- Healthy Outlook: A Look at Medication Options for Back Pain - Contra Costa Health Services
Looking for:
Muscle Relaxants | Georgia Pain and Wellness Center.Cyclobenzaprine (Oral Route) Side Effects - Mayo Clinic |
Prednisone and cyclobenzaprine.A Look at Medication Options for Back Pain
Typically, muscle relaxants are prescribed early in a course of back pain, on a short-term basis, to relieve low back pain associated with muscle spasms.
There are several types of muscle relaxant medications that are commonly used to treat low back pain. Oral steroids, a non-narcotic type of prescription medication, are very powerful anti-inflammatory medications that are sometimes effective treatment for low back pain. Like narcotics agents, oral steroids are intended for use for short periods of time one to two weeks. Oral steroids come in many forms, but are usually ordered as a Medrol Dose Pack in which patients starts with a high dose for initial low back pain relief and then taper down to a lower dose over five or six days.
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:. Take this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it and do not take it more often than your doctor ordered. To do so may increase the chance of serious side effects. Swallow the extended-release capsule whole. If you cannot swallow the capsule whole, you may open the capsule and sprinkle the contents over one tablespoon of applesauce.
Swallow the mixture right away without chewing. Rinse the mouth to make sure all of the medicine have been swallowed. Do not save any of the mixture to use later. The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine.
If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so. The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses. Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing. Cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride has active ingredients of cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride. It is often used in muscle spasms.
Click here to view. You can discuss the study with your doctor, to ensure that all drug risks and benefits are fully discussed and understood. The study uses data from the FDA. It is based on prednisone and cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride the active ingredients of Prednisone and Cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride, respectively , and Prednisone and Cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride the brand names. Other drugs that have the same active ingredients e.
Dosage of drugs is not considered in the study. Patients in the study may take other drugs besides Prednisone and Cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride. In most cases, their mechanism of action for helping pain in unknown. Many patients find them quite helpful, however. Patients often benefit from a high initial dose of Robaxin grams per day , but after two to three days, the dose can be reduced to about 4 grams per day. Robaxin generally has few side effects, and some patients find it quite effective.
Baclofen is approved for the muscle spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis, but can also be used to treat back pain. Baclofen is often taken in low doses initially. Then the dose is gradually increased until the maximum safe dose is reached or side effects prevent further increases.
It can raise blood sugar in diabetics, and should be stopped by gradually decreasing the dose over a week or two. Flexeril is only recommended for the first three weeks of back pain, but some patients seem to benefit from it on a long-term regular basis.
❾-50%}-
Steroids should also not be taken by patients with an active infection e. Soma is typically prescribed on a short-term basis and may be habit-forming, especially if used in conjunction with alcohol or other drugs that have a sedative effect. Cyclobenzaprine Flexeril. This medication can be used on a longer-term basis and actually has a chemical structure related to some antidepressant medications, although it is not an antidepressant. Usually, it is prescribed as 10mg every six hours as needed to relieve low back pain associated with muscle spasm, or it can also be prescribed as 10mg at night as needed to help with difficulty sleeping.
Flexeril can impair mental and physical function and may lead to urinary retention in males with large prostates. Diazepam Valium. Valium is usually limited to one to two weeks of use, and the typical dosage is mg every six hours as needed to relieve low back pain associated with muscle spasm. Because of its habit-forming potential, and because it changes sleep cycles and makes it very difficult to sleep after stopping the drug, Valium should not be used long term. Patients should also note that Valium is a depressant and can worsen depression associated with chronic pain.
Share this post:. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take. Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines. Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur.
Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Using this medicine with any of the following is usually not recommended, but may be unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use this medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco.
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:. Take this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it and do not take it more often than your doctor ordered. To do so may increase the chance of serious side effects. Swallow the extended-release capsule whole.
If you cannot swallow the capsule whole, you may open the capsule and sprinkle the contents over one tablespoon of applesauce. Swallow the mixture right away without chewing. Rinse the mouth to make sure all of the medicine have been swallowed. Do not save any of the mixture to use later. The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients.
Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so. The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses. Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing. It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits.
This will allow your doctor to see if the medicine is working properly and to decide if you should continue to take it. If your condition does not improve within 2 or 3 weeks, or if it becomes worse, check with your doctor. Check with your doctor right away if you have anxiety, restlessness, a fast heartbeat, fever, sweating, muscle spasms, twitching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or see or hear things that are not there.
These may be symptoms of a serious condition called serotonin syndrome. Your risk may be higher if you also take certain other medicines that affect serotonin levels in your body.
This medicine will add to the effects of alcohol and other CNS depressants medicines that slow down the nervous system, possibly causing drowsiness. Some examples of CNS depressants are antihistamines or medicine for hay fever, other allergies, or colds, sedatives, tranquilizers, or sleeping medicine, prescription pain medicine or narcotics, medicine for seizures or barbiturates, other muscle relaxants, or anesthetics, including some dental anesthetics.
Check with your doctor before taking any of the above while you are using this medicine. This medicine may cause some people to have blurred vision or to become drowsy, dizzy, or less alert than they are normally.
Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before you drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or are not alert and able to see well. Cyclobenzaprine may cause dryness of the mouth. For temporary relief, use sugarless candy or gum, melt bits of ice in your mouth, or use a saliva substitute.
However, if your mouth continues to feel dry for more than 2 weeks, check with your medical doctor or dentist.
Muscle relaxants are not really a class of drugs, but rather a group of different drugs that each has an overall sedative effect on the body.
