Muscle relaxers are commonly prescribed to alleviate muscle spasms and pain. However, many patients wonder if these medications can affect their heart rate. The short answer is yes, muscle relaxers can lower heart rate.
Effects on the heart warning: This drug may cause heart arrhythmias (heart rate or rhythm problems). Your risk may be higher if you take a drug to treat depression or if you already have heart problems. If these issues aren't treated, they can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Serious side effects associated with their use include dizziness, falls, fractures, car accidents, dependence and overdose. Muscle relaxants pose a significant risk to people over 65, and the American Geriatrics Society advises against their use in this age group.
Vecuronium and rocuronium decrease the heart rate and should be preferred in patient with faster baseline heart rate. In terms of intubating conditions rocuronium and vecuronium provide best conditions, but onset is faster with rocuronium.
Metaxalone
Taken as 800 mg tablets 3 to 4 times a day, metaxalone (Skelaxin) has the fewest reported side effects. It's also the least likely of the muscle relaxants to make you sleepy.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and topical pain relievers are the preferred pain relievers to take if you have heart failure. Pain medications like gabapentinoids, opioids, and long-term NSAIDs should be avoided if you have heart failure.
Muscle Relaxers are Only a Short-Term Solution
Addiction, Overdose, and Death. These highly addictive muscle relaxers should never be prescribed for more than two-three weeks, preferably for shorter periods.
Muscle relaxants used to treat muscle spasms and cramping normally don't increase blood pressure. In fact, they often lower it. As a result, muscle relaxers may not be safe to take with certain blood pressure medications.
They should not be taken for more than two to three weeks and should be taken directly as prescribed. Muscle relaxants can cause withdrawal symptoms, such as hallucinations and seizures. Stopping this medication suddenly can be harmful. A health care professional will likely decrease the dosage gradually.
It is unsafe to take a muscle relaxer without following the recommendations on the prescription label. Prolonged usage can lead to physical addiction problems, which is why they are recommended for short-term use to calm a spastic muscle.
The most common effects associated with cyclobenzaprine overdose are drowsiness and tachycardia.
Muscle relaxants are ideally prescribed for acute rather than chronic pain. They may be an option if pain is preventing you from getting enough sleep. Because muscle relaxants cause drowsiness, they can help you get rest when you take them at night.
Muscle relaxants are one such class of second-line pain medications that are particularly useful for acute pain. Your doctor may choose to speak to you about Flexeril, a commonly used muscle relaxant in cases of persistent pain.
They can promote recovery by blocking the feeling of pain, so people can get the rest they need to heal. Common uses of muscle relaxants for back or neck pain include: During physical therapy. Muscle relaxers may be prescribed while the person is starting a new physical therapy program.
Angina is chest pain or discomfort caused when your heart muscle doesn't get enough oxygen-rich blood. It may feel like pressure or squeezing in your chest. The discomfort also can occur in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, abdomen or back. Angina pain may even feel like indigestion.
Long term beta blockers help keep your heart failure from becoming worse. Over time, they may also help strengthen your heart. Common beta blockers used for heart failure include carvedilol (Coreg), bisoprolol (Zebeta), and metoprolol (Toprol).
Digoxin can improve your symptoms by strengthening your heart muscle contractions and slowing down your heart rate. It's normally only recommended for people who have symptoms despite treatment with ACE inhibitors, ARBs, beta blockers and diuretics.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may help the pain caused by nerve inflammation. Over-the-counter muscle relaxers can also provide a certain degree of relief as well.
Initially chest wall injuries and muscle strains are managed with heat, anti-inflammatory medications (such as ibuprofen), muscle relaxers, stretching and physical therapy. In more severe or chronic cases local injection or nerve block may be required.