Cyclobenzaprine 10 mg High – What Should You Know

Cyclobenzaprine is the generic name used for the drugs Amrix and Flexeril. However, the drug is also marketed under the market names Fexmid and FusePaq Tabradol. It is used as a CNS and muscle depressant. Cyclobenzaprine is available as tablets as well as extended-release capsules and is taken orally. It falls under the class of drugs known as tricyclic antidepressants. The molecular structure of cyclobenzaprine is very similar to that of Amitriptyline. In fact, the two differ from each other only through a single double bond. The drug was first approved for consumption in 1977 by the FDA when it was manufactured and sold as Flexeril.

Cyclobenzaprine is generally used a part of overall recovery plan wherein the patients are recommended to take physical therapies and sufficient rest during the treatment. The drug is only used for 2 to 3 weeks at most. It works by blocking the pain impulses that are sent to the brain by the damaged muscles. In some cases, the drug may also be prescribed off-label, that is, it used for treating conditions that are not really listed for it. However, it would always be more helpful to consult a doctor before starting or stopping the administration of the medicine.

Topics Covered

What is Cyclobenzaprine Flexeril used for?

As per the approval of the FDA, cyclobenzaprine is to be used for the treatment and management of acute muscle spasms. It acts as a muscle relaxant and helps in improving mobility while also reducing tenderness and muscle pain. Depending on the condition that is being treated, it may also be used along with other additional drugs.

Side effects of Cyclobenzaprine Flexeril

Almost all the pharmaceutical drugs are linked with one or more side effects. Cyclobenzaprine too can lead to some unwanted responses, even when taken in normal dosages. These side effects can vary from person to person in terms of severity and length. Sometimes, the side effects are very mild and go away on their own. However, in some cases, they grow quite severe and need to be managed separately. Some of the most common side effects of cyclobenzaprine have been mentioned below.

Dizziness
Drowsiness
Fatigue
Dry mouth
Constipation

These are the non-serious side effects. However, if they stay for a considerably long period of time, it becomes important to consult a physician. The more serious side effects include

Irregular urination
Difficulty while urinating
Irregular heartbeat
Increased heartbeats
Chest pain
Increase in body temperature
Changes in mood
General confusion
Hallucination
Seizures

Although rare, the drug can also cause allergic reactions in some people. In such cases, the patients should be given immediate medical attention. The common symptoms to indicate an allergic reaction are:

Itchiness
Rashes
Swelling of the tongue, throat, and face
Intense dizziness
Difficulty while breathing

Unwanted side effects are also seen when cyclobenzaprine is used together with antidepressants. The resulting condition is known as serotonin syndrome. If neglected, the condition can even be fatal. Common symptoms of serotonin syndrome include

Dilated pupils
Restlessness
Agitation
Confusion
Fluctuation in the blood pressure levels
Fluctuation in the body temperature
A headache
Diarrhea
Nausea and vomiting
Increased heart rate
Muscle twitching and loss of muscle coordination
Shivering and goosebumps
Excessive perspiration

Cyclobenzaprine Dosage

If you are using cyclobenzaprine for the first time, the doctors are likely to give you a dosage of 5 milligrams to be taken three times a day. The general adult dosage is 10 mg taken three times a day. This dosage can also vary from 20 mg to 40 mg per day, divided into multiple doses. However, the daily dosage should not exceed the maximum limit of 60 mg per day. Furthermore, the drug is not recommended to be used any longer than 3 weeks. For spasms and musculoskeletal pains, the general prescription is 10 mg taken two to three times per day. Only in severe cases of pain is the dosage increased to 60 mg per day. Elderly patients and people suffering from liver issues can start with a lower dosage and increase it later if required. The medicine should always be swallowed whole with a glass of water.

