It becomes very hard to live when you are undergoing muscle pain. The stiffness of muscles, back pain, neck pain make our life miserable and frustrating.
Daily life becomes a challenge, People from all ages faces a lot of muscle pain.Hence it is not new for folks to have muscle relaxers as a brief treatment.
Muscle relaxers relax muscles by blocking pain signals to the brain. It is a short-term relaxer and stays in the body for a certain period and is excreted.. The duration of muscle relaxers in the human body also depends on several factors. ( A bit over the edge)
So how much time does it stay in our system?Just stay with us and your doubts will get cleared (Ballantyne, Jane C. FRCA; Chang, YuChiao PhD The Impact of Choice of Muscle Relaxant on Postoperative Recovery Time, Anesthesia & Analgesia: September 1997).
How Long does Muscle Relaxers Stay in your System?
Our body is a great network of muscle tissues, bone and complex power systems. Sometimes it gets disturbed due to stiffness of muscles. Muscle relaxers are a quick performer. Some muscle relaxers are used to treat chronic pain.
The average period of muscle relaxers is from 4 to 6 hours. It is excreted (Excreted would be a better word) through urine, however, some muscle relaxers can stay in the system for longer as the effects vary from drug to drug and person to person.
If you are consuming muscle relaxers for long-term and with consultation, can be detected for about 10 days or as you continue the dose. The half-life is a parameter to calculate the duration of drug.The effectiveness and excretion of muscle relaxers are tested through their half-life.
Carisoprodol stays for 6 hours in your system after consumption. Don’t get fascinated by the fast-acting muscle relaxer, it’s just a science. You might wonder about half-life concept. Dawg! It’s simple (Ballantyne, Jane C. FRCA; September 1997).
Muscle Relaxer has a Half-Life
Half-life is a powerful parameter to measure the half-elimination of life of the drug. In simple words when you consume a muscle relaxer and the half-life is about 1 hour, it states that 50% of the muscle relaxer quantity is worked out/absorbed in that one hour and the rest can be used and excreted afterward. Hence it is called Half-life.
For your understanding
Flexeril is eliminated within 5 days to 15 days. And it has a half-life of 1 to 3 days, the calculation goes like
- 5*(Half-life): 5*1=5 days
- 5*(Half-life): 5*3= 15 days
Half-life is calculated through observance of the dosage system. (Browning, R., Jackson, J.L. and O’Malley, P.G., 2001.)
Factors Affecting the Duration of Muscle Relaxers in the Human Body
- Alcohol: Consumption of alcohol with muscle relaxers can increase the accommodation period in the human body.
- Dosage: Dosage patterns can affect the elimination, dosage patterns can vary from person to person. The missed dose can affect the duration of the drug
- Medical conditions: Medical conditions can vary in dosage and types of muscle relaxants to be used. Some relaxers have a high time to absorb.
- Body mass: Mass of the body affects the excretion of the drug, the bigger the size the longer (What is the elimination?) will be excretion time.
- Metabolism rate: High metabolism rate will help to excrete out drug quickly and vice versa.
Muscle Relaxers and their Duration of Elimination
Generic Name | Brand Name | Elimination time |
Carisoprodol | Soma | 11 Hour |
Cyclobenzaprine | Flexeril | 8 days |
Chlorzoxazone | Lorzone | 24 hours |
Methocarbamol | Robaxin | 4 hours |
Tizanidine | Zanaflex | 1 ½ hours |
We hope your doubts are clear.
Conclusion
Generally, the average life of a muscle relaxer in your system is about 4 to 6 hours and then it is thrown out of your system. Muscle relaxers are used for the short term and also in chronic pain.
Hope you learned about half-life of drug. You also learned various factors can affect the elimination time of drugs in your system.
