i wanted a little advice on what other sufferers think about the importance of taking muscle relaxers? ive tried quite a few,to me they seem to just make me more tired than i already am,and dont seem to do anything for the pain.i wonder if i should even take one at all.the ones i tried were: Soma=made me feel spaced out,then a headache later. flexeral=made me super tired,and extremely dry mouth.
valium=seem to help with anxiety more than relax muscles.

is valium even a muscle relaxer?

I've tried zanaflex and flexeril. They both make me tired, but I find the zanaflex has better muscle relaxing qualities for me.

Some dentist use it for TMJ, my dentist tried it on me once and the pharmacist told me that was common. It will relax the muscles because of the type drug it is, but I don't know if it is the best thing to use for a muscle relaxer.

I think the reason it is used for TMJ is because stress makes TMJ worse and if the stress is gone, there won't be any grinding and clinching of your teeth at night.

Moody, I've had fibro for 20 years and muscle relaxers do nothing for me but make me tired, just like you said, it makes me more tired than I already am with the fibro.

I really wish they worked because every doctor is more than willing to prescribe some Flexeril or something similar - no problem. They just don't do anything but make me sleep for a day and I don't need help doing that.

So, if they don't do anything for you, then there isn't really any importance in them. You have to find what works for you. And fibro is tricky, seems it's a different cocktail for everybody. Like what works for me, may not for you, but a lot of fibro sufferers have the same problem we do with muscle relaxers causing them overwhelming tiredness.

Flexeril helps me somewhat. That is, it helps enough to include it along with other meds that help. It is pretty sedating at first though, so it may be best to take it at bedtime.

Hello fellow FMS, CFS, CFIDS, MFP


I do not get any pain relief from flexerill or any muscle relaxant or anti-inflamitory for that matter I think BECAuse:

while I hurt all over there is no real muscle or tissue inflamation, rather it seems to be nerve ending pain. I have finally learned that my pain flares are mostly Myofascial' of course along with their trigger points and Fibro's tender points. (Myofascial-all the connective tissue surrounding muscle) I found a wonderful book Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain: A Survival Manual (2nd Edition) by Devin J. Starlanyl and Mary Ellen Copeland . ITs fantastic! A real eye opener. It would explain why I need 'other pain meds to work.

Only if I have had a bad day and am really tense at night will I take a muscle relaxer. If I have had a hard day and feel really bad, I will talk one along with my ambien. I will sleep longer and possibly sounder, but I am not sure the quality of sleep is that great.

During the day, if I get in a painful spot where I am tense and things are about to go downhill, five mg of valium will help a lot. Not that I take a lot, but I get better results from val during the day and flex/ambi at night. Only flex if it has been a really tough day. A

OH.. I have occassionally taken flexerill at bedtime,but the same scenario, It does nothing but act as a sleeping pill early in the morning ..into the afternoon.

for a sleeping pill affect, its fine but I dont believe it has any value for Fibro pain and fatigue.

yes, it is. Nephro will definately vouch for this one

Oh yes, and it's a hell of a lot better than certain other skeletal muscle relaxants on the market.

Anyone in the UK whose back seizes up and they can't get out of bed, it will be diazepam every time. Similarly for seizures related to drug overdoses or poisoning.

well dang, on my next appt I will ask about a script for valium then. Thanks

Stacy, I'm sorry I have to disagree with you a little. I have severe TMJ. Bruxism (grinding of teeth) is something that you can't control when you sleep, that's why a lot of dentists make you special mouthpieces to wear so you don't wake up with teeth in serious pain and less tense due to clenching. Stress is a factor in TMJ pain, but it's not the sole cause of bruxism. It may cause you to not clench as much, but as to the grinding of your teeth at night while you sleep, there is not much you can do. There is a new mouthpiece out