The need-to-know information for Cyclobenzaprine
CyclobenzaprinePearls and Fun Nuggets
1. Cyclobenazprine maxes out quick ☝ It decreases pain in the first two weeks,[11][12] peaking in the first few days, but has no proven benefit after two weeks.[11][13] Since no benefit is proven beyond that, therapy should not be continued long-term.[14]
2. Each dose costs a nickel 💰In the United States, the wholesale cost per dose is less than US$0.05 as of 2018.[6] In 2016, it was the 46th most prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 16 million prescriptions.[7]
3. Good for fibromyalgia? 🙊 A 2004 review found benefit for fibromyalgia symptoms, with a reported number needed to treat of 4.8 (meaning that 1 person out of every 4.8 benefits from treatment) for pain reduction, but no change in fatigue or tender points.[16]
4. Grandma needs to be careful with it 😳 Some experts believe that cyclobenzaprine should be avoided in elderly patients because it can cause confusion, delirium, and cognitive impairment.[23][24]
Patient Perspectives
“I started taking this for back pain and yes it did relieve it, but the side effects were tough on me. I would wake up with dizziness, dry mouth and sometimes I couldn’t get out of bed AT ALL! I would take it at night and literally sleep the whole next day!”
“Went to urgent care because my stiff shoulder muscle was causing pain/headaches. I was prescribed Cyclobenzaprine 5mg three times a day. Overall it worked, but made me very tired the first few days. On days one and two I slept most of the day. So if you have work to do it can make things difficult. Days 6 and 7 I had dry mouth and dizziness when standing. It took away pain I had been trying to massage out for months and I’m now pain free. Therefore I would still recommend this medication despite the side effects.”
“Works for muscle spasms but the next day you wake up really sleepy to the point where you can’t stay awake and have to take constant naps all day long”
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