Comparative Pharmacology
Head-to-head clinical analysis: METAXALONE versus RELA.
Peer-Reviewed Evidence
Head-to-head clinical analysis: METAXALONE versus RELA.
METAXALONE vs RELA
Comparing the clinical profiles, pharmacokinetic behaviors, and safety indices of these two therapeutic agents.
Metaxalone is a centrally acting muscle relaxant whose exact mechanism is unknown. It is thought to produce skeletal muscle relaxation by depressing the central nervous system (CNS), possibly through general CNS depression or by blocking polysynaptic reflexes in the spinal cord.
RELA (Carisoprodol) is a centrally acting muscle relaxant that modulates GABA-A receptor activity and blocks interneuronal activity in the descending reticular formation and spinal cord, resulting in muscle relaxation without directly affecting the neuromuscular junction. Its metabolite, meprobamate, contributes to anxiolytic and sedative effects.
800 mg orally 3 to 4 times daily
Adults: 250-350 mg orally 3-4 times daily.
None Documented
None Documented
Clinical Note
moderateMetaxalone + Venlafaxine
"The risk or severity of adverse effects can be increased when Metaxalone is combined with Venlafaxine."
Clinical Note
moderateMetaxalone + Nefazodone
"The risk or severity of adverse effects can be increased when Metaxalone is combined with Nefazodone."
Clinical Note
moderateMetaxalone + Stiripentol
"The risk or severity of adverse effects can be increased when Metaxalone is combined with Stiripentol."
Clinical Note
moderateMetaxalone + Clomipramine
Terminal elimination half-life is approximately 0.5 to 1.5 hours, reflecting rapid clearance and supporting short-lived clinical effects.
Terminal elimination half-life approximately 20–30 hours; prolonged in elderly and renal impairment
Primarily renal; approximately 90% of a dose is excreted in urine as glucuronide conjugates and unchanged drug, with less than 1% eliminated in feces via biliary excretion.
Primarily renal excretion of unchanged drug and metabolites; 70% to 80% eliminated via urine, remainder biliary/fecal
Category A/B
Category C
Skeletal Muscle Relaxant
Skeletal Muscle Relaxant
"The risk or severity of adverse effects can be increased when Metaxalone is combined with Clomipramine."