When you injure your neck or back, your muscles may seize up, making it difficult to get through your day, your exercises, and/or yourphysical therapysession. When this happens, your healthcare provider may prescribe skeletal muscle relaxers to help reduce pain.
In the meantime, the most important thing to remember about skeletal muscle relaxers is that they’ll probably make you drowsy. This means that driving, operating heavy machinery and or engaging in other risky activities are a no-no when you are under the influence of skeletal muscle relaxers.
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Soma, Rela, or Vanadom (Carisoprodol)
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Carisoprodol is available generically and as a brand; brand names are Soma and Vanadom.
Many healthcare providers prescribe this medication, as well as other types of drugs in the skeletal muscle relaxer class, as an adjunct to physical therapy for the healing and managing of musculoskeletal injuries and/or pain.
By adjunct, we mean you may be able to take carisoprodol (or another skeletal muscle relaxer) to reduce your pain and/or release any muscle spasm you may have long enough to give you a fair chance to engage with your activity based care.
And taking this medication may help you adhere to the exercise program you’ll inevitably encounter in your physical therapy sessions.
Back muscle spasmis a perfect example of the kind of condition that may benefit from carisoprodol in the short term.
The Drugs.com website says that carisoprodol can be habit-forming. Based on that, a few warnings are in order:
Be sure to communicate with your healthcare provider before taking carisoprodol if you have anydrug allergies,kidney diseaseor liver disease, or if you getseizures.
If you’re allergic to carisoprodol, obviously you shouldn’t take it. And you shouldn’t take it if you are allergic meprobamate (Equanil, Miltown). Another reason to avoid carisoprodol is if you have porphyria.
Soma (carisoprodol) has the potential for abuse, and non-medical use has risen significantly in recent years. Overdose of this drug can result in stupor, coma, and death.
2CyclobenzaprineCyclobenzaprine is available as Amrix and in generic form. Flexeril is a discontinued brand name of the drug. Like other types of muscle relaxers, cyclobenzaprine may cause dizziness or drowsiness, so you shouldn’t drive, lift heavy objects, or do vigorous exercise while under its influence.In fact, the sedation effects of cyclobenzaprine may be the way in which it works its magic on your painful, tension-filled muscles.As with carisoprodol and other skeletal muscle relaxers, cyclobenzaprine is used together with rest and physical therapy to treat skeletal muscle-related conditions and/or injuries, especially when pain or spasm is involved. So when you use cyclobenzaprine in conjunction with your physical therapy, you may find you’re making speedier progress, especially if you take your home exercise program seriously.Cyclobenzaprine is chemically related to tricyclic antidepressants. Although it is considered a derivative of the tricyclic antidepressant class, it does not pose the same risk to your liver health. Experts do not currently know the reason for this difference between the two substances.According to the National Institutes of Health, reasonsnotto take this medication include, among other things, if you have a thyroid disorder, heart block,congestive heart failure, a heart rhythm disorder, or you have recently had aheart attack.As with Skelaxin and carisoprodol, your healthcare provider’s recommendation that you go with Flexeril (instead of another drug in this class) may be based on a comparison of anticipated side effects, your personal preferences and/or potential drug interactions.Baclofen vs. Cyclobenzaprine: Similarities and Differences
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CyclobenzaprineCyclobenzaprine is available as Amrix and in generic form. Flexeril is a discontinued brand name of the drug. Like other types of muscle relaxers, cyclobenzaprine may cause dizziness or drowsiness, so you shouldn’t drive, lift heavy objects, or do vigorous exercise while under its influence.In fact, the sedation effects of cyclobenzaprine may be the way in which it works its magic on your painful, tension-filled muscles.As with carisoprodol and other skeletal muscle relaxers, cyclobenzaprine is used together with rest and physical therapy to treat skeletal muscle-related conditions and/or injuries, especially when pain or spasm is involved. So when you use cyclobenzaprine in conjunction with your physical therapy, you may find you’re making speedier progress, especially if you take your home exercise program seriously.Cyclobenzaprine is chemically related to tricyclic antidepressants. Although it is considered a derivative of the tricyclic antidepressant class, it does not pose the same risk to your liver health. Experts do not currently know the reason for this difference between the two substances.According to the National Institutes of Health, reasonsnotto take this medication include, among other things, if you have a thyroid disorder, heart block,congestive heart failure, a heart rhythm disorder, or you have recently had aheart attack.As with Skelaxin and carisoprodol, your healthcare provider’s recommendation that you go with Flexeril (instead of another drug in this class) may be based on a comparison of anticipated side effects, your personal preferences and/or potential drug interactions.Baclofen vs. Cyclobenzaprine: Similarities and Differences
Cyclobenzaprine
Cyclobenzaprine is available as Amrix and in generic form. Flexeril is a discontinued brand name of the drug. Like other types of muscle relaxers, cyclobenzaprine may cause dizziness or drowsiness, so you shouldn’t drive, lift heavy objects, or do vigorous exercise while under its influence.
