Types of Muscle Relaxers

Muscle relaxers are a common prescription for those suffering from back or neck pain that usually results from soft tissue injury. Research has been conducted into the positive effects of muscle relaxing medications since their discovery in the 1500s, which later led to two separate identities for the drugs: neuromuscular blockers and spasmolytics. The relaxers do not directly affect the muscle fibers themselves, rather they act on brain's receptors to inhibit pain sensations.

• Muscle relaxers are used to combat back or neck pain.

Flexeril

• Although Flexeril has similar effects to that of many antidepressant meds, the drug is a popular prescription due to its side effect of marked drowsiness and the fact it isn't as addictive as the other spasmolytics. A usual three-week Flexeril prescription is for low back pain muscle spasms, which entails taking 10 mg of the med orally every six hours. Besides the drowsiness, the drug has been known to cause fatigue, constipation and blurry vision in some patients.

Valium

• Highly addictive, Valium (otherwise known as diazepam) is prescribed usually for a week or two to help prevent abuse but help relieve low back muscle spasms. Taken orally in tablet form every six hours, the five- or 10-mg Valium dose has been known to cause extreme drowsiness, and in some cases exacerbates depressive moods in patients experiencing chronic pain. Other side effects reported are difficulty returning to normal sleeping habits upon cessation of the drug.

Soma

• Another highly addictive spasmolytic, soma, or carisoprodol, is prescribed for overall muscle spasms. Taken orally in 350-mg tablets, the sedative side effect is compounded with ingestion of alcohol or other depressive drugs. Soma prescriptions are short term, as prolonged use has been known to cause dependency that may require hospitalization upon cessation of the medication.

Metaxalone

• Widely prescribed for a variety of muscle related maladies, metaxalone is taken orally three or four times daily and isn't known to be as addictive as the other spasmolytics. Common side effects include marked drowsiness and dizzy spells in many people. Other patients have reported intestinal discomfort, nausea and headaches.

Tubocurarine/Succinylcholine

• These two neuromuscular blocking drugs are the only medications that act as depolarizers, blocking any receptor activity that occurs at the neuromuscular junction. A series of chemicals acts across the muscle fiber once calcium ions cause the release of the chemical acetylcholine. These drugs are essentially "fake" acetylcholine that trick the body, convincing the brain that muscle activity has occurred when none has taken place.