Carbacot

Methocarbamol is a prescription medication used with rest, physical therapy, and other measures to relax muscles and relieve pain and discomfort caused by strains, sprains, and other muscle injuries. Methocarbamol belongs to a group of drugs called muscle relaxants. The exact way it works is unknown, but it seems to exert its effects by acting on the central nervous system, rather than directly relaxing muscle.

This medication comes in tablet form. It is usually taken 3 or 4 times daily. There is also an injectable form of methocarbamol to be given directly into a vein (IV) or muscle (IM) by a healthcare professional.

Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, and headache. Methocarbamol can also cause dizziness, drowsiness and blurred vision. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how it affects you.

Methocarbamol is a prescription medication used with rest, physical therapy, and other measures to relax muscles and relieve pain and discomfort caused by acute (short-term) muscle injuries. 

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Take methocarbamol exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends will be based on the severity of your condition as well as other conditions you may have.

• Methocarbamol may increase your risk for seizures, including grand mal seizures. Tell your doctor if you have epilepsy or have had seizures in the past.
• This medication may cause dizziness and drowsiness. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how it affects you.
• Alcohol should be avoided as it can increase drowsiness when taken with methocarbamol.

Do not take methocarbamol if you are allergic to any ingredient in methocarbamol.

Common side effects include:

• drowsiness
• dizziness
• headache
• nausea
• vomiting
• blurred vision
• fever
• changes in urine color

​This is not a complete list of methocarbamol side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• alcohol
• benzodiazepines (drugs used to treat anxiety, panic attacks and other conditions) such as alprazolam (Xanax), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), clobazam (Onfi), clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), temazepam (Restoril) and others
• opioids (narcotic pain medicines) such as hydrocodone (in Lortab, in Vicodin), morphine (Avinza, Kadian, MS Contin, others), oxycodone (Oxycontin)
• tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline, amoxapine, desipramine (Norpramin), doxepin, imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), protriptyline (Vivactil), and trimipramine (Surmontil)
• sleep medicines such as eszopiclone (Lunesta), ramelteon (Rozerem), zaleplon (Sonata), zolpidem (Ambien)
• other medicines that cause sedation

This is not a complete list of methocarbamol drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Methocarbamol falls into category C. No studies have been done in animals, and no well-controlled studies have been done in pregnant women. Methocarbamol should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known if methocarbamol crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using methocarbamol.

Alcohol should be avoided as it can increase drowsiness when taken with methocarbamol.

Methocarbamol can also cause dizziness and drowsiness. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how it affects you.

Tell your doctor if you take other medicines that cause sedation.