Muscle relaxants

Muscle relaxant is a collective term for a group of different kinds of drugs, which all have some form of sedative effect on the body. Despite what their name may imply, muscle relaxants when referred to in the sense of pain relievers do not usually act on the muscles at all, but on the central nervous system, causing a state which might best be summarized as ‘total body relaxation’

Muscle relaxants are usually prescribed for the relief of mild to moderate pain, especially muscular aches and pains, back pain and muscle spasms. Drugs which currently fall under the broad umbrella of muscle relaxants include Valium, Soma and Flexeril.

Valium, or diazapam, is usually prescribed as a short-course treatment lasting a week or two and the standard dose is between five and ten milligrams ever six hours or as needed for the relief of pain, particularly back pain and pain associated with muscle spasms.

Valium is restricted to short courses because it is potentially habit-forming, and can have detrimental effects on a person’s psychological health and sleeping patterns, making it hard for people who come off Valium to re-establish a healthy sleep schedule.

Valium is also quite a potent depressant, and might therefore run the risk of worsening depression in patients who are already experiencing it to some degree because of the pain and discomfort caused by their conditions.

Soma, or carisoprodol, is also prescribed in short courses, and is taken in a similar manner to Valium for the relief of pain, particularly pain related to muscle spams. Soma is potentially habit-forming, particularly when combined with alcohol or other recreational drugs.

Flexeril is prescribed to treat muscular pain when a long term solution is required and neither Valium or Soma would be practical solutions. It works in a similar way to some antidepressants, though it is not one itself. Flexeril is usually taken in a dosage of around ten milligrams every 6 hours or as needed to relieve lower back pain and pain related to muscle spasms, and can also be effective in helping people with various types of pain to get to sleep for a reasonable period of time. Flexeril should not be used in conjunction with any other sedatives, and may be inappropriate for some patients as it has the potential to impair physical and mental function.

Antispasmodic drugs can also be used to treat muscular pain, and these drugs can be broadly categorized into benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepines.

Benzodiazepines are also known as benzodiazepine receptor agonists, or BzRAs. They are very commonly prescribed to treat conditions where some form os sedation is required, such as those that require pain relief, or sleep disorders.

They work by non-selectively targeting particular receptor sights in the brain which modulate the effect of GABA, or gammaaminobutyric acid, which is a neurotransmitter. Popular benzodiazepines include alprazolam, temazepam and flunitrazepam, or to give them their commercial names, Xanax, Restoril and Rohypnol.

Benzodiazepines can also be used in the treatment of anxiety, and lorazapam and diazepam are sometimes given intravenously to treat patients who experience panic attacks. Because of their strong sedative effects, benzodiazepines should not be used by people who are actively doing anything that may become dangerous should their senses become impaired, such as driving. For this reason though, they make excellent treatments for insomina.

Sedatives used for this purpose should be used on a short-term basis however, since dependance and tolerance may occur.

Benzodiazepines are also useful to sedate patients prior to surgery, especially those who are experiencing anxiety. They can also cause amnesia as a possible side-effect, which can actually be helpful for some patients, who would rather not remember their surgical experience anyway. The particular choice of sedative in dental surgery is Lorazepam. Alternatively nitrous oxide may be used, which is faster acting, yet shorter lasting.

Muscle relaxants can be employed in the treatment of alcoholism, as they can go a long way towards lessening the symptoms if alcohol withdrawal. Potentially fatal forms of delirium can be ended or even prevented by sedatives, most often Librium or Valium.

Mania, a severe psychiatric disorder, can also be treated using muscle relaxants. Manic patients experience states of acute elevated moods, which can be extremely dangerous for themselves and those around them.

Sedatives, usually benzodiazepines, can be useful to take the edge off the condition in the short-term, until some more appropriate neuroleptic or dosage of Lithium can take effect. Clonazepam and lorazepam are both commonly used for just this purpose.

Newer muscle relaxants are generally in the form of non-benzodiazepines, including zolpidem, zaleplon, eszopliclone and ramelteon, whose trade names are Ambien, Sonata, Lunesta and Rozerem respectively. These drugs target specific receptor sights in the brain, as opposed to benzodiazepines which target receptor sights more generally. This means that they are shorter lasting, with fewer side-effects than their older generational cousins.

Muscle relaxants will usually be prescribed along with recommended lifestyle changes which may involve diet, exercise, rest, or physical therapy. They are typically short-term solutions for short-term problems, and should not be considered permanent solutions due to their possible side-effects and addictive qualities.

Since different people react differently to different types of drugs, it may be the case that several different muscle relaxants may need to be tried before a patient finds one that is effective for them. It is also important to always take medical advice and follow manufacturers guidance when starting a course of muscle relaxants.