Prescription medication · Muscle Relaxant
methocarbamol
Also sold as Robaxin. This medicine treats the discomfort caused by painful muscle problems.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 21,191
- FDA reportsModerately reported
- 1
- Recall record
What the data shows
methocarbamol (Robaxin) is a prescription Muscle Relaxant, reported at a middle-of-the-pack volume (21,191 FDA reports).
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
methocarbamol (Robaxin) is a prescription Muscle Relaxant. This medicine treats the discomfort caused by painful muscle problems.
Methocarbamol is a muscle relaxant. It helps to relieve discomfort from painful muscle problems.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.03/unit
Generic Available
Yes (16 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
This medicine treats the discomfort caused by painful muscle problems.
Common side effects
Drowsiness, Dizziness, Lightheadedness
Key warnings
Methocarbamol can interact with alcohol and other drugs that affect your central nervous system.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from methocarbamol's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Methocarbamol is a central nervous system depressant. It likely works by making you feel calm and relaxed. This may help to relieve muscle discomfort.
How to Take It
Take this medicine exactly as your doctor tells you. For 500mg tablets, the usual starting dose is 3 tablets four times a day. The maintenance dose is usually 2 tablets four times a day. For 750mg tablets, the usual starting dose is 2 tablets four times a day. The maintenance dose is usually 1 tablet every 4 hours, or 2 tablets three times a day.
This is a plain-language summary of methocarbamol's FDA labeling, not individualized dosing advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before changing how you take this medication.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
It is not known if methocarbamol can harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding.
This is a plain-language summary of methocarbamol's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber about pregnancy or breastfeeding on this medication.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule.
This is a plain-language summary of methocarbamol's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber what to do about your specific missed dose.
Storage
Store at room temperature, between 68°F and 77°F, in a tightly closed container.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 21,191 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for methocarbamol, by number of reports
- Pain
Pain
1,637 reports
- Feeling sick to your stomach
Feeling sick to your stomach
1,563 reports
- Feeling tired
Feeling tired
1,529 reports
- Headache
Headache
1,201 reports
- Diarrhea
Diarrhea
1,078 reports
- Fall
Fall
1,045 reports
- Difficulty breathing
Difficulty breathing
994 reports
- Joint pain
Joint pain
963 reports
- Dizziness
Dizziness
908 reports
- Back pain
Back pain
884 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for methocarbamol each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where methocarbamol sits
methocarbamol has more FDA adverse-event reports than 56% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is methocarbamol; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 21,191 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
21,191
Reports Mentioning Death
1,643
7.8% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
6,345
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PAIN | 1,639 |
| 2 | NAUSEA | 1,565 |
| 3 | FATIGUE | 1,531 |
| 5 | HEADACHE | 1,201 |
| 6 | DIARRHOEA | 1,078 |
| 7 | FALL | 1,046 |
| 8 | DYSPNOEA | 995 |
| 9 | ARTHRALGIA | 963 |
| 10 | DIZZINESS | 909 |
| 11 | ANXIETY | 884 |
| 12 | BACK PAIN | 884 |
| 14 | DEPRESSION | 797 |
| 15 | VOMITING | 789 |
| 16 | PAIN IN EXTREMITY | 762 |
| 17 | CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE | 761 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Methocarbamol can interact with alcohol and other drugs that affect your central nervous system. Be careful when taking these together.
Common Questions
Can I drink alcohol while taking this medicine?
Will this medicine make me sleepy?
Can I drive while taking this medicine?
What should I do if I have side effects?
Can I take this with other medicines?
How long does it take for this medicine to work?
What if this medicine doesn't relieve my pain?
Can I stop taking this medicine when I feel better?
Is it okay to take this medication if I have kidney problems?
Can children take this medicine?
What are the common side effects of methocarbamol?
What drug class is methocarbamol?
Is methocarbamol safe during pregnancy?
Has methocarbamol been recalled?
Active Recalls
Lack of Assurance of Sterility: Media fill with bacterial contamination
Somerset Therapeutics Private Limited
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Other drugs grouped near methocarbamol - same-class peers and common alternatives.
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What the FDA Data Shows for methocarbamol
The FDA label for methocarbamol (sold under brand names such as Robaxin) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Muscle Relaxant class. This medicine treats the discomfort caused by painful muscle problems. Official labeling lists 5 commonly reported side effects, including Drowsiness, Dizziness, Lightheadedness.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 21,191 voluntary reports. Interaction data is drawn directly from FDA-approved prescribing information. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.03.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 1 recall record on file), and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: August 1, 2020
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages