M03A
Muscle relaxants A muscle relaxant is a drug that affects skeletal muscle function and decreases the muscle tone. It may be used to alleviate symptoms such as muscle spasms, pain, and hyperreflexia. The term "muscle relaxant" is used to refer to two major therapeu ...
, peripherally acting agents

M03AA
Curare Curare ( /kʊˈrɑːri/ or /kjʊˈrɑːri/; ''koo-rah-ree'' or ''kyoo-rah-ree'') is a common name for various alkaloid arrow poisons originating from plant extracts. Used as a paralyzing agent by indigenous peoples in Central and South ...
alkaloids

:M03AA01

Alcuronium Alcuronium chloride (formerly marketed as Alloferin) is a neuromuscular blocking (NMB) agent, alternatively referred to as a skeletal muscle relaxant. It is a semi-synthetic substance prepared from C-toxiferine I, a ''bis''-quaternary alkaloid o ...

:M03AA02

Tubocurarine Tubocurarine (also known as ''d''-tubocurarine or DTC) is a toxic alkaloid historically known for its use as an arrow poison. In the mid-1900s, it was used in conjunction with an anesthetic to provide skeletal muscle relaxation during surgery or ...

:M03AA04 Dimethyltubocurarine

M03AB
Choline Choline is an essential nutrient for humans and many other animals. Choline occurs as a cation that forms various salts (X− in the depicted formula is an undefined counteranion). Humans are capable of some ''de novo synthesis'' of choline but re ...
derivatives

:M03AB01

Suxamethonium Suxamethonium chloride, also known as suxamethonium or succinylcholine, or simply sux by medical abbreviation, is a medication used to cause short-term paralysis as part of general anesthesia. This is done to help with tracheal intubation or ele ...

M03AC Other
quaternary ammonium compounds In chemistry, quaternary ammonium cations, also known as quats, are positively charged polyatomic ions of the structure , R being an alkyl group or an aryl group. Unlike the ammonium ion () and the primary, secondary, or tertiary ammonium cations ...

:M03AC01

Pancuronium Pancuronium (trademarked as Pavulon) is an aminosteroid muscle relaxant with various medical uses. It is used in euthanasia and is used in some states as the second of three drugs administered during lethal injections in the United States. Mecha ...

:M03AC02

Gallamine Gallamine triethiodide (Flaxedil) is a non-depolarising muscle relaxant. It acts by combining with the cholinergic receptor sites in muscle and competitively blocking the transmitter action of acetylcholine. Gallamine is a non-depolarising type of ...

:M03AC03

Vecuronium Vecuronium bromide, sold under the brand name Norcuron among others, is a medication used as part of general anesthesia to provide skeletal muscle relaxation during surgery or mechanical ventilation. It is also used to help with endotracheal int ...

:M03AC04

Atracurium Atracurium besilate, also known as atracurium besylate, is a medication used in addition to other medications to provide skeletal muscle relaxation during surgery or mechanical ventilation. It can also be used to help with endotracheal intubatio ...

:M03AC05 Hexafluronium :M03AC06 Pipecuronium bromide :M03AC07 Doxacurium chloride :M03AC08 Fazadinium bromide :M03AC09

Rocuronium bromide Rocuronium bromide (brand names Zemuron, Esmeron) is an aminosteroid non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocker or muscle relaxant used in modern anaesthesia to facilitate tracheal intubation by providing skeletal muscle relaxation, most commonly re ...

:M03AC10

Mivacurium chloride Mivacurium chloride (formerly recognized as BW1090U81, BW B1090U or BW1090U) is a short-duration non-depolarizing neuromuscular-blocking drug or skeletal muscle relaxant in the category of non-depolarizing neuromuscular-blocking drugs, used adjun ...

:M03AC11

Cisatracurium Cisatracurium besilate (INN; cisatracurium besylate (USAN); formerly recognized as 51W89; trade name Nimbex) is a bisbenzyltetrahydroisoquinolinium that has effect as a neuromuscular-blocking drug non-depolarizing neuromuscular-blocking drugs, u ...

M03AX Other muscle relaxants, peripherally acting agents

:M03AX01

Botulinum toxin Botulinum toxin, or botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), is a neurotoxic protein produced by the bacterium ''Clostridium botulinum'' and related species. It prevents the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from axon endings at the neuromusc ...

M03B Muscle relaxants, centrally acting agents

M03BA
Carbamic acid Carbamic acid, which might also be called aminoformic acid or aminocarboxylic acid, is the chemical compound with the formula . It can be obtained by the reaction of ammonia and carbon dioxide at very low temperatures, which also yields an equ ...
esters

:M03BA01

Phenprobamate Phenprobamate (Gamaquil, Isotonil) is a centrally acting skeletal muscle relaxant, with additional sedative and anticonvulsant effects. Overdose is similar to barbiturates. Its mechanism of action is probably similar to meprobamate. Phenproba ...

:M03BA02

Carisoprodol Carisoprodol, sold under the brand name Soma among others, is a medication used for musculoskeletal pain. Use is only approved for up to three weeks. Effects generally begin within half an hour and last for up to six hours. It is taken orally. ...

:M03BA03

Methocarbamol Methocarbamol, sold under the brand name Robaxin among others, is a medication used for short-term musculoskeletal pain. It may be used together with rest, physical therapy, and pain medication. It is less preferred in low back pain. It has lim ...

:M03BA04

Styramate Styramate is a muscle relaxant and anticonvulsant drug. At therapeutic doses, it does not produce significant sedative effects. See also * Carisbamate Carisbamate (YKP 509, proposed trade name Comfyde) is an experimental anticonvulsant drug ...

