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What is the most important information I should know about
cyclobenzaprine?
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Do not stop taking cyclobenzaprine suddenly if you have been taking
it regularly for more than 1 week. This may cause nausea, headache and
general discomfort. |
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Use alcohol cautiously. Alcohol may increase drowsiness and
dizziness while you are taking cyclobenzaprine. |
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Cyclobenzaprine is a muscle relaxant. It works by blocking nerve
impulses (or pain sensations) that are sent to your brain. |
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Cyclobenzaprine is used to relieve pain, tenderness, and limitation
of motion caused by muscle spasms. It is used, along with rest and
physical therapy, for short-term treatment (i.e., 2 to 3 weeks). |
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Cyclobenzaprine may also be used for purposes other than those
listed in this medication guide. |
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Who should not take cyclobenzaprine?
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Do not take cyclobenzaprine if you |
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have recently (within the last 6 weeks) had a heart attack, |
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have irregular heartbeats, |
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have heart conduction disturbance, |
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have congestive heart failure, or |
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have hyperthyroidism that is not under control. |
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Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you have |
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narrow-angle glaucoma or increased intraocular pressure (pressure
inside the eye). |
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You may need a lower dose or special monitoring during treatment if
you have any of the conditions listed above. |
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Cyclobenzaprine is in the FDA pregnancy B. This means that it is
unlikely to harm an unborn baby. Do not take cyclobenzaprine without
first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant. |
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It is not known whether cyclobenzaprine passes into breast milk. Do
not take cyclobenzaprine without first talking to your doctor if you are
breast-feeding a baby. |
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How should I take cyclobenzaprine?
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Take cyclobenzaprine exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do
not understand these instructions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor
to explain them to you. |
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Take each dose with a full glass of water. |
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Cyclobenzaprine is usually taken several times a day. Follow your
doctor's instructions. |
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You should begin to notice relief from your symptoms after 1 to 2
days of treatment. |
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Do not stop taking cyclobenzaprine suddenly if you have been taking
it regularly for more than 1 week. Stopping suddenly may cause nausea,
headache, and general discomfort. |
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Store cyclobenzaprine at room temperature away from moisture and
heat. |
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What happens if I miss a dose?
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Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is
almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take your
next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose of this
medication. |
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What happens if I overdose?
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Seek emergency medical attention. |
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Symptoms of a cyclobenzaprine overdose include drowsiness, seizures,
irregular heartbeats, hallucinations, and difficulty breathing. |
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What should I avoid while taking cyclobenzaprine?
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Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing other
hazardous activities. Cyclobenzaprine may cause dizziness or drowsiness.
If you experience dizziness or drowsiness, avoid these activities. |
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Use alcohol cautiously. Alcohol may increase drowsiness and
dizziness while you are taking cyclobenzaprine. |
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What are the possible side effects of cyclobenzaprine?
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If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop
taking cyclobenzaprine and seek emergency medical attention: |
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an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of your throat;
swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; or hives); |
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seizures, hallucinations, or confusion; |
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increased heart rate; or |
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Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur.
Continue to take cyclobenzaprine and talk to your doctor if you
experience |
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drowsiness or dizziness; |
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dry mouth or a bad taste in your mouth; |
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difficulty urinating; or |
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If you stop taking this medication suddenly, you may experience some
withdrawal effects. |
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Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to
your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is
especially bothersome. |
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What other drugs will affect cyclobenzaprine?
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Do not take cyclobenzaprine if you have taken a monoamine oxidase
inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil),
or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days. Dangerous side effects
could result. |
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Many drugs can increase drowsiness associated with cyclobenzaprine: |
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antihistamines such as brompheniramine (Dimetane, Bromfed, others),
chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton, Teldrin, others), azatadine (Optimine),
clemastine (Tavist), and many others; |
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narcotics (pain killers) such as meperidine (Demerol), morphine (MS
Contin, MSIR, others), propoxyphene (Darvon, Darvocet), hydrocodone (Lorcet,
Vicodin), oxycodone (Percocet, Percodan), fentanyl (Duragesic), and
codeine (Fiorinal, Fioricet, Tylenol #3, others); |
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sedatives such as phenobarbital (Solfoton, Luminal), amobarbital (Amytal),
and secobarbital (Seconal); |
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phenothiazines such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), fluphenazine (Prolixin),
mesoridazine (Serentil), perphenazine (Trilafon), prochlorperazine (Compazine),
thioridazine (Mellaril), and trifluoperazine (Stelazine); or |
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antidepressants such as doxepin (Sinequan), imipramine (Tofranil),
nortriptyline (Pamelor), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil),
sertraline (Zoloft), phenelzine (Nardil), and tranylcypromine (Parnate). |
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Do not take any of the drugs listed above without the approval of
your doctor. |
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The stomach medicine cimetidine (Tagamet, Tagamet HB) and pain
relievers such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), indomethacin (Indocin),
ketoprofen (Orudis, Orudis KT, Oruvail), fenoprofen (Nalfon),
flurbiprofen (Ansaid), naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprosyn), and
nabumetone (Relafen) may all increase the pain-relieving effects of
cyclobenzaprine. Use these drugs under the supervision of your doctor. |
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Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with
cyclobenzaprine. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any
prescription or over-the-counter medicines. |
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Where can I get more information?
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Your pharmacist has additional information about cyclobenzaprine
written for health professionals that you may read. |
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Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of
children, never share your medicines with others, and use this
medication only for the indication prescribed. |
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Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided
by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete,
but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained
herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for
use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and
therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States
are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug
information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend
therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed
to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients
and/ or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and
not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of
healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or
drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug
or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given
patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of
healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The
information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses,
directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions,
or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking,
check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. |
Copyright 1996-2004 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 3.03. Revision Date: 1/
23/ 04. |
