Medicines for Muscle Spasms

Muscle spasms are a painful, often excruciating experience. According to the University of Michigan Health System, they are defined as involuntary contractions of a muscle. These spasms can take place in various regions of the body, from the neck all the way down to the feet. They are usually caused by excessive muscle strain or overuse, especially during a period of dehydration. Medications have proved effective in treating muscle spasms, and there are a number of options.

Muscle Relaxers

• In order to relax and reduce the severity of the painful muscle spasms, a group of drugs called muscle relaxers (often termed muscle relaxants) are usually prescribed. Their name says it all--through various pharmacological methods, they cause relaxation of the body's muscles, reducing spasms.

  There are different types of muscle relaxers, all available through a prescription only. Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), carisoprodol (Soma) and tizanidine (Zanaflex) are three of these, commonly prescribed as tablets, and usually available in generic form. These medications should be used with caution, as they have a depressant effect and may make driving or operating heavy machinery hazardous. In addition, muscle-relaxers.org warns that they only mask the pain of the injury, often resulting in re-injuring the damaged muscle due to feeling healed prematurely.
  Diazepam (Valium) is sometimes prescribed due to its skeletal muscle relaxing properties. Caution should be used with taking diazepam as the medication is habit-forming and can impair a person's motor skills.

Pain Medication

• For severe muscle spasms, pain medication may be either prescribed by your doctor along with a muscle relaxer or recommended for over-the-counter purchase. These medicines can be highly effective in controlling pain and discomfort, especially when used with muscle relaxers.

  Medications usually recommended for controlling muscle spasm pain are anti-inflammatory analgesics (pain relievers) such as naproxen (Aleve) and ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil). These medications not only relieve pain, they help reduce inflammation and swelling at the site of the muscle injury.

  In cases of severe pain, a narcotic painkiller may be prescribed, usually a member of the opiate or synthetic opiod family of drugs, for example, hydrocodone (Vicodin), propoxyphene (Darvon) or tramadol (Ultram). These are strong painkillers and should also be used with caution, especially if taken in conjunction with muscle relaxers, since marked drowsiness, dizziness and nausea are common side effects. Some prescription painkillers may be habit-forming as well, so talk to your doctor carefully if you are being prescribed a narcotic painkiller.

Botulinum Toxin

• The name "botulinum toxin" may seem a little unfamiliar, but it is well known in today's culture as a popular medication for cosmetic enhancement. Yes, we're talking about Botox. The very same medicine that is used to give people's faces a more youthful appearance is often used to treat muscle spasms.

  According to medicinenet.org, Botox treatment for muscle spasms involves injecting the medication directly into the problematic muscle. When Botox--which is actually a neurotoxin, a poison of sorts--enters the muscle tissue, it blocks the ability of the nerves in the muscle to contract that muscle. This causes total paralysis of the muscle, hence providing instant relief from muscle spasms.

  Side effects to watch out for when undergoing Botox therapy for muscle spasms are pain or tenderness at the injection site, and possible rash or nausea.