Is Flexeril (Cyclobenzaprine) a Narcotic?

Flexeril i.e. cyclobenzaprine is a commonly prescribed drug which is widely utilised as a muscle relaxant. However, drugs like Flexeril always raise concerns as to whether or not they belong to the morphine family. In this article, we shall briefly review Flexeril and talk about its abuse potential.

Is Flexeril a narcotic?

Flexeril does not belong to the opioid family and is therefore not a narcotic agent. In the United States, Canada or internationally, Flexeril is not considered a controlled substance and should therefore not be considered a narcotic in any sense. In fact, it is a completely different class of medication that has no resemblance of any sort to the narcotic family.

Is Flexeril addictive?

Addiction to drug is fairly subjective and depends upon the individual taking the drug and the associated medications that are taken with it. In cases of overdoses that have been reported, it appears that patients who are addicted to drugs are usually stuck to those that have addictive potential unlike Flexeril which does not appear to have addictive potential. Having said that, the US drug enforcement agency (DEA) has listed Flexeril as a drug of concern meaning that it is more often used for the management of spastic muscle disorders and as a muscle relaxant rather than for recreational purposes.

In patients who have been taking Flexeril for long period of time, there is a potential for them to withdraw from the drug if they stop it suddenly. For this reason, some believe that it has an addictive potential. There does not appear to be any sort of scientific evidence backing this fact however.

Flexeril abuse

As previously mentioned there is a slight concern with the use of Flexeril by the US DEA. The primary concern that arises from the use of Flexeril is the fact that is utilised along with other medication that can be addictive and is utilised for abuse purposes. This is because cyclobenzaprine can enhance the affect of the other addictive drugs by potentiating the mind altering effects it has.

If taken in high quantities and abused, Flexeril has the potential of causing serious side-effects such as confusion, visual disturbances, hallucinations and an inability to concentrate and think clearly. If the levels are extremely high, this can become life-threatening and can cause coma, seizures and even death. For this reason, Flexeril, though not considered an addictive drug or one that has abuse potential, is still closely monitored when prescribed to patients due to its side-effect profile.

Flexeril is not a narcotic agent and does not have addictive potential. However, prolonged use is associated with withdrawal symptoms which are why some consider it to have some form of addictive effect. The abuse potential of Flexeril is low due to the side-effect profile but many patients often take it along with other recreational drugs in order to obtain a greater high.