Skeletal Muscle Relaxants (Systemic)

Category

• Skeletal muscle relaxant—Carisoprodol; Chlorphenesin; Chlorzoxazone; Metaxalone; Methocarbamol

Description

Skeletal muscle relaxants are used to relax certain muscles in your body and relieve the stiffness, pain, and discomfort caused by strains, sprains, or other injury to your muscles. However, these medicines do not take the place of rest, exercise or physical therapy, or other treatment that your doctor may recommend for your medical problem. Methocarbamol also has been used to relieve some of the muscle problems caused by tetanus.

Skeletal muscle relaxants act in the central nervous system (CNS) to produce their muscle relaxant effects. Their actions in the CNS may also produce some of their side effects.

In the U.S., these medicines are available only with your doctor's prescription. In Canada, some of these medicines are available without a prescription.

These medicines are available in the following dosage forms:

Oral
• Carisoprodol
  • Tablets (U.S. and Canada)
• Chlorphenesin
  • Tablets (U.S.)
• Chlorzoxazone
  • Tablets (U.S.)
• Metaxalone
  • Tablets (U.S.)
• Methocarbamol
  • Tablets (U.S. and Canada)

Parenteral
• Methocarbamol
  • Injection (U.S. and Canada)

Brand Names

Some commonly used brand names are:

In the U.S.—

• Carbacot ⁵
• EZE-DS ³
• Maolate ²
• Paraflex ³
• Parafon Forte DSC ³
• Relaxazone ³
• Remular ³
• Remular-S ³
• Robaxin ⁵
• Robaxin-750 ⁵
• Skelaxin ⁴
• Skelex ⁵
• Soma ¹
• Strifon Forte DSC ³
• Vanadom ¹

In Canada—

• Robaxin ⁵
• Robaxin-750 ⁵
• Soma ¹