There are a number of different muscle relaxants out there, although the term “muscle relaxant” is something of a misnomer. Actually, muscle relaxants are not classified as their own category of drugs, which makes it hard to determine exactly how many muscle relaxants there are. Muscle relaxants are generally any type of drug that provides an overall sedative for your body. They don’t actually directly affect the muscles. Instead, the affect is one the brain and cause your entire body to relax.

When a doctor prescribes a muscle relaxant, he or she is generally prescribing it for back pain, especially lower back pain that is caused by muscle spasms. Muscle relaxants are also usually only prescribed for short-term use and not as a permanent “cure” for back pain or any other type of pain.

Here are three common muscle relaxants that doctors often prescribe for patients suffering from back pain and other muscle pains:

Soma (Carisoprodol) is a short-term muscle relaxant that is often prescribed in 350mg doses every eight hours or so. While Soma is prescribed fairly regularly as a muscle relaxant, it can be very addictive, especially if it is taken while drinking or while under the influence of other mind-altering drugs.

Valium (Diazepam) is a widely known drug that is usually prescribed only for a period of a few weeks, if that long. Valium is usually taken every six hours, and the dosage is almost never more than ten milligrams. It helps relieve lower back pain caused by muscle spasms, but it may also be prescribed for any type of pain. There are several dangers when taking Valium. It is very habit-forming if taking long term and it greatly disrupts a person’s natural sleep cycle. In fact, some patients find it hard to get back to sleeping regularly after taking Valium. Valium is also a depressant, and it can caused increased symptoms of depression in those who are already diagnosed with being depressed.

Flexeril (Cyclobenzaprine) is, unlike Soma and Valium, prescribed for longer periods of time. Unlike Valium, Flexeril is designed to act somewhat like an antidepressant, although it is not technically one. Generally, doctors will prescribe ten milligrams to be taken every six hours for back pain caused by muscle spasms. The same dosage may also be prescribed as a sleep aid. Flexeril can, however, impair physical and mental functions, so those taking the medication should not operate heavy machinery and may even need to refrain from driving.

Labels: muscle_relaxants, online_pharmacy

Buying prescription drugs, especially in today’s economy, can be a real hardship. Many people, in fact, are faced with the choice of paying their bills or buying their medication, and when it comes to a choice like that, nearly everyone chooses to stop taking their prescription drug. This, of course, can have a number of repercussions. To help people keep both their homes and their medication, here are some ways to save money on prescription drugs.

- Ask about a generic version. Many prescription brand name drugs are also available in a generic version, and these generic versions may be much, much less. If your doctor wants to prescribe medication to you, ask him or her if there’s a generic version you can take instead of assuming you have no choice.

- Alternatively, ask your pharmacist about a generic version or a cheaper drug when you take your prescription to the pharmacy. You may be able to get a generic version from your pharmacist.

- Simply let your doctor know that you cannot afford the prescription. Many people feel embarrassed to admit that they can’t afford their medication, but doctors understand this. If you discuss the cost of the medication with your doctor, he or she may be able to prescribe another drug that will work just as well but cost much less.

- Use an online pharmacy. Typically, even though you have to pay for shipping, online or mail order pharmacies are cheaper than conventional pharmacies. Just remember that you will have to wait a week or so for your medication.

- Ask for free samples, but be wary. While free samples can be a great thing, often the samples are for the most expensive drugs out there. This means that once you run out of samples, you’ll have to pay a lot to continue using the same medication.

- Likewise, don’t always insist on having medication you’ve seen on TV or read about in magazines. Commercials and magazine ads are often, like samples, for the most expensive drugs out there. These expensive brand names may not work any better than the cheaper, generic versions, but they will almost always cost much more.

- Look into a prescription assistance program. There are several different programs available for people who can’t afford their medication. Look into them.

- Shop around. You may be surprised at the difference in price for the same drug at different pharmacies. Just like any major purchase, feel free to call different pharmacies and ask for their price for your medication.

- Ask your doctor if you need to continue taking some medication. This is especially true if you’ve been to several doctors who have all prescribed you medication. Chances are these doctors haven’t communicated with each other about the prescriptions, so you may be taking medication you don’t need.

Labels: online_pharmacy