Tetrapezam is a drug which belongs to the benzodiazepine family and is used in France for its muscle relaxant properties. Myolastan and its generic forms are most often prescribed in rheumatology to relieve painful muscle contractures. At the start of the year, the European Medicines Agency requested its withdrawal from the market due to undesirable neurological and skin reactions, such as Lyel Syndrome or Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (which results in sudden destruction of the surface layer of the skin and mucous membranes).
This withdrawal has finally been decided by the European authorities: drugs based on tetrazepam will therefore be withdrawn from sale in all European countries. In France, this measure will take effect from July 8.
As a result, the doctors have just received a letter from the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) asking them to no longer initiate or renew tetrazepam-based treatment and to consider with each patient a appropriate therapeutic alternative. For its part, the High Authority for Health (Has) has initiated an update of its recommendations for the therapeutic management of muscle contractures. This involves analgesic treatments to relieve pain (paracetamol, ibuprofen, aspirin), resting the affected area and physiotherapy to gradually stretch the contracted muscle.
