How should you take Flexeril?

This is a prescription only drug and, as a powerful sedative and muscle relaxant, it should be treated with respect. You should not self-medicate and set your own dosage. Always follow the directions given by your primary care physician or pharmacist. This is particularly important if you have any disease of the liver or you are older (see the page on special warnings). That said, the results of the clinical trials and post-marketing surveillance program suggest the best results are achieved by taking the 5mg tablet three times a day. Depending on how your body reacts, it may be appropriate to increase the dose to 10mg but, because of the lack of formal clinical evidence on safety and effectiveness, it is not recommended you take this drug for more than three weeks.

One of the possible side effects is some gastric discomfort. You can ease this problem by drinking the pill down with a full glass of water. Indeed, a further side effect is a dryness in the mouth so drinking more is appropriate during the time you take this drug.

Overdose

This drug has the capacity to poison you if you take an excessive quantity. This toxic effect is increased if you combine the drug with alcohol with deaths not uncommon. The first dangerous symptoms are more extreme drowsiness accompanied by an uneven heart rhythm. In rare cases, this develops with high blood pressure, chest pain, seizures and a heart attack. A further problem comes from any increase in the sedative effect of the drug with some people finding it difficult to breathe. The treatment requires support for breathing while washing as much of the drug out of the body as quickly as possible. Experience shows that this type of overdose is usually deliberate and most of those who survive are referred for psychological evaluation. In such cases, there is a risk of further suicide attempts during the period of physical recovery.