If you are using an extended-release tablet, you are only required to take one tablet per day. However, if the dosage seems to be ineffective, you can have it increased after consulting the doctor. It is seen that cyclobenzaprine can be highly effective in reducing pain with peak results within the first two weeks. However, there seems to be no apparent benefit after this phase, which is also the reason why it is not recommended for long-term use. The prescriptions are also limited to a short period of time owing to the potential risk for abuse associated with the drug. First time users are also likely to experience a cyclobenzaprine 10 mg high owing to the sedative effects of the drug. However, this will eventually go away after the body has developed a tolerance to the drug.

Directions for Taking Cyclobenzaprine

The dosages for cyclobenzaprine can be affected by a number of things such as the medical conditions of the patients, body weight and other prescriptions drugs that are being used. Therefore, it is quite likely that the doctors may recommend different doses for different patients even if they are suffering from the same medical issue. Therefore, it is very important to consult the doctor before you make any changes to your dosage.

The daily medications should be taken exactly as per the prescriptions. If you happen to miss a dosage, you should make up for it the instant you remember and continue with the regular dosage. However, if it is already time to take the succeeding dose, it would be better that you omit the dose totally. In any case, you should not double your dose just to compensate for the one that you have missed. The medicine should be stored at normal room temperature, away from moisture and light. It should be kept away from the reach of children. If you have some unused medicines left with you, do not flush it down the toilet or dispose of it together with garbage. Instead, you can take have them disposed of in drug deactivation pouches or take them to collection centers.

Cyclobenzaprine should not be taken under the following Circumstances

You are allergic to any one of the ingredients that are used in the drug
You are recovering from a recent heart attack
You have been given a prescription for MAO inhibitors such as tranylcypromine and phenelzine or if you have used these drugs within the last 14 days
You have been experiencing abnormal heartbeats
You are suffering from an overactive thyroid gland
You suffer from congestive heart failure or have suffered from a heart block in the past
You have a disturbed conduction.

Also, before you start using cyclobenzaprine, it is important to notify the doctor of all your medical conditions including the allergies. Breastfeeding and pregnancy could also affect the way you should be calculating your dosages. As cyclobenzaprine tends to have a sedative effect, it is advisable that you do not perform any activities such as driving or operating heavy machinery immediately after taking your regular dose. This applies to all other activities that require you to stay mentally alert.

Flexeril (Cyclobenzaprine) may also alter the medical condition of patients who have suffered angle-closure glaucoma, urinary retention and an increase in the eye pressure. Therefore, people suffering from these conditions may require special monitoring for the maximum effectiveness of the drug. In case of pregnancies, the drug should only be used if it seems to have more positive effects that the risks. Cyclobenzaprine may also be passed from the mother to the child through breast milk. This can have negative health impacts on the baby. Therefore, the drug should only be continued if recommended by the doctor. As for the children below 15 years of age, the safety of the drug is not known.

Recreational Use of Flexeril (Cyclobenzaprine)

Although cyclobenzaprine is not as potent as many other painkillers in giving a high, it does has a propensity to give effect to an altered state. One tends to experience relaxation and sedation after taking the drug. Hence, some people also tend to use the drug for recreational purposes. The common street names for cyclobenzaprine are “yellow mellow” and “cyclone”. If taken in very high quantities, it can even make you feel euphoric.

Although cyclobenzaprine is not classified as a narcotic in itself, it can still be quite potent when mixed with other drugs. The most common ways of taking the drug are crushing and snorting or dissolving it in alcohol. This way, it tends to be much more intense as compared to when taken orally. Although cyclobenzaprine is used for recreational purposes, it is definitely not as mainstream as other drugs.

When used for recreational purposes, it is usually taken at dosages between 20 and 80 mg. At this dosage, it can create a feeling of relaxation and drowsiness. It can also make you feel as though you are floating. However, the more pleasurable side effects are only experienced when cyclobenzaprine is mixed with other drugs. The common substances that are taken together with cyclobenzaprine include Barbiturates, Opioid painkillers, Alcohol, and Benzodiazepines.

Can Cyclobenzaprine 10 mg Cause High?

