Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives AS Pharmacy muscle Relaxers

hello,

I am currently taking flexril 10 mg at night or as needed for muscle spasms. It seems to help with the spasms but i wake up feeling very groggy.
I recently visited a pain management specialist and she recommended that i switch to Baclofen stating that it was less addictve. She said it is like valium and I could develope a dependency toward it.
I can remember being on that before and it didnt mix well with my other meds, but neither does this Flexeril.
She told me that Baclofen is geared more toward helping AS.
Im not sure if i should make the switch or stay at where im at and just try to get the dose lowered.
it sucks that the doctor is afraid of addiction I dont feel addicted to it at all.
is anyone currently taking flexeril or baclofen and how has it worked fr you?
Also ive tried Arnica, a natural homeopathic remedy that helps only sometimes. has anyone else tried this?
thanks

I take flexeril but not as prescribed. I take it only as needed when I go through several nights with not enough sleep I take it at night time for a few nights. I've on so many medications right know I been trying to take only what I need. So maybe taken in this way its not so addictive.

Tim

I take Flexeril at night as well. It made me groggy at first but not anymore. It helps my muscles calm down big time. I have tremors/spasms throughout my body all day so it's nice to have no movement for awhile. It's sad your doc is worried about addiction when you are fighting for a few hours of rest.

I remember flexeril. . . . . I would get all rubbery in body, but not mind! Kinda funny for me. I think I drooled at a friend's house...
I havent' taken it for 11 years because of having so many kids....but I don't remember being addicted either.

hi julie!
i have been on several muscle relaxers. i didnt particularly care for flexeril. yes, i did get some sleep but i would get that "rubbery" and "heavy" lidded feeling so suddenly that if I didnt lay down that very minute I'd just knock out wherever I was at. i used it for a few weeks hoping it would work for me but unfortunately i had a very hard time getting up in the mornings trying to "shake" it off. I took the same dosage you took as well.

i also took skelaxin but that didnt do a single thing. then the doc raised it to 4x a day. Nothing. So thats when they put me on Soma [carsiprodol]. I take that 3x a day at 350 mg. It settles down my thoracic spasms. Relaxes me but doesnt knock me out as hard as flexeril did, which is good for me because I have 3 kiddos I have to keep up with.

Hope you can find a med that works for you! Keep us posted... buggy

I tried topical Arnica and it didn't make a particle of difference for me. Of course, everyone is different, so it might help others.

Karen

Hi Julie,

I have been on Flexiril for almost 2 years now, and it has been wonderful for me.

I have no problems with it, have no problem with it, and it has been wonderful with keeping the back spasms at bay...plus I dont think I have ever drooled with it at a friends house..lol (sorry trudi couldnt resist girl love ya)

I am not sure what to do, I have learned just because a Dr. says something it isnt law, I research it myself. I dont feel like I am addicted to it, I take 20mgs a night and if I have been feeling ok I dont take it at night.

Research it and the other drugs and make the decision that YOU want.

Good luck!

Lisa

Hey Julie,

That is one of the side effects I got from taking Fexeril. It would take me a few hours for it to go away, but the Fexeril seemed to work on everything except for what it was prescribed for. Zanaflex seems to work for me better than the Flexeril but I get a lot of joint pain I don't normally have with zanaflex so the doctors changed it several times until they put me on Klonopin twice a day. I stayed on the Klonopin for almost two years until my insurance changed and does not cover it. I go to pain management once a month to pick up my prescriptions and they usaully work with you until you find the right med to help you.

Brent

hiya,

I think it is finding what works for you, baclofen and valium for me are useless...

I just started tegretol and it's helping with the nack and face pain, but I've not had a thoracic spasm since I went up to 3 x 200 mg a day. I think it's a drug in the same class as baclofen.

Brent on the klonopin you should be able to eat those bindi beed toys that got taken off the market last week and be fine!!!

Dave

Hehehe Dave,

I got them to put me on Valium 5mg until the insurance decides to add klonopin to my list of drugs. I do find on it just prefer the other, but cost wise I can afford paying the full price of the valium a lot easier. I should have ran out and got a bunch of those toys the day they announced they were planning to pull them off the shelves. Knowing my luck all that would happen would be it showing up in my random drug screens I go through at the pain clinic and then have to explain why I was chewing on toys. But then away since they are suppose to change into the date rape drug I might have gotten lucky while I was sleeping it off.

Brent