Cramping of muscles or sprains can cause pains. These spells are healed with needful rest coupled with physical therapy and intake of meds. In this light, a drug called cyclobenzaprine is widely used for relieving pains and sprains. This med belongs to a class of drugs known as skeletal muscle relaxing meds / relaxants. This drug works by working on your brain as well as central nervous system (CNS); this action leads to relaxation of your muscles. But, how much (i.e., doses) can you take of this relaxant? It is quite an important thing to know prior to starting your treatment?
Spasms, sprains and cramping of muscles can lead to pains and / or discomforts. Cyclobenzaprine is a medication administered for treating these muscular conditions. Key chemicals of this relaxant enable your muscles to relax, and thus offer needful relief. It is available both as an extended-action capsule and in a pill form. Typical dose of the pill is thrice within a 24-hour timeline; you can take it either before or after a meal. On the other hand, the extended release is taken as a single dose each day.
This drug is a short-term medication; hence, its use is never prescribed for more than 20 days. It is hence important to take this med under the guidance and instructions of a qualified medical practitioner. The good thing about this med is: it is available in its generic form. The cost of such drugs is lesser than the branded meds’. Fexmid is a branded formulation of this relaxant; it is sold at a relatively higher price than its generic equivalent.
How much of cyclobenzaprine is safe to take?
The generic form of this med is available in dosage strengths of 5 milligrams (mg), 7.5 mg as well as 10 mg. These doses are available as oral pills. Branded counterpart – for example, Fexmid – is available in doses of 7.5 mg tablets. Dosages of this drug and the duration of your medication plan may vary based on your age, severity of your muscular condition, presence of other conditions – if any, and intake of other drugs.
Dosage strength to treat spasms hovers in the range of 5 mg to 10 mg – consumed three times each day. The above dosages are prescribed for adults – i.e., those aged between 19 to 63 years. In case of children (those above 15 years of age), dosage strength is maintained at 5 mg; however, depending on the muscular condition, doses may be raised up to 10 mg. For children aged less than 15 years this drug is never administered.
In case of elderly patients, renal function (filtration rate of kidneys) may not be as good as younger adults. Owing to this, it may take a while for this drug to be processed by older people. The longer the residue of cyclobenzaprine stays back in your system, the higher are the odds of adverse side effects. Owing to such risks, elders living with muscular problems are prescribed with very minimal dosage strength.
Special dosage-based precautions
Added precautions are needed for people living with hepatic conditions – such as cirrhosis or inflammation of liver (known as hepatitis). People living with milder form of liver conditions are advised to start their mediation plan at low dosage strength of cyclobenzaprine. If such low doses do not cause any adverse side effects, the strength is gradually raised to maximise the therapeutic action of this drug. However, if your liver condition is severe / acute, it can be unsafe to use this med.
It is important to take cyclobenzaprine as per your treatment plan; those who took additional doses experienced an overdosed condition. So, if you witness adverse reactions in the form of slurring of speech, numbing of arms / legs, being in an agitated frame of mind, etc., talk to your treating doctor without much delay.
Education: Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) from New York University. Experience: 5 years of experience writing for physiotherapy and sports medicine blogs, providing expert insights on injury prevention and rehabilitation.
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