Myoril Capsule: Uses, Composition, Side Effects & FAQs

Myoril is a muscle relaxant capsule for painful muscle spasm — the sudden tightening or cramping of muscles that often comes with back pain, neck strain or an injury. It is a prescription-only medicine in India, which means you can buy it only with a valid doctor's prescription. Its single active ingredient is thiocolchicoside, which helps relax tight, spasming muscles rather than blocking the pain itself.

Myoril is a capsule containing thiocolchicoside, a medicine made from a semi-synthetic form of a natural plant compound. It belongs to a group called centrally acting muscle relaxants — medicines that work through the brain and spinal cord to loosen tight muscles.

Your muscles stay tight and painful when nerve signals between the brain, spinal cord and muscles become overactive. Thiocolchicoside blocks two kinds of receptors in the central nervous system - the GABA-A and glycine receptors - which damps down the signals that keep muscles contracted. As muscle tone drops, the spasm eases, and the pain it was causing fades too.

Doctors usually prescribe Myoril as a short-term add-on treatment for:

• Painful muscle spasm in low back pain, where back muscles lock up and stiffen
• Degenerative vertebral disorders, meaning age-related wear in the spinal bones
• Torticollis, where neck muscles spasm so the head twists to one side
• Painful spasm after an injury, such as a sprain, strain or trauma

Myoril does not reduce swelling and does not treat the cause of the spasm, so doctors almost always pair it with a painkiller or other treatment. It is meant to add to that treatment, not replace it - and it is only for you if your doctor has prescribed it.

1. Swallow the capsule whole with a glass of water.
2. Do not crush, split or chew it.
3. Take it with or after food if your stomach feels unsettled.
4. Take it at roughly the same times each day so the relief stays steady.
5. Stop when your doctor says to - usually within a few days.

Your doctor decides the dose based on the medicine's label limits and your condition. For oral thiocolchicoside, the maximum approved dose is 8 mg every 12 hours, and treatment by mouth should not run for more than 7 consecutive days. European safety authorities set these oral dose limits after reviewing the medicine's risks.

Never increase the dose on your own. A higher dose does not relax muscles faster, but it does raise the risk of serious side effects, including seizures. Myoril is not recommended for children and adolescents under 16 years of age.

If someone takes too much, go to the nearest hospital emergency department straight away and carry the medicine strip or pack with you. For any emergency you can call 112, or 108 for an ambulance.

Take the missed dose when you remember. If it is almost time for the next one, skip the missed dose and carry on as usual. Never take two capsules together to make up for a forgotten one.

You may feel the muscle easing within a day or two, but the exact timing varies from person to person. Tell your doctor if the spasm and pain are no better after a few days, or if they get worse.

Follow the storage instructions printed on your pack, and keep the capsules in a dry place protected from light. Store the pack where children cannot reach it, and throw away capsules past the expiry date.

Most people take Myoril for a short course without any trouble, and when side effects happen they are usually mild.

Common and mild:

• Loose motions (diarrhoea)
• Stomach pain
• Nausea or vomiting
• Drowsiness or sleepiness in some people
• Itchy skin or mild skin rashes

Rare but serious (stop the medicine and see a doctor right away):

• Fever, yellowing of the eyes or skin, or dark urine — possible liver injury
• Fitting, shaking or a seizure, especially if you have epilepsy
• Swelling of the face, lips or throat, or breathing trouble — a severe allergic reaction
• Hives over large areas of skin

Tell your doctor promptly if you get diarrhoea, because they may ask you to stop the medicine while it lasts. The upset stomach, nausea and loose motions come from the medicine irritating the gut, and sleepiness, when it happens, is more likely at higher doses. The injection form can cause pain, swelling or a hard lump at the injection site, and regulators in 2025 required labels to warn about a rare injury to skin and tissue around the injection site.

• Anyone allergic to thiocolchicoside
• Pregnant women
• Women who are breastfeeding
• Women who are not using effective contraception while on it
• People with epilepsy or a history of seizures
• Children and adolescents under 16 years

Tell your doctor before taking Myoril if you have:

• Epilepsy or any history of fits (the medicine can make fits more likely)
• Liver disease (liver injury has been reported with this medicine)
• Kidney disease (your doctor may adjust how much you take and for how long)
• Plans to become pregnant, current pregnancy or breastfeeding (it must not be used)
• Stomach or bowel problems (nausea and loose motions are common with it)
• A need to drive or operate machinery that day (drowsiness can blunt your alertness)

Since this medicine is short-term by design, tell your doctor if your symptoms persist beyond the treatment window — they will want to find the cause rather than continue the course.

A muscle relaxant only eases the spasm, so see a doctor quickly if you have:

• Weakness, numbness or pins and needles in the legs
• Trouble controlling urine or stools
• Back pain with fever
• A fit, shaking episode or seizure after starting the capsule
• Yellowing of eyes or skin, dark urine, or continuous vomiting
• Severe or persistent diarrhoea after taking the medicine

Myoril is a short-term, prescription-only muscle relaxant for painful muscle spasm linked to back problems, neck spasm and injuries. Take exactly the dose your doctor set, swallow the capsule whole, and stay within the few days the course allows — a longer course adds risk without adding relief. Loose motions and stomach upset are the commonest effects and usually pass, but fits, yellowing of the skin or a severe allergic reaction need a doctor right away.