Cyclobenzaprine (brand name Flexeril, among others) is a prescription muscle relaxant, and people who take extra hoping for a cyclobenzaprine high mostly get heavy sedation, confusion and a racing heart. It isn’t built to produce euphoria. What it can do, especially in large amounts or mixed with alcohol, is cause seizures, dangerous heart rhythms and overdose.
If you searched this because you’re curious, or because you’ve already tried it, keep reading. The risks are real, and they’re not obvious from how “mild” a muscle relaxer sounds.
What Cyclobenzaprine Is and How It Works
MedlinePlus describes cyclobenzaprine as a skeletal muscle relaxant used to treat muscle spasms. It doesn’t work on the muscles directly. It acts on the brain and nervous system, which is why drowsiness, dizziness and fatigue are among its most common side effects.
Something most people don’t know: cyclobenzaprine is a near twin of the antidepressant amitriptyline. According to Wikipedia’s summary, the two molecules differ by a single double bond. That’s why it shares many of the risks of older tricyclic antidepressants, especially for the heart.
It’s also meant for short-term use. MedlinePlus says not to take it for more than 3 weeks without talking to your doctor, and that adults 65 and older usually shouldn’t take it, because safer options exist.
What a Cyclobenzaprine High Actually Looks Like
People who misuse cyclobenzaprine are usually after relaxation or escape: the heavy, floaty, switched-off feeling that comes with a strong sedative. What they tend to get at higher amounts is the side-effect list turned up:
- Extreme drowsiness, nodding off
- Confusion, trouble speaking or moving
- A fast or irregular heartbeat
- Dizziness, nausea and vomiting
- Agitation, tremor or hallucinations
That list isn’t a description of a pleasant high. It’s MedlinePlus’s list of overdose symptoms, which also includes loss of consciousness.
The Real Dangers of Misusing Cyclobenzaprine
Mixing with alcohol
This is the big one. MedlinePlus warns that cyclobenzaprine can make alcohol’s effects worse. NIAAA lists the possible reactions when alcohol is mixed with cyclobenzaprine: drowsiness, dizziness, increased risk of seizures, increased risk for overdose and slowed or difficult breathing. Opioids, benzodiazepines and sleep medications stack the same way.
Heart rhythm problems
MedlinePlus tells people with a recent heart attack, heart failure, irregular heartbeat or heart block to discuss it with their doctor, who may advise against cyclobenzaprine entirely. In overdose, Wikipedia lists rarer but serious complications including abnormal heart rhythms, severe low blood pressure, seizures and cardiac arrest.
Serotonin syndrome
Because of its antidepressant-like structure, cyclobenzaprine can interact with drugs that raise serotonin. Wikipedia notes a higher risk of serotonin syndrome when it’s taken with certain antidepressants, and MedlinePlus warns against combining it with MAO inhibitors. Symptoms like fever, sweating, confusion, fast heartbeat, shivering and severe muscle stiffness need emergency care.
Pills that aren’t what they seem
Muscle relaxers bought from a friend or online may not be cyclobenzaprine at all. Counterfeit pills can contain other sedatives or even fentanyl, and you can’t tell by looking.
When to Call 911
Call 911 if someone has collapsed, had a seizure, is having trouble breathing or can’t be woken up. Chest pain or a pounding, irregular heartbeat after taking cyclobenzaprine is also an emergency. For anything else, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
Is Cyclobenzaprine Addictive?
Cyclobenzaprine isn’t a controlled substance in the US, and it’s not thought of as highly addictive in the way opioids or benzodiazepines are. But anything used to escape stress, pain or emotion can become a habit, and some people do come to rely on it. That’s especially true when it’s paired with alcohol or other drugs, or when someone keeps refilling it long past the few weeks it’s meant for.
Warning signs
- Taking more than prescribed, or more often
- Using it for stress, sleep or emotions rather than muscle spasm
- Staying on it for months when it was prescribed for a short injury
- Mixing it with alcohol, opioids or other sedatives
- Getting it from friends, family or online
- Feeling irritable or unable to relax without it
Getting Help for Cyclobenzaprine Misuse
If cyclobenzaprine is part of a bigger pattern, with alcohol, opioids or other pills, the safest first step is medically supervised detox, especially since alcohol and sedative withdrawal can be dangerous on their own. Then the real work starts: understanding what you were trying to switch off. Chronic pain, anxiety and trauma are common answers.
A lot of people who end up misusing cyclobenzaprine started with a real injury: a bad back, a car accident, a strain that never quite healed. The pills took the edge off the pain, then the stress, then the evening. If that’s you, you’re not a bad person, and the pain is real. It still deserves a better plan than a muscle relaxer you were supposed to stop weeks ago. A doctor can look at other ways to manage it, and treatment can help with the part that isn’t physical.
Our prescription drug addiction page describes how we treat misuse that started with a legitimate prescription. If stress or old wounds are driving it, co-occurring disorders treatment works on the mental health side at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you get high on cyclobenzaprine?
It mostly causes heavy sedation, not euphoria. Taking more than prescribed raises the risk of confusion, a fast or irregular heartbeat, seizures and overdose, particularly with alcohol.
Is cyclobenzaprine addictive?
It isn’t considered highly addictive, and it’s not a controlled substance. People can still misuse it and come to depend on it, especially for stress or sleep.
Is it safe to drink alcohol with cyclobenzaprine?
No. NIAAA lists an increased risk of seizures, overdose and slowed breathing when the two are mixed. Ask your doctor or pharmacist before combining it with anything.
How long should you take cyclobenzaprine?
MedlinePlus says not to take it for more than 3 weeks without talking to your doctor. If you’ve been on it much longer, check in with your prescriber.
Get Help at Covenant Hills
Covenant Hills is a Christian residential treatment center in Orange County. We help people stop misusing prescription drugs and find better ways to handle pain, stress and the hard stuff underneath. Learn about our program, or call 800-662-2873 for a free, confidential assessment.