The main purpose of cyclobenzaprine is to provide muscle relaxation. It can help in reducing pain and controlling muscle spasms after an injury. However, the relaxing effect produced by the drug may also be comparable to a high. The cyclobenzaprine 10 mg high is even more intense especially when it is taken at higher dosages or mixed with other drugs. However, it should be noted that a cyclobenzaprine 10 mg high is only experienced if the patient is new to the prescription or if it is abused by someone who is not using the drug. As the body begins to adjust itself to the drug, this high is not experienced and greater doses will be required to produce the same effects.

Cyclobenzaprine 10 mg high can be quite enjoyable. However, if the doses are being tampered on a regular basis for recreational purposes, it can also lead to some severe health problems. Dangerous fluctuations in the blood pressure, seizures, and cardiac arrest are known to occur with cyclobenzaprine. In some cases, it can also lead to a depression of the central nervous system. In any case, opting for higher doses in order to experience a high can have more negative consequences than the rewards.

How does Cyclobenzaprine 10 mg high feel like?

It is entirely natural for people who have never taken cyclobenzaprine to wonder what the high would feel like. As related by the people who have used the drug for recreational purposes, the high is not as euphoric as it tends to get with other drugs. It only induces a feeling of calmness and relaxation. Even then, the cyclobenzaprine 10 mg high is quite appealing which is why people are often tempted to continue with the abuse.

However, studies have shown that most people who actually use the drug for recreational purposes often use it with other drugs, often in an illegal manner. In some cases, people have also known it in place of sleeping pills. After taking the drug, the person feels as if he/she is floating out of her body. Some people have also experienced euphoria and hallucinations. However, the cyclobenzaprine high is definitely not as intense or good as compared to that achieved by taking other harder drugs.

The Ramification of cyclobenzaprine 10 mg high by Alcohol

Many people also use alcohol in order to enhance the cyclobenzaprine 10 mg high. However, this combination is deemed to be highly dangerous as it can have a direct consequence on the central nervous system. If it gets serious enough, the combination can even be fatal. This is because both of these substances act as central nervous system depressants. So when taken together, the natural processes in the body are slowed down by quite a significant degree. Respiration is one of the most important processes that are directly controlled by the central nervous system. So when this slows down to a dangerous degree, it can lead to alcohol poisoning, resulting in death.

Alcohol also magnifies the negative side effects that are associated with cyclobenzaprine. As a result, the person taking the two substances together can experience extreme drowsiness, dizziness, and hazy thinking. When this happens, the person is more susceptible to endure physical injuries. It can also drive the user to make bad decision resulting in self-harm. Even normal activities such as driving or walking can put the person in a high level of danger. Therefore, it is advised not to mix alcohol and cyclobenzaprine.

Due to a heightened sedation, the functioning of the brain is severely impaired. At the same time, breathing and heart rates are reduced in a dangerous manner. A number of heart failures, as well as fatalities, have been reported as a result of taking the two substances together. Cyclobenzaprine can also be equally dangerous when mixed with MAO inhibitors such as Parnate, Nardil, and Marplan. Patients who have been using these drugs should keep a gap at least two weeks before using cyclobenzaprine. Also, if the patient is having difficulties in controlling the alcohol intake and has already mixed it with cyclobenzaprine a couple of times, it is important to bring this to the doctor’s notice.

Can Cyclobenzaprine 10 mg cause Addiction?

A large number of the addictive drugs fall under the category of narcotics. Narcotics are those substances are those that are derived from the raw opioid compounds. Cyclobenzaprine is not classified as a narcotic. Therefore, it does not act on the opioid receptors present in the brain. Instead, it falls under the category if tricyclic amine salt. As per the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, cyclobenzaprine is not associated with any risk of addiction. However, many people tend to continuously abuse it, mainly owing to the cyclobenzaprine 10 mg high. Furthermore, when used on a continuous basis, the person using the drug tends to develop a tolerance. So in order to experience the same high, one has to keep on increasing the dosage, which can, in turn, have serious negative side effects. Not only that, if the administration is stopped in an abrupt manner, the person can even experience withdrawal symptoms.

