flexeril question

[wendyoh]

I noticed a few people in the cymbalta thread mentioned using flexeril.  I have just recently tried a very small dose for spinal pain and it helps cut back some bad headache/neckache flares I have been having lately--I have some cervical stenosis and ddd and djd sort of stuff going on.

I was just reading at wikipedia that technically you are not supposed to use it beyond 3 weeks......? it sounded like some of you may have been on it for years though? I am looking for something that i could use for ongoing pain not just 3 weeks! but at same time it said at wikipedia that a new low dose formulation of it is being developed for fibromyalgia to be used a night, so maybe in low dose it will be recommended for long term use?  Can anyone shed light on their experiences with it and if it commonly is used for longterm use with chronic pain people and if you have used it with good luck for some time without problems? It sounds sort of like taking a tricyclic, which was what I first tried 20 years ago but they made my heart race and caused insomnia, although helped some with pain but I had to stop due to side effects (I think I tried nortriptyline and doxepin, and imipramine which had the most horrible brain dulling effects, was awful for me.)

[bailey00]

For me, I have had flexeril for years. I was in a bad car accident about 6 years ago and I was prescribed flexeril for the pain in my back and my PCP just never saw a problem with continuing the presciption. I only take it when I have back flares though, not every day and it puts me right to sleep. I couldn't tell you the dosage but I am living proof that some doctors will just keep you on it if its what works. Because it is a really good muscle relaxant, I do think it works well.

[wendyoh]

thanks for the info Bailey, good to hear success with it long term, sorry for your troubles though, its no fun, I know

[SjoAmy]

I was on it for 2 years.....and then I got memory issues worse than brain fog.  I was THEN told that Flexeril can cause memory issues....that is when I went on hydrocodone 5/500's.  Which were MUCH BETTER for MY pain.  My pain, we found out 3 years later, was inflammation based....which meant it did no good to relax the muscle, if both muscle and joint were inflamed beyond inflamed.

Cellcept & Methotrexate have been the best meds of my life.

Gastric upsets aside, I love being able to get out of bed without pain and grumbling through it!  Even my friends have noticed differences!

I owe my PCP a kiss.....well, maybe a hug.....he is married after all.  Lol.

[jazzlover]

Be careful, because it can also cause a drop in blood pressure. I blame flexeril for my passing out one night when I got up to go to the bathroom. I had also taken trazodone and ambien. It was all too much.

[hydeskate]

I have been on Flexeril since 2010 before I was dx with Sjogren's, it was originally temporary until I could have a surgery to fix the problem that caused the one of my muscles to knot ups,  later we would figure out it had been keeping some of the pain in check when I was switched from Flexeril to Cymbalta it wasn't pretty.  I quickly got back on Flexeril and was able to get the pain back in check, it s just one of many drugs that I take daily.

[wendyoh]

amanda does the robaxin have many side effects? I have detox problems with chemicals and that is why most ssri or more complicated meds i just can't take them.

I am taking a ridiculously low dose of the flexeril so the blood pressure and memory issues might take a while to be huge issue but I can tell its a risk...I already have low b/p and can tell it makes me a tad more light headed getting up quick sometimes etc but its a real low dose and its the only med taking most of the time right now. i would love to take plaquenil or methotrexate to see what happens but no way in heck I could probly handle them.  I had tried all the opiates but cant tolerate any of them more than like couple times a month without feeling rotten.  Propoxyphene worked great for me for many years probably because it isnt hard to break down in the p450cytochrome system, but they took it off the market, just my luck. but in a way i think its good as i think it caused memory issues and increased dry mouth even tho its a liteweight pain med or was. just cus I am sensitive.

benadryl I used small dose for few years for sleep and some headaches from bad reactions to foods or allergies etc but man that messed up my memory and mood bad, so glad got off it in last year, was hard to get off of. I can tell flexeril could cause similar issues but it doesnt seem nearly as bad as benadryl in the small dose I am on.

its interesting because i know i have pain from variety of issues, nerve, muscles, bones....so I am surprised at how well muscle relaxors help altho its imperfect...doesnt get rid of all the pain but makes a dent in my head and neck pain thank god. for now anyway, its too soon to be sure, less than 2 weeks, it could go wrong yet...baclofen seemed good for a couple days and then got too creepy to continue, I looked stoned on weed and wanted to sleep all the time even on low dose and got depressed within a week on it. tramadol did same thing, seemed like miracle for few days and then it made me look so stoned and messed up my sleep schedule etc....man its hard to have chronic pain when you are one of the people the slogan "reality is for people who can't handle drugs" was written for
I hope flexeril works out because it seems like something most docs wouldnt mind giving you especially in low dose.

[wendyoh]

Thanks Amanda, will ask my docs if they think robaxin would be better tolerated for me and research it--hugs back!