:M03BA05

Febarbamate Febarbamate (INN; Solium, Tymium), also known as phenobamate, is an anxiolytic and tranquilizer of the barbiturate and carbamate families which is used in Europe by itself and as part of a combination drug formulation called tetrabamate. See al ...

:M03BA51 Phenprobamate, combinations excluding psycholeptics :M03BA52 Carisoprodol, combinations excluding psycholeptics :M03BA53 Methocarbamol, combinations excluding psycholeptics :M03BA71 Phenprobamate, combinations with psycholeptics :M03BA72 Carisoprodol, combinations with psycholeptics :M03BA73 Methocarbamol, combinations with psycholeptics :QM03BA99 Combinations

M03BB Oxazol,
thiazine Thiazine is an organic compound containing a ring of four carbon, one nitrogen and one sulfur atom. There are three isomers of thiazine, 1,2-thiazine, 1,3-thiazine, and 1,4-thiazine, which differ by the arrangement of the nitrogen and sulfur ato ...
, and
triazine Triazines are a class of nitrogen-containing heterocycles. The parent molecules' molecular formula is . They exist in three isomeric forms, 1,3,5-triazines being common. Structure The triazines have planar six-membered benzene-like ring but ...
derivatives

:M03BB02

Chlormezanone Chlormezanone (marketed under the brandname Trancopal or Fenaprim) is a drug used as an anxiolytic and a muscle relaxant. Its use was discontinued in many countries from 1996 on, due to rare but serious cases of toxic epidermal necrolysis To ...

:M03BB03

Chlorzoxazone Chlorzoxazone (INN) is a centrally acting muscle relaxant used to treat muscle spasm and the resulting pain or discomfort. It can also be administered for acute pain in general and for tension headache (muscle contraction headache). It acts on th ...

:M03BB52 Chlormezanone, combinations excluding psycholeptics :M03BB53 Chlorzoxazone, combinations excluding psycholeptics :M03BB72 Chlormezanone, combinations with psycholeptics :M03BB73 Chlorzoxazone, combinations with psycholeptics

M03BC
Ether In organic chemistry, ethers are a class of compounds that contain an ether group—an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups. They have the general formula , where R and R′ represent the alkyl or aryl groups. Ethers can again be c ...
s, chemically close to
antihistamine Antihistamines are drugs which treat allergic rhinitis, common cold, influenza, and other allergies. Typically, people take antihistamines as an inexpensive, generic (not patented) drug that can be bought without a prescription and provides re ...
s

:M03BC01

Orphenadrine Orphenadrine (sold under many brand names) is an anticholinergic drug of the ethanolamine antihistamine class; it is closely related to diphenhydramine. It is a muscle relaxant that is used to treat muscle pain and to help with motor control in Pa ...

(citrate) :M03BC51 Orphenadrine, combinations

M03BX Other centrally acting agents

:M03BX01

Baclofen Baclofen, sold under the brand name Lioresal among others, is a medication used to treat muscle spasticity such as from a spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis. It may also be used for hiccups and muscle spasms near the end of life. It is ta ...

:M03BX02

Tizanidine Tizanidine, sold under the brand name Zanaflex among others, is a medication that is used to treat muscle spasticity due to spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis as well as spastic cerebral palsy. Effectiveness appears similar to baclofen o ...

:M03BX03 Pridinol :M03BX04 Tolperisone :M03BX05 Thiocolchicoside :M03BX06

Mephenesin Mephenesin (INN) is a centrally acting muscle relaxant. It can be used as an antidote for strychnine poisoning. Mephenesin however presents with the major drawbacks of having a short duration of action and a much greater effect on the spinal cord ...

:M03BX07 Tetrazepam :M03BX08

Cyclobenzaprine Cyclobenzaprine (sold under the brand name Flexeril, among others) is a medication used for muscle spasms from musculoskeletal conditions of sudden onset. It is not useful in cerebral palsy. It is taken by mouth. Use is not recommended for mor ...

:M03BX09 Eperisone :M03BX30 Phenyramidol :M03BX53 Pridinol, combinations :M03BX55 Thiocolchicoside, combinations :QM03BX90

Guaifenesin Guaifenesin, also known as glyceryl guaiacolate, is an expectorant medication that aids in the elimination of sputum from the respiratory tract. Chemically it is an ether of guaiacol and glycerine. It is often used in combination with other me ...

M03C Muscle relaxants, directly acting agents

M03CA
Dantrolene Dantrolene sodium, sold under the brand name Dantrium among others, is a postsynaptic muscle relaxant that lessens excitation-contraction coupling in muscle cells. It achieves this by inhibiting Ca2+ ions release from sarcoplasmic reticulum s ...
and derivatives

:M03CA01

Dantrolene Dantrolene sodium, sold under the brand name Dantrium among others, is a postsynaptic muscle relaxant that lessens excitation-contraction coupling in muscle cells. It achieves this by inhibiting Ca2+ ions release from sarcoplasmic reticulum s ...

References

{{Muscle relaxants M03

M03AA Curare Curare ( /kʊˈrɑːri/ or /kjʊˈrɑːri/; ''koo-rah-ree'' or ''kyoo-rah-ree'') is a common name for various alkaloid arrow poisons originating from plant extracts. Used as a paralyzing agent by indigenous peoples in Central and South ... alkaloids

M03AB Choline Choline is an essential nutrient for humans and many other animals. Choline occurs as a cation that forms various salts (X− in the depicted formula is an undefined counteranion). Humans are capable of some ''de novo synthesis'' of choline but re ... derivatives

M03AC Other quaternary ammonium compounds In chemistry, quaternary ammonium cations, also known as quats, are positively charged polyatomic ions of the structure , R being an alkyl group or an aryl group. Unlike the ammonium ion () and the primary, secondary, or tertiary ammonium cations ...