Eperisone Dosing for Acute Musculoskeletal Pain
The standard adult dosing of eperisone is 50 mg three times daily (total 150 mg/day), taken orally every 8 hours for 7-14 days. 1, 2, 3
Standard Dosing Regimen
- Adults and children ≥12 years: Take 50 mg every 8 hours (three times daily), not exceeding 150 mg in 24 hours 1, 2
- Treatment duration: Typically 7-14 days for acute musculoskeletal conditions 2, 3
- Administration: Take with a full glass of water with each dose 1
Clinical Context and Evidence
The 150 mg/day dosing (50 mg three times daily) has been validated in multiple randomized controlled trials for acute low back pain and muscle spasm, demonstrating significant improvements in pain scores, finger-to-floor distance, and muscle contracture within 3-7 days 2, 3. This regimen showed superior efficacy compared to placebo, with 79.46% of patients rating therapy as good-excellent versus 38.05% with placebo 3.
When combined with NSAIDs, eperisone 50 mg three times daily plus ibuprofen 400 mg twice daily produced clinically significant pain reduction (>50% from baseline) in 72.4% of patients versus 46.7% with ibuprofen alone at 4 weeks 4.
Important Considerations
- Pediatric patients <12 years: Consult a physician before use 1
- Onset of action: Significant pain reduction typically occurs within 3 days, with progressive improvement through day 7-10 2, 3
- Rescue medication: Approximately 35-40% of patients may require additional analgesics during treatment 3
- Adverse effects: Most common are gastrointestinal (nausea, abdominal pain), occurring in approximately 4% of patients, with no CNS sedation effects unlike traditional muscle relaxants 2, 3
Alternative Formulations
Transdermal eperisone patches provide more potent and longer-lasting muscle relaxation (>24 hours) compared to oral administration, though oral remains the standard available formulation 5.