Cyclobenzaprine: a new look at an old pharmacological agent

Cyclobenzaprine is a tricyclic pharmacologic agent that has enjoyed considerable use since its availability. Most clinical usages have focused on the muscle relaxant properties, the mechanism of action being more recently redefined. Higher orders of the CNS are, nevertheless, affected, and the latter contributes to the spectrum of proclaimed side effects that are otherwise largely anticholinergic in nature. Cyclobenzaprine has a reasonable safety profile and overdoses are not as problematic as those for accepted tricyclic psychotherapeutic agents. Clinical studies have given supportive, albeit not conclusive, evidence for treatment roles in the short-term management of acute neck and back pain, and fibromyalgia. Further and more exacting science is warranted to explore the value of this drug in other neurological and psychiatric contexts.