Can You Drink on Cyclobenzaprine?

If you’ve ever gotten a painful muscle spasm, you know it’s no joke. It can jolt you out of sleep or strike during the day, as you go about your business and are suddenly stopped in your tracks by what feels like a pair of tyrannosaurus jaws chomping into your muscles. Those moments can fill you with panic as you try to remember the tricks you’ve heard from your grandmother or read about online. Fill a bathtub with hot water and soak your foot in it? Stand on your heel and bend your toes back? Ugh! Nothing seems to help.

When our muscle pain and spasms become a regular thing, we might end up taking medication such as a muscle relaxant. Cyclobenzaprine (known by the brand name Flexeril) is often prescribed to alleviate spasms related to all sorts of musculoskeletal conditions. But what about cyclobenzaprine and alcohol — is it okay to mix the two? Can you drink on muscle relaxers in general, and what are the possible dangers? Let’s find out!

What Is Cyclobenzaprine?

According to NIH, cyclobenzaprine, a muscle relaxant, is prescribed to help relieve pain from muscle spasms caused by different musculoskeletal conditions. It’s usually not a stand-alone measure, and is used in combination with rest, physical therapy exercises, and other techniques that help relax muscles, quiet pain, and relieve discomfort caused by strains, sprains, and various types of muscle injuries.

What Are Muscle Relaxants?

Muscle relaxants might sound very modern, but they’re actually nothing new! The earliest “muscle relaxants” were actually poison-tipped arrows used as weapons by peoples in the Amazon Basin in South America. The European explorers picked up on their potential medical applications and used them in early experiments that eventually led to the development of cyclobenzaprine and its many pharmacological cousins. And don’t worry — the variety doled out by the local pharmacy won’t do us any harm, provided we take them as prescribed.

How Do Muscle Relaxants Work?

Muscle relaxants work through a few different pathways that all have the same goal — quieting down those overactive signals to prevent painful spasms and muscle hyperactivity. Let’s see what their main mechanisms are and where cyclobenzaprine fits in.

• Antispastics. Antispastics work on the spinal cord or skeletal muscles directly to stop involuntary spasms and excessive tightness “on site.” They are often used to treat conditions such as multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injuries and include medications like baclofen and dantrolene.
• Antispasmodics. Antispasmodics work a bit more remotely. While some target muscle fibers directly, others reduce the intensity of the signals transmitted by the nerves to alleviate pain. 
  
  ‍This is where cyclobenzaprine comes in! According to NCBI, cyclobenzaprine quiets down the central nervous system (CNS) and is structurally similar to tricyclic antidepressants. The result? Effective short-term relief of muscle spasms.
• Opioids. While opioids don’t affect the muscles directly, they do have a muscle-relaxing effect and can be used for pain relief. Instead of controlling muscle spasms, they tweak the perception of pain in our brain, which can sometimes play an indirect (but important) role in muscle tension and spasms. Opioids bind to pain receptors in the brain, inhibiting the transmission of pain signals and creating an overall relaxing effect. A word of caution: they’re addictive, so tread carefully!)

The full list of options for muscle ailments is much longer, but these are the highlights. There are many individual factors that come into play when choosing the right option, and our physician can give us the best idea of which course of treatment is right for us.

Why Cyclobenzaprine and Alcohol Don’t Mix

Can you drink on muscle relaxers? And more specifically, can you drink alcohol with cyclobenzaprine? As it turns out, it’s not a good idea for several reasons. 

Both of the main muscle relaxer types (antispastics and antispasmodics) can have negative interactions with alcohol. Most of the dangers center on amplified side effects (especially sedation). For a deeper look at the dangers of mixing alcohol and muscle relaxants in general, check out “Muscle Relaxers and Alcohol: A Dangerous Mix.” For now, let’s take a closer look at cyclobenzaprine and alcohol in particular.

Dry, Dizzy, and Drowsy

One of the main reasons it’s best to avoid the combo has to do with some gnarly side effects we can end up with as a result. According to NIH, cyclobenzaprine comes with some fairly typical ones, as well as potentially dangerous ones. None of them mix too well with booze.

• Dry mouth. Alcohol is notoriously dehydrating, so that parched mouth feeling might get worse.
• Gastrointestinal side effects. Cyclobenzaprine can bring on nausea and heartburn. Alcohol can add to both (while throwing a few extras, such as stomach pain and diarrhea, into the mix). Needless to say, none of this will add up to a fun night.
• Sedative side effects. Cyclobenzaprine can cause dizziness and extreme tiredness. According to Drugs.com, mixing cyclobenzaprine and alcohol can drastically increase some of the sedating side effects, amping up dizziness, drowsiness, and concentration difficulties. Some of us might even find it leads to thinking and judgment impairments (more so than booze alone). 

This last set of effects is the main reason mixing the two is not recommended, since it increases the chances of having a dangerous fall or another accident. Besides, the sedation could land us in dangerous waters if our heart and breathing rate slows down too much, causing respiratory depression. 