These drugs do not act directly on the muscles; rather they act centrally in the brain and are more of a total body relaxant. Typically, muscle relaxants are prescribed early in a course of back pain, on a short-term basis, to relieve low back pain associated with muscle spasms.
There are several types of muscle relaxant medications that are commonly used to treat low back pain. Oral steroids, a non-narcotic type of prescription medication, are very powerful anti-inflammatory medications that are sometimes effective treatment for low back pain. Like narcotics agents, oral steroids are intended for use for short periods of time one to two weeks. Oral steroids come in many forms, but are usually ordered as a Medrol Dose Pack in which patients starts with a high dose for initial low back pain relief and then taper down to a lower dose over five or six days.
When used on a short-term basis, there are generally few complications associated with oral steroids. There are, however, a number of potential complications associated with long-term usage of oral steroids. Adverse side effects can include weight gain, stomach ulcers, osteoporosis, the collapse of the hip joint, as well as other complications. It is important to note that diabetics should not use oral steroids since the medication increases blood sugar.
Steroids should also not be taken by patients with an active infection e. Soma is typically prescribed on a short-term basis and may be habit-forming, especially if used in conjunction with alcohol or other drugs that have a sedative effect. Cyclobenzaprine Flexeril. This medication can be used on a longer-term basis and actually has a chemical structure related to some antidepressant medications, although it is not an antidepressant.
Usually, it is prescribed as 10mg every six hours as needed to relieve low back pain associated with muscle spasm, or it can also be prescribed as 10mg at night as needed to help with difficulty sleeping.
Flexeril can impair mental and physical function and may lead to urinary retention in males with large prostates. Diazepam Valium. Valium is usually limited to one to two weeks of use, and the typical dosage is mg every six hours as needed to relieve low back pain associated with muscle spasm.
Because of its habit-forming potential, and because it changes sleep cycles and makes it very difficult to sleep after stopping the drug, Valium should not be used long term. Patients should also note that Valium is a depressant and can worsen depression associated with chronic pain. Share this post:. Yes No.
No interactions were found between cyclobenzaprine and MethylPREDNISolone Dose Pack. However, this does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Steroids such as prednisone are the strongest anti-inflammatory These include Robaxin, Baclofen, Flexeril (cyclobenzaprine) and Soma. Flexeril can impair mental and physical function and may lead to urinary retention in Oral steroids, a non-narcotic type of prescription medication. No interactions were found between cyclobenzaprine and prednisone. However, this does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. WebMD provides information about common drug or vitamin interactions for Flexeril oral. It helps relieve pain, stiffness, and discomfort caused by strains, sprains, or injuries to your muscles. Dosage of drugs is not considered in the study. Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Some reports may have incomplete information. If you use this eHealthMe study on publication, please acknowledge it with a citation: study title, URL, accessed date. This will allow your doctor to see if the medicine is working properly and to decide if you should continue to take it. Common interactions include infusion related reaction among females and insomnia among males.A common statement by a patient suffering from back pain. So what kinds of medicines are used to treat back pain? By far the safest medicine is Tylenol or its generic equivalent. For many patients, Tylenol can relieve back pain. It should not be taken with alcohol, and can cause kidney damage in the elderly or if taken for years on a regular basis.
A second type of medication doctors prescribe for back pain are the NSAIDs or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The NSAIDs can reduce inflammation and pain, without most of the serious side effects of steroids, even if taken for many years.
NSAIDs can have side effects, including stomach irritation, and stomach bleeding. They can raise blood pressure, and can damage the kidneys, especially after prolonged use.
Steroids such as prednisone are the strongest anti-inflammatory drugs available. Some doctors prescribe a short course for acute injuries usually for less than two weeks with excellent benefit. Ask your doctor about this.
The next type of medication used for back pain are the muscle relaxants. These include Robaxin, Baclofen, Flexeril cyclobenzaprine and Soma. Although called "muscle relaxants," not all these medications have been shown to relax muscles in humans.
In most cases, their mechanism of action for helping pain in unknown. Many patients find them quite helpful, however.
Patients often benefit from a high initial dose of Robaxin grams per day , but after two to three days, the dose can be reduced to about 4 grams per day.
Robaxin generally has few side effects, and some patients find it quite effective. Baclofen is approved for the muscle spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis, but can also be used to treat back pain. Baclofen is often taken in low doses initially. Then the dose is gradually increased until the maximum safe dose is reached or side effects prevent further increases.
It can raise blood sugar in diabetics, and should be stopped by gradually decreasing the dose over a week or two. Flexeril is only recommended for the first three weeks of back pain, but some patients seem to benefit from it on a long-term regular basis. It can cause drowsiness, and should be used with caution by those with heart disease, especially irregular heart rhythms or abnormal EKGs.
Soma seems to be quite effective in helping back pain, but because it is habit-forming, many doctors are reluctant to use it, especially long-term. After ingested, Soma is converted by the liver into a tranquilizer called meprobamate. Soma may work mostly as a sedative or tranquilizer. The next type of medications commonly ordered to treat back pain are the narcotics.
In order of increasing potency, these include codeine, hydrocodone vicodin , oxycodone percocet, oxycontin , morphine, hydromorphone dilaudid , methadone, and fentanyl durgesic. It is commonly known that these medicines can be habit-forming and even addicting, especially if taken for long periods. Despite this, many patients benefit from them for either short- or long-term use. Daniels practices family medicine at the Pittsburg and Concord Health Centers. Health Topics Services Health Coverage.
Published by Contra Costa Times. Stephen J. Daniels "DR. It's really hurting. We will discuss narcotic treatment in detail in future Healthy Outlook columns.
Comments
Post a Comment