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Flexeril is a muscle relaxant, used along with rest and physical therapy for relief of painful muscle spasm. It is most commonly prescribed to relieve muscle spasms resulting from injuries such as sprains, strains, or pulls.

Flexeril should be taken exactly as prescribed by a physicain. It can be taken with or without food. Flexeril should be used only for short periods (no more than 3 weeks).

Store this medication at room temp., away from sunlight and moisture.

If you have missed a dose, take it as soon as possible; but if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take only the next one regularly scheduled. Never take a double dose.

In clinical studies the most common side effects were drowsiness, dry mouth and fatigue. Less common or rare side effects are hard to predict. If they occur, consult a physicain. They may include abnormal heartbeats, abnormal sensations, abnormal thoughts or dreams, aggressive behavior, agitation, anxiety, bloated feeling, blurred vision, confusion, constipation, convulsions, decreased appetite, depressed mood, diarrhea, difficulty falling or staying asleep, difficulty speaking, disorientation, double vision, excitement, fainting, fatigue, fluid retention, hallucinations, headache, heartburn, hepatitis, hives, increased heart rate, indigestion, inflammation of the stomach, lack of coordination, liver diseases, low blood pressure, nausea, nervousness, palpitations, paranoia, rash, ringing in the ears, severe allergic reaction, stomach and intestinal pain, sweating, swelling of the tongue or face, thirst, tingling in hands or feet, tremors, urinating more or less than usual, vertigo, vomiting, weakness, yellow eyes and skin. Confusion or hallucinations are more likely to occur in the elderly.

Flexeril should not be used by people with an overactive thyroid or who are currently or have recently used MAOIs. Use of Flexeril with MAOIs can result in serious, dangerous health complications. Flexeril may enhance the effects of alcohol and other medicines that work on the central nervous system. Taking Flexeril with some other drugs could alter the effects of either. It is especially important to check with your physicain before combining Flexeril with barbiturates (such as phenobarbital Guanethidine) and other high blood pressure drugs that slow the central nervous system (such as Halcion, Xanax, and Tramadol (Ultram)).

Flexeril is a prescription medicine. Do not use Flexeril if it has not been prescribed for you by a healthcare professional. Flexeril should only be used for short periods of time, usually 2-3 weeks. Flexeril should not be taken by patients who have had a recent heart attack or have heart disease. Inform your physicain if you are pregnant or if you become pregnant while taking Flexeril. It is not known whether Flexeril passes into breast milk. However, it is known that related drugs do pass into breast milk. If Flexeril is essential to your health, your physicain may advise you to discontinue breastfeeding until you have completed your treatment with Flexeril.

Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc. was formed by the 1993 merger of Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation and McNeil Pharmaceutical. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, one of the world's largest manufacturers of health care products and provider of various health services. Ortho-McNeil headquarters are located in Raritan, N.J.