In fact, the sedation effects of cyclobenzaprine may be the way in which it works its magic on your painful, tension-filled muscles.
As with carisoprodol and other skeletal muscle relaxers, cyclobenzaprine is used together with rest and physical therapy to treat skeletal muscle-related conditions and/or injuries, especially when pain or spasm is involved. So when you use cyclobenzaprine in conjunction with your physical therapy, you may find you’re making speedier progress, especially if you take your home exercise program seriously.
Cyclobenzaprine is chemically related to tricyclic antidepressants. Although it is considered a derivative of the tricyclic antidepressant class, it does not pose the same risk to your liver health. Experts do not currently know the reason for this difference between the two substances.
According to the National Institutes of Health, reasonsnotto take this medication include, among other things, if you have a thyroid disorder, heart block,congestive heart failure, a heart rhythm disorder, or you have recently had aheart attack.
As with Skelaxin and carisoprodol, your healthcare provider’s recommendation that you go with Flexeril (instead of another drug in this class) may be based on a comparison of anticipated side effects, your personal preferences and/or potential drug interactions.
Baclofen vs. Cyclobenzaprine: Similarities and Differences
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Skelaxin (Metaxalone)
In addition to older people and pregnant women, metaxalone is usually not prescribed for people with kidney disease, liver disease, seizures, or blood disorders.
Its possible metaxalone may skew the results of certain medical tests. So if you’re scheduled for one, be sure to tell (or remind) your healthcare provider that you’re taking this drug. You should not use Skelaxin if you’re allergic to it.
2 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Witenko C, Moorman-li R, Motycka C, et al.Considerations for the appropriate use of skeletal muscle relaxants for the management of acute low back pain.P T. 2014;39(6):427-35.Zacny JP, Paice JA, Coalson DW.Subjective and psychomotor effects of carisoprodol in combination with oxycodone in healthy volunteers.Drug Alcohol Depend. 2012;120(1-3):229-32. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2011.07.006Additional ReadingCarisoprodol. Drugs.com website. Revision Date: April 2009.Cyclobenzaprine. Drugs.com website. Revision Date: Dec 2015.Cyclobenzaprine. Liver Tox. United States National Library of Medicine. Last updated: Jan. 2017.Skelaxin. Drugs.com website. Revision Date: Dec 2015.
2 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Witenko C, Moorman-li R, Motycka C, et al.Considerations for the appropriate use of skeletal muscle relaxants for the management of acute low back pain.P T. 2014;39(6):427-35.Zacny JP, Paice JA, Coalson DW.Subjective and psychomotor effects of carisoprodol in combination with oxycodone in healthy volunteers.Drug Alcohol Depend. 2012;120(1-3):229-32. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2011.07.006Additional ReadingCarisoprodol. Drugs.com website. Revision Date: April 2009.Cyclobenzaprine. Drugs.com website. Revision Date: Dec 2015.Cyclobenzaprine. Liver Tox. United States National Library of Medicine. Last updated: Jan. 2017.Skelaxin. Drugs.com website. Revision Date: Dec 2015.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Witenko C, Moorman-li R, Motycka C, et al.Considerations for the appropriate use of skeletal muscle relaxants for the management of acute low back pain.P T. 2014;39(6):427-35.Zacny JP, Paice JA, Coalson DW.Subjective and psychomotor effects of carisoprodol in combination with oxycodone in healthy volunteers.Drug Alcohol Depend. 2012;120(1-3):229-32. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2011.07.006
Witenko C, Moorman-li R, Motycka C, et al.Considerations for the appropriate use of skeletal muscle relaxants for the management of acute low back pain.P T. 2014;39(6):427-35.
Zacny JP, Paice JA, Coalson DW.Subjective and psychomotor effects of carisoprodol in combination with oxycodone in healthy volunteers.Drug Alcohol Depend. 2012;120(1-3):229-32. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2011.07.006
Carisoprodol. Drugs.com website. Revision Date: April 2009.Cyclobenzaprine. Drugs.com website. Revision Date: Dec 2015.Cyclobenzaprine. Liver Tox. United States National Library of Medicine. Last updated: Jan. 2017.Skelaxin. Drugs.com website. Revision Date: Dec 2015.
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