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Flexeril for Back Pain
prescribed for patients with severe pain and
muscle spasms.
Flexeril is the most common brand name of the drug Cyclobenzaprine, which is a muscle relaxant and central nervous system depressant. Flexeril is normally prescribed in conjunction with analgesic pain relievers. There is quite a bit of controversy surrounding this popular drug, since the way it works is not completely understood and the risk of side effects is relatively high, especially for long term usage. Flexeril for Back Pain FactsCyclobenzaprine is mostly indicated for back pain syndromes, although can be used for other musculoskeletal pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia. The drug calms the central nervous system and relaxes tight spasming muscles. The overall effect of the drug is one of relaxation and muscle laxity.Recreational use of this drug at exponentially higher doses is somewhat common due to the popular nature and easy availability of Flexeril. Effects of recreational use are overall relaxation and sedation. It is often used as a sleep aid. Risks of Flexeril for Back PainLike all drugs, Cyclobenzaprine has a long list of potential interactions and side effects. Make sure to inform your doctor of any health conditions you are experiencing or any medications you are using before taking Flexeril. Common side effects include persistent sleepiness or malaise, dizziness and distorted or blurred vision. Damage to the eye structures is an effect of long term usage. Loss of muscular strength and function is another common effect of Flexeril. The most typically reported side effect is an extremely dry mouth.Recommendation on Flexeril for Back PainI took this drug on several occasions during my battle with chronic back pain. I never liked to take any medicine, but in the worst of times, I occasionally gave in to the doctors and tried things “their way”. I did not experience any relief from Flexeril, but I certainly do remember the horrible dry mouth experience very well. I also remember feeling “out of it” and lazy when taking this drug. Although I only tried it on a couple of occasions, I got the feeling I was much better off without it…This is a drug that is often prescribed like candy for muscular back pain. Some patients like the relaxed feeling and continue to complain of pain in order to continue the drug. Before long, a dependency develops, with the patient not being able to relax or sleep without the drug. Now the patient has joined the massive horde of prescription medicine junkies, all due to their dependency on pharmaceutical back pain relief. Do yourself a favor, don’t take it unless you really need it and stop as soon as possible. Drugs might help to relieve pain, but they do it at the expense of being poisonous to your body. I recommend trying alternative methods of pain relief which have no risk of long term effects or dependency issues instead.
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