Do Flexeril And Oxycodone Treat Muscle Pain Together?
Doctors have not one but two perfect solutions for your muscle pain. They are Flexeril and Oxycodone, a muscle relaxant and an opioid painkiller. Flexeril works on muscle spasms very effectively, and Oxycodone is a quick pain reliever. Patients can use either of them and can surely get a calming relief, but there are risks for using both medications. Many have wondered what happens after mixing the medicines, and how to take it together. But before getting into it, we must understand what Oxycodone and Flexeril are, the mechanisms, differences, and risks of the pain relievers, which we will do in this blog.
Flexeril and Oxycodone: Understanding The Medications That Relax Our Muscles
What is Flexeril?
Flexiril is a muscle relaxation drug, also known by its generic name, Cyclobenzaprine. It can be found in the market with other names like Fexmid, Tonmya, and Amrix. Flexeril is available as both immediate and extended-release tablets, and its generic version, Cyclobenzaprine, can be found as topical creams. Flexeril is primarily used for muscle spasms, and it works by inhibiting serotonin, histamine, muscarinic, and alpha-1 adrenergic receptors. This releases various neurotransmitters throughout the central nervous system, which stops the pain signals that cause discomfort in skeletal muscles. Flexeril may not be a controlled substance, but it has the potential for abuse.
What is Oxycodone?
Oxycodone is an opioid analgesic used for treating moderate-to-severe pain. It is found in numerous brand names like OxyContin, Roxicodone, and OxyNorm. One can find this medication in the form of tablets, capsules, and solutions. It is a Schedule II controlled substance, as Oxycodone has a high potential for addiction. Oxycodone works on μ-opioid, κ-opioid, and δ-opioid receptors by blocking them and releasing neurotransmitters of dopamine, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), and noradrenaline. This stops the pain signals from reaching the brain and making the patient feel relaxed. It derives from a natural compound called thebaine, which comes from poppy plants.
Why Flexeril and Oxycodone For Muscle Pain?
Flexeril is recommended by doctors for muscle pain, commonly because it is one of the best muscle relaxants available in the market. It can target muscle spasms effectively, and it acts on the nerve signals in our brain stem, which reduces hyperactivity in the muscles. Oxycodone is a treatment for muscle pain when first-line medications like Flexeril may fail to treat the severe discomfort in the muscles. The opioids can change our pain perceptions, which is why, in the case of severe muscle pains, it can be useful. Combining Oxycodone and Flexeril strictly under medical supervision can be way more effective than a single dose for severe pain.
Are There Similarities Between Flexeril and Oxycodone?
Both Oxycodone and Flexeril being painkillers is the most obvious similarity. On top of that, Flexeril and Oxycodone can have similar risks because both are CNS depressants. A patient can deal with a serious condition called serotonin syndrome if Flexeril or Oxycodone are mixed with opioids or antidepressants. Besides these, there are no evident similarities between the drugs. That is because both are completely different medications, and even these three similarities are just a coincidence. Flexeril and Oxycodone have a lot of differences, and that will help us understand why the two drugs are essential for muscle relaxation even better.
Differences Between Flexeril and Oxycodone
The differences between the pain relievers span a lot of categories, like drug class, mechanisms. dosage, duration, and so on. Let us understand these differences thoroughly.
| Categories | Flexeril | Oxycodone |
| Class of Drugs | Flexeril is simply a muscle relaxation medication | Oxycodone is the stronger opioid pain reliever. |
| Drug Status | It is not a controlled substance. | It is a Schedule II controlled substance. |
| Uses | Flexeril is used to relax patients with muscle pain. | Oxycodone is used in cases of moderate-to-severe pain. |
| Mechanism of Action | It binds with multiple receptors to release neurotransmitters throughout the nervous system to stop nerve signals causing muscle pain. | It binds with various opioid receptors to release dopamine and norepinephrine neurotransmitters, stopping the pain signals from reaching the brain. |
| Duration | Flexeril is meant to be a short-term dose for 4-6 hours. | Oxycodone has IR tablets with a 4-6 hour duration and ER tablets with an 8-12 hour duration. |
| Risk of Potency | The risk of abuse in Flexeril is way less than that of other painkillers. | Being an opioid makes it highly addictive. |
Can You Take Flexeril and Oxycodone Together?
Though we know that doctors prescribe Oxycodone and Flexeril together in the case of severe muscle pain, the doctors know it is not a safe combination. They tell us to take the two drugs together very rarely, and there are many reasons why. Both medications are CNS depressants, which means that if taken together, one will experience very high sedation and drowsiness. If you use this combination for any longer, you can go through serotonin syndrome, and besides that, you may have high respiratory depression. This might lead to coma or even death. So, do not use Flexeril and Oxycodone together on your own; always ask a doctor if first-line medications do not help your muscle pain.
The Gap to Take Flexeril and Oxycodone
You must know to take Flexeril and Oxycodone how far apart when doctors prescribe the two drugs together, despite knowing the risks. The correct spacing between the two pills is around 2-3 hours. This is because you should give time to one medication to start its process in our system properly. First take Oxycodone because it has a half-life of 3.2 hours. Take Flexeril 3-hour interval because it has a longer half-life. This is a safer way to use the two drugs, but you should do it only if your doctor has advised you to.
Drug Interactions of Flexeril and Oxycodone
We already know the risks of taking them together, by knowing the other drugs they interact with saves us from unnecessary interactions. Let’s take a look at the list of interactions.
Flexeril Interactions
- Cymbalta
- Klonopin
- Ambien
- Benadryl
- Gabapentin
- Lyrica
- Xanax
- Trazodone
- Tramadol
- Zoloft
Oxycodone Interactions
Conclusion
Muscle pain is a very painful issue one has to go through because of physical strain. Flexeril allows you to get excellent relief from that pain. When muscle pain becomes severe, Oxycodone helps patients effectively. But when it comes to taking the two drugs together, always consult your doctor first because both painkillers have serious side effects.