Metaxalone
Taken as 800 mg tablets 3 to 4 times a day, metaxalone (Skelaxin) has the fewest reported side effects. It's also the least likely of the muscle relaxants to make you sleepy.
Muscle relaxers work to alleviate muscle spasms and pain. Five of the most common muscle relaxers prescribed are carisoprodol, cyclobenzaprine, diazepam, metaxalone, and methocarbamol.
Succinylcholine. Succinylcholine is the only depolarizing muscle relaxant.
There are no over-the-counter (OTC) muscle relaxants in the United States. But some OTC medications can help muscle issues (like soreness), such as NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and acetaminophen.
Pancuronium - 180 minutes or longer. Vecuronium - 30 to 40 minutes.
The first line of treatment for muscle spasms and muscle pain is over-the-counter medications like Tylenol (acetaminophen) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, naproxen).
Carisoprodol (Soma). Carisoprodol relaxes muscles and eases pain and stiffness caused by acute bone and muscle problems, often caused by an injury.
While muscle relaxants may provide short-term relief of acute lower back pain and muscle spasms, these medications can cause adverse side effects. Some muscle relaxers can also be addictive. For these reasons, a person should limit their use as much as possible.
Some muscle relaxants (baclofen and tizanidine) can be used in older persons, again accounting for kidney and liver function. Opioids have limited use in common spine-related pain, but can be used with caution in cases that don't respond to treatment.
Diazepam is used to relieve symptoms of anxiety and alcohol withdrawal. This medicine may also be used to treat certain seizure disorders and help relax muscles or relieve muscle spasm.
You might think that “muscle relaxers” do, in fact, relax your muscles. The truth is, they don't have anything to do with muscle tissue. They work on the central nervous system and cause general sedation.
Myotonia is a rare condition where your muscles are unable to relax after they contract. It can impact muscles throughout your body. Gene changes cause myotonia, and this condition can be passed down through families. Symptoms vary by the type of myotonia.
Muscle relaxants are ideally prescribed for acute rather than chronic pain. They may be an option if pain is preventing you from getting enough sleep. Because muscle relaxants cause drowsiness, they can help you get rest when you take them at night.
When taking the medication, most people feel very relaxed and often drowsy or sleepy, which is why they are typically taken at night. Because of the nature of what the medication is intended to do, which is to calm down a spastic muscle, there are side effects of muscle relaxants. They include: Tiredness, drowsiness.
Take over-the-counter pain relievers (aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen). Try complementary therapies, such as massage, meditation or acupuncture.
Muscle relaxers have a potential for abuse and addiction. Prolonged use can lead to increased tolerance and physical dependence, especially with Soma. For this reason, muscle relaxers are intended as a short-term treatment not to be prescribed for more than 2-3 weeks.
Naproxen. Naproxen (Aleve) is the most powerful anti-inflammatory pain reliever available without a prescription. It is especially effective for sprains, sunburns and arthritis and other conditions.
Higher effectiveness for short-term pain relief has been reported with the addition of skeletal muscle relaxant to paracetamol or an NSAID than with the analgesics alone [9–12].