Precautions and Warnings With Cyclobenzaprine

Talk to your healthcare provider about the precautions and warnings with cyclobenzaprine before taking the medication to help ensure a safe treatment process. Cyclobenzaprine may cause problems in people who have certain health conditions, such as liver disease, an overactive thyroid, or congestive heart failure. Precautions and warnings with cyclobenzaprine also apply to people who have certain allergies and to women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

 

Cyclobenzaprine: What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?

You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride (Flexeril®) if you have:
 
Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are:
 
  • Pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant
  • Breastfeeding.
     
Make sure to tell your healthcare provider about any other medicines you are taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
 

Specific Precautions and Warnings With Cyclobenzaprine

Some warnings and precautions to be aware of prior to taking cyclobenzaprine include the following:
 
  • If you have liver disease, your healthcare provider may recommend a lower or less frequent cyclobenzaprine dosage, because your body may not handle cyclobenzaprine as well as usual. Depending on the severity of your liver disease, your healthcare provider may recommend that you do not take cyclobenzaprine.
     
  • Cyclobenzaprine commonly causes drowsiness and dizziness, which may interfere with your ability to drive a car, operate heavy machinery, or focus mentally. Even if you take cyclobenzaprine just at bedtime, you may experience a hangover-like effect in the morning.
     
  • Check with your healthcare provider before taking cyclobenzaprine if you have glaucoma (an eye condition) or difficulty passing urine, as cyclobenzaprine can make these conditions worse.
     
  • Cyclobenzaprine can potentially interact with many other medications (see Drug Interactions With Cyclobenzaprine).
     
  • Cyclobenzaprine is considered a pregnancy Category B medication. This means that it is probably safe for use during pregnancy, although the full risks are not currently known (see Flexeril and Pregnancy).
     
  • It is not known if cyclobenzaprine passes through breast milk in humans. Therefore, if you are breastfeeding or plan to start breastfeeding, discuss this with your healthcare provider prior to taking the drug (see Flexeril and Breastfeeding).
     
(Precautions and Warnings With Cyclobenzaprine Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;