do muscle relaxers permanently relax muscles?

You might think that “muscle relaxers” do, in fact, relax your muscles. The truth is, they don't have anything to do with muscle tissue. They work on the central nervous system and cause general sedation.

What are the top three muscle relaxers?

What is the strongest prescription muscle relaxer you can get?

There are several muscle relaxers, or skeletal muscle relaxants. They include cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), methocarbamol (Robaxin), and tizanidine (Zanaflex), among others. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, there is no clear evidence that one is better or stronger than another.

How long can you be on muscle relaxers?

Recommendations generally limit the use of these drugs to a maximum of three weeks, since they have not been shown to work for muscle spasms beyond that duration, and they can cause serious side effects including falls, fractures, vehicle crashes, abuse, dependence, and overdose.

Do muscle relaxers cause weight gain?

Potential Side Effects

Blurred vision; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth; weight gain.

Do muscle relaxers weaken muscles?

Most muscle relaxants cause muscle weakness as a side-effect. It is not possible in this leaflet to list all the possible side-effects for these medicines. However, see below for a list of the most common side-effects.

Why do muscle relaxers feel so good?

Muscle relaxers treat spasms by inhibiting nerve signals to the brain and spinal cord to stop the spasm-pain message going to the brain. When taking the medication, most people feel very relaxed and often drowsy or sleepy, which is why they are typically taken at night.

Which is a common side effect of muscle relaxers?

Do muscle relaxers help with nerve pain?

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may help the pain caused by nerve inflammation. Over-the-counter muscle relaxers can also provide a certain degree of relief as well.

What is the closest over the counter muscle relaxer?

No muscle relaxers are available over the counter in the U.S., but some OTC medications can have muscle-relaxing effects. These include guaifenesin and NSAIDs like ibuprofen and naproxen.

What is the most sedating muscle relaxer?

Cyclobenzaprine is the most heavily studied and has been shown to be effective for various musculoskeletal conditions. The sedative properties of tizanidine and cyclobenzaprine may benefit patients with insomnia caused by severe muscle spasms.

Is gabapentin a muscle relaxer?

Gabapentin is an anticonvulsive medication that originally saw use as a muscle relaxer and anti-spasmodic medication, but later it was discovered it had the potential of the medication as anticonvulsive medication and as an adjunct to more potent anticonvulsants.

Can you just stop taking muscle relaxers?

They must be discontinued gradually. If you've been taking a muscle relaxant for an extended period, don't abruptly stop taking it one day. Doing so may set you up for some unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and trouble sleeping.

Can you sleep on muscle relaxers?

Most people prefer to take muscle relaxers at night, not only because the drowsiness side effect makes them unable to concentrate on the tasks of the day, but because the pain relief effect of the drug helps them get a more restful, pain-free and spasm-free night of sleep.

Are muscle relaxers habit forming?

Muscle relaxers are prescription drugs that are known to be habit-forming. If you or a loved one frequently abuse these medications, you may be suffering from a substance use disorder.

What drugs interact with muscle relaxers?

Lincosamides (clindamycin, lincomycin) principal action is direct effect on muscle. Tetracycline administration chelates calcium. Metronidazole can potentiate the effects of NDMBs. Other drug classes that interact with muscle relaxants include anticonvulsants, various antiarrhythmics, and inhaled anesthetics.

Can muscle relaxers mess with your blood pressure?

Muscle relaxants used to treat muscle spasms and cramping normally don't increase blood pressure. In fact, they often lower it. As a result, muscle relaxers may not be safe to take with certain blood pressure medications.

Can muscle relaxers cause a stroke?

Serious side effects of Flexeril include seizures, abnormal heartbeats, stroke, heart attacks, and heatstroke.