Because of this, driving or operating machinery is out of the question (even if we’re below the legal alcohol limit). It’s important to stay safe and protect others around us!

Liver Trouble 

Another reason why cyclobenzaprine and alcohol are a dangerous combination? Our liver probably won’t be too happy with the mix. Both substances are processed by the liver, which is already in danger of becoming overwhelmed by alcohol alone. Adding another burdensome to-do list item to its task list is asking for trouble. 

Studies show that mixing alcohol and medications that are processed by the liver leads to a less-than-favorable metabolic fallout. Specifically, we end up with elevated levels of certain enzymes. The result? Higher fat deposits and overall stress that can eventually result in liver disease and other complications.

Heart Concerns

Alcohol’s effect on the heart could also put us at risk if we’re taking cyclobenzaprine. Booze is notorious for messing with our blood pressure, decreasing it at first through vasodilation (the widening of blood vessels) before leading to a rebound effect. It also causes potentially dangerous arrhythmias and increases our heart rate. Over time, these disruptions could even lead to cardiomyopathy — a serious form of heart disease. (For more information take a look at “How Does Alcohol Affect the Heart?”).

Muscle Matters

Moreover, alcohol’s effect on muscles can be counterproductive during the healing process. Science shows that alcohol contributes to muscle degeneration, gets in the way of muscle-building, and even leads to muscle atrophy in the long run.

Alcohol and Cyclobenzaprine: Addiction Potential

Finally, there’s the matter of dependency. As we know, alcohol can be notoriously addictive since it affects the brain’s levels of dopamine, a “reward” neurotransmitter involved in pleasure-seeking behavior. Dopamine gets released through activities that make us feel good (delicious food, good company, a date that ends well — you get the picture). However, substances like alcohol cause an unnatural flood of dopamine that the brain eventually gets used to and comes to expect, leading us to become more and more dependent on that weekly (or nightly) drink.

Muscle relaxers affect our cognition a bit differently but can play a role in this process. By affecting our nervous system, they lower our “cognitive defenses,” making it more likely we’ll jump into certain situations or make decisions without thinking. Our inhibitions might be lower, and we might end up drinking more as a result, paving the way for potential problems in the future.

How Long After Taking Cyclobenzaprine Can I Drink Alcohol?

Cyclobenzaprine has a half-life of about 18 hours, which means that within 18 hours, half of it is no longer in our body. (It’s usually taken 3 times a day and is meant for short-term use — 2 or 3 weeks at most). Doctors generally recommend waiting at least 48 hours before drinking. (Of course, we might want to take a longer break from booze once we see the benefits!)

Tips To Stay Safe

How can we stay safe when it comes to alcohol and cyclobenzaprine? Here are a few tips to start with.

1. Steer clear of the cyclobenzaprine-alcohol combo. To avoid potentially dangerous interactions (as well as putting too much stress on the liver or muscles), don’t mix cyclobenzaprine with alcohol.
2. Give your muscles a chance to heal. Cutting back on booze in general will give your muscles a much-needed chance to recover. Plus, cutting back can lead to a myriad other “bonus” benefits, such as better sleep, a healthier immune system, and weight loss.
3. Get plenty of rest. Speaking of sleep, make sure to get enough rest. Sleep is when most healing happens, so give your body a chance to tap into its own healing powers by getting some high-quality slumber in a sleep-friendly environment (dark, cool, without distractions or interruptions).
4. Nourish your muscles. To nourish your muscles, make sure to get plenty of protein from healthy sources, such as fish, lean meats, eggs, dairy, and tofu. Proteins serve as the building blocks of muscles, and variety is key! Moreover, adding antioxidants to reduce inflammation can speed up the recovery process. (Think berries, nuts, green leafy vegetables, and turmeric.)
5. Keep moving. Follow your doctor’s advice if you have an injury, but once you have the green light, engage in light activity whenever possible. If the gym isn’t your thing, don’t sweat it! (Pardon the pun.) Mindful movement — anything from gentle yoga to a slow stroll around the neighborhood park — will do the trick.
6. See a physical therapist. Sometimes adding a specific exercise routine targeted to your particular muscle problem can work wonders in speeding up recovery. They’re often covered by insurance, so check out one in your area to see what they recommend!

With these tips, you can stay safe when it comes to cyclobenzaprine and alcohol while helping your muscles heal. We wish you a speedy recovery!

Nourish Your Muscle Memory

For some extra motivation, keep in mind that it’s not just your muscles that will reap the rewards — going easy on the booze and taking care of your physical health will also bring you closer to being the healthiest and happiest version of yourself.

We can think of our habits themselves as a sort of “mental muscle” we can exercise, leading us to form healthy habits over time. As Monjyoti Bhattacharyya writes in A Relentless Pursuit of the Truth: A Philosophical Guide to Living a Life of Fulfillment and Meaning, “We become muscular at whatever we are repeatedly exposed to. Same is true for all the unconscious habits we develop.” Let’s take care of our muscles — both the physical kind and the metaphorical muscles of habit that help us transform our lives and become the best versions of ourselves.