Many people who visit a doctor for back or neck pain may get prescribed muscle relaxers for relief. These muscle relaxer pills are commonly used to ease painful muscle spasms or cramps on a temporary basis. If you have recently experienced a car accident injury or suffer from chronic pain, consider the following alternatives to pain relief before turning to relaxant medicine.
What to Expect with Muscle Relaxants
For those who have never used a muscle relaxer to relieve pain, here’s a brief outline for how to correctly approach them:
- Your doctor may offer you a prescription for pain medication and a muscle relaxant to help manage your symptoms. Do not take both medications at the same time. Take your pain medication first and be sure to follow all instructions and read the label before use. You’ll be more comfortable if you take the muscle relaxant about an hour later.
- Do muscle relaxers make you sleepy? Yes, muscle relaxant side effects often include drowsiness. Although different types of muscle relaxants can have a different impact on your level of tiredness, you will likely feel sleepy. Avoid driving, operating machinery, or performing any tasks that require full alertness after taking these medications to prevent accidents.
- If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding, muscle relaxants are generally not recommended due to potential risks to the baby. Instead, consider contacting your Atlanta chiropractor for natural treatment options. Chiropractic care is highly effective for treating pain and does not involve the adverse side effects of muscle relaxer pills.
Potential Muscle Relaxant Side Effects
Drowsiness isn’t the only side effect of muscle relaxants. While muscle relaxants are commonly known for causing sleepiness, they can also trigger a wide range of other side effects that may be far more serious. Understanding these risks is important before you begin taking any relaxant medicine. Here are some of the most significant side effects to be aware of:
Nausea
Upset stomach, nausea, and vomiting are common side effects of muscle relaxers. When you’re already dealing with pain, experiencing gastrointestinal discomfort can be incredibly uncomfortable and end up making your other symptoms worse. Taking muscle relaxants with food or switching to a different medication under the guidance of your healthcare provider may help minimize these effects.
Breathing issues
Muscle relaxants can depress the respiratory system, which can make it more difficult to breathe. This can be especially true when taken in high doses or combined with other depressants like alcohol or opioids that can affect the central nervous system. This can lead to shallow breathing, shortness of breath, or even respiratory arrest in severe cases. If you have a pre-existing respiratory condition like asthma or COPD, then you should be especially cautious since muscle relaxants can exacerbate these issues.
Blurred vision
Muscle relaxers can also impact your vision, causing blurred vision, double vision, or other disturbances. This can make everyday activities like reading, driving, or working on a computer even more challenging. If you notice changes in your vision while taking muscle relaxants, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider as soon as possible since this could be a sign of a more severe reaction.
Dizziness
Muscle relaxers can cause dizziness or lightheadedness, which can increase the risk of falls and injuries, especially when standing up quickly. This side effect is also a concern for older adults and those with balance issues. Staying hydrated and avoiding sudden movements can help reduce the intensity of dizziness, though it’s important to be cautious and speak to your doctor about your experiences.
Dry Mouth
Dry mouth is another common side effect that can be uncomfortable and impact your oral health. When your body doesn’t produce as much saliva, this can increase your risk of cavities and gum disease and even result in difficulty swallowing. To combat dry mouth, drink plenty of water, chew sugar-free gum, and talk to your doctor about additional options that may work for you.
Confusion
Confusion is a cognitive side effect, along with disorientation and difficulty concentrating, which is common with muscle relaxants. These symptoms can be dangerous for older adults because they may increase the risk of falls or other accidents. Confusion can also get worse over time, making it harder to carry out daily tasks and impacting mental health.
Anxiety
Although muscle relaxants are designed to relax the body, some people may experience increased anxiety or nervousness as a side effect. This reaction can be surprising and distressing; you may need to talk to your doctor about the dosage or type of medications you’re on. If you notice an increase in anxiety while taking muscle relaxers, consult with your healthcare provider about all your options.
Urinary issues
Muscle relaxants can interfere with normal bladder function, which can lead to difficulty urinating. This can be especially concerning for people with prostate problems or urinary tract disorders because the side effects of certain medications could make these health conditions worse. If you notice changes in your urinary habits or experience discomfort, contact your doctor to discuss possible adjustments to your treatment plan.
How Muscle Relaxants Affect Your Body
Muscle relaxants work by depressing the central nervous system, which slows down the brain and nerve functioning to relax muscles. However, this also means that vital bodily functions like heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing can be affected. Overuse or accidental overdose can cause severe respiratory depression, where breathing slows down to dangerously low levels. This can be life-threatening and result in a fatal overdose. Additionally, combining muscle relaxants with other sedatives, such as opioids or benzodiazepines, can increase these risks significantly and lead to a serious medical emergency.
The Dangers of Muscle Relaxants
While muscle relaxants can provide temporary relief from pain and spasms, they come with significant risks that should not be overlooked. One of the most concerning issues is the potential for dependency and addiction. Muscle relaxants can create a cycle where the body gets used to the medication, resulting in a need for higher doses to achieve the same effect. This can escalate into misuse, where a medication is taken more frequently or in larger amounts than prescribed, which increases the risk of dependency.
Combining muscle relaxers with alcohol is also hazardous and should always be avoided. Both alcohol and muscle relaxants are central nervous system depressants, and their combined effects can act as a sedative, leading to extreme drowsiness, impaired motor function, and slowed cognitive abilities. This dangerous interaction can also heighten the risk of severe side effects such as kidney failure and seizures, which can result in unconsciousness or a coma. Even small amounts of alcohol can drastically impact how the body processes muscle relaxers, making this combination unpredictable and highly dangerous.
Other potential dangers of muscle relaxants include impaired judgment, memory issues, and reduced coordination, which can lead to accidents, falls, or other injuries. Because these medications can affect your ability to think clearly, they can result in additional risks in your everyday activities like driving a car or caring for children. Always talk to your doctor honestly about your medication use, including any alcohol consumption, to fully understand the risks and make sure that you are using these medications safely.
Chiropractic Treatment as a Natural Alternative to Muscle Relaxants
You might be wondering, “Can chiropractors prescribe muscle relaxers?” In general, chiropractors cannot prescribe muscle relaxants because they do not have the ability to prescribe medication. However, chiropractors offer effective, drug-free approaches to managing pain, including chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue therapy, spinal decompression, and other holistic treatment techniques.
If you’re a drug-free approach to pain relief, consider chiropractic care as a natural and safer alternative. Our Atlanta chiropractors provide a range of all-natural treatment solutions that are proven to be just as effective at relieving pain as muscle relaxants without the risk of dependency or other serious muscle relaxant side effects. Plus, chiropractic care can offer long-lasting pain relief by addressing the root cause of your pain rather than just masking symptoms.
Chiropractic Treatment Serves as a Natural Alternative To Muscle Relaxants
If you are in pain and want relief without compromising your health, contact our Atlanta chiropractors today for immediate support. Our walk-in chiropractors use a variety of all-natural treatment solutions that are proven to be just as effective at relieving pain as muscle relaxants and do not contain any adverse side effects.
Call AICA today to schedule a free consultation or an examination today.