Prescription medication · Muscle Relaxant / Analgesic

orphenadrine

Also sold as Norflex. This medicine treats discomfort caused by painful muscle and bone problems.

Data updated 2026-05-15

415
FDA reports
$5.74
Generic price (NADAC)

orphenadrine (Norflex) is a prescription Muscle Relaxant / Analgesic. This medicine treats discomfort caused by painful muscle and bone problems.

Orphenadrine (Norflex) is a muscle relaxant that can help relieve discomfort from painful muscle problems. It should be used with rest and physical therapy.

Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →

Drug Pricing (NADAC)

Generic Price

$5.74/unit

Generic Available

Yes (6 manufacturers)

Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →

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What it does

This medicine treats discomfort caused by painful muscle and bone problems.

Common side effects

Dry mouth, Drowsiness, Dizziness

Key warnings

You should not take this medicine if you have glaucoma, a blockage in your stomach or small intestine, peptic ulcers that are getting smaller, an enlarged prostate, problems with your bladder, mega-esophagus, or myasthenia gravis.

The sections below are summarized in plain English from orphenadrine's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.

How It Works

Orphenadrine works by relaxing your muscles. It also has some pain-relieving effects. It mainly works by blocking certain nerve signals in the body.

Side Effects (from patient reports)

Based on 415 FDA adverse event reports.

Most-reported reactions

Adverse reactions in FAERS for orphenadrine, by number of reports

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.

Source FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS)

Serious Warnings

You should not take this medicine if you have glaucoma, a blockage in your stomach or small intestine, peptic ulcers that are getting smaller, an enlarged prostate, problems with your bladder, mega-esophagus, or myasthenia gravis. Do not take this medicine if you are allergic to it.

Common Questions

Can I drive while taking this medicine?
This medicine can cause drowsiness or dizziness. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how it affects you.
Can I drink alcohol while taking this medicine?
Drinking alcohol can increase the drowsiness caused by this medicine. Avoid alcohol while taking this medicine.
What should I do if I have side effects?
Talk to your doctor if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.
Can I take this medicine with other medicines?
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
How long does it take for this medicine to work?
This medicine usually starts to work within one hour. It may take a few days to feel the full effect.
Can I stop taking this medicine suddenly?
Talk to your doctor before stopping this medicine. Stopping suddenly may cause withdrawal symptoms.
What if I have trouble swallowing the tablet?
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist. They may be able to suggest ways to make it easier to swallow.
Is this medicine addictive?
This medicine is not known to be addictive.
Can this medicine affect my heart?
This medicine can cause a fast heartbeat or palpitations. Tell your doctor if you have heart problems.
What do I do if I think I took too much?
Call your doctor or go to the nearest emergency room right away.
What are the common side effects of orphenadrine?
The registry lists Dry mouth, Drowsiness, Dizziness, Nausea, Vomiting among the most-reported FAERS reaction terms for orphenadrine. The compiled record contains 415 FDA adverse-event reports. These counts are not an individual symptom assessment.
What drug class is orphenadrine?
orphenadrine belongs to the Muscle Relaxant / Analgesic drug class. It requires a prescription (Rx). This medicine treats discomfort caused by painful muscle and bone problems.
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for orphenadrine?
The FDA label for orphenadrine contains product-specific pregnancy or breastfeeding language. PlainMeds does not apply that source text to an individual.

Related Medications in Muscle Relaxant / Analgesic

Other drugs grouped near orphenadrine - same-class peers and common alternatives.

baclofen

Lioresal, Gablofen

Baclofen is a muscle relaxant.

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botulinum toxin A

Botox

Botox is a drug that blocks nerve signals to muscles.

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carisoprodol

Soma

Carisoprodol is a muscle relaxant.

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chlorzoxazone

Parafon Forte

Chlorzoxazone is a muscle relaxant.

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cyclobenzaprine

Flexeril, Amrix

Cyclobenzaprine is a muscle relaxant.

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Compare orphenadrine vs baclofen side-by-side →

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What the FDA Data Shows for orphenadrine

The FDA label for orphenadrine (sold under brand names such as Norflex) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Muscle Relaxant / Analgesic class. This medicine treats discomfort caused by painful muscle and bone problems. Official labeling lists 8 commonly reported side effects, including Dry mouth, Drowsiness, Dizziness.

Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 415 voluntary reports. Interaction data is drawn directly from FDA-approved prescribing information. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $5.74.

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, and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.

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. This registry does not provide medication decisions.

Last updated: January 1, 2026

PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.

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 from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.

All federal data sources used on this page