Risks involved with Cyclobenzaprine 10 mg abuse

According to the DEA, there are no risks involved with the administration of cyclobenzaprine. However, this is when the drug is used for the treatment of conditions as approved by the FDA and under close medical supervision. Therefore, the drug is not listed as a controlled substance. However, it is an entirely different scenario when the drug is used for recreational purposes. The very first risk associated with cyclobenzaprine abuse is that of overdose. Overdosing on the drug can result in fluctuating body temperatures, highly uneven heartbeats, and even convulsions. At the same time, the person may also develop a physical dependence on the drug in which case it becomes necessary to take the drug in order to support the normal bodily functions.

If the dependency goes beyond control, it is very much possible for the person to develop an addiction to the drug. This can have long-lasting effects on the health. When taken together with MAOs, the person may even experience behavioral changes. People suffering from liver issues, heart problems, and overactive thyroid may also experience highly negative consequences upon abusing the drug.

Cyclobenzaprine abuse can have both psychological and physical side effects, which can affect the health as well as the social life of the person. Some of the negative consequences of abuse are:

Impaired cognition
Psychological dependence
Loss of memory
Impaired motor functioning
Abnormal behavior
Slurred speech
Agitation

In rare cases, the person may also experience neuroleptic malignant syndrome which is accompanied by muscular rigidity, malfunctioning of the autonomic system, fever and altered mental state.

Cyclobenzaprine 10 mg high withdrawal Symptoms

Abruptly discontinuing cyclobenzaprine can result in symptoms that are known as the withdrawal syndrome. Normally, cyclobenzaprine is only recommended to be used for a period of two weeks. The withdrawal syndrome is not experienced in this case. However, if it is continued for a much longer period of time and then suddenly discontinued, then the person may experience flu-like symptoms such as sweating, nausea, vomiting, muscle ache and sleeping problems. The severity of the withdrawal syndrome can be reduced by reducing the drug dosage in a gradual manner before finally stopping the administration.

Treatment of Cyclobenzaprine 10 mg Addiction

Cyclobenzaprine is definitely one of those drugs that would require special treatment and therapies for addiction. Nonetheless, it can result in physical and psychological dependence when abused. So the recovery from addiction can still be quite challenging. There are no medications for the treatment of cyclobenzaprine 10 g high. However, it is always advisable to take professional help in order to get through the addiction. Counseling, detox therapies, and support groups would also be helpful for the recovery.

Can Cyclobenzaprine 10 mg be detected in drug tests?

Cyclobenzaprine 10 mg can easily be detected through the standard urine tests. The drug has a half-life of 18 hours. It can stay in the body for as long as 90 hours. Therefore, it is very much probable that you will end up positive in the drug tests up to 3.75 days after having taken the drug. However, this may also vary from person to person depending on various factors such as metabolism, elimination rate and the dosage taken. People suffering from kidney and liver issues are likely to retain the drug for a much longer period of time.

How long can cyclobenzaprine 10 mg be detected in your system?

This is directly determined by the half-life period of the drug which is 18 hours. So roughly, it can stay in your system for up to 4.13 days after the last dosage. However, the drug retention can also vary from person to person depending on the elimination or the excretion rate. For people who have a high rate of metabolism, the half-life period for the drug is 8 hours. In this case, the drug can only detect until a period of 1.83 days. However, among those with a slow metabolism, the half-life is 37 hours. In this case, the drug can be detected for a period of up to 8.48 days. Therefore on average, the elimination can take a period of 4 to 5 days. Other factors that influence how long the drug is detected in your system includes liver function, body mass, age, metabolic rate, genetics, co-administration of other drugs and food, dosage, the frequency of use and urine pH.

Conclusion

Irrespective of the reason you are using cyclobenzaprine, it is always better to know your drug well. This can help in eliminating the negative side effects while also increasing the effectiveness of the treatment. Although cyclobenzaprine is not one of those drugs with a high addiction risk, it is known to result in dependence. Therefore, make sure that you stick closely to the prescription as given by the doctor. If you have any concerns, make sure that these are brought to the doctor’s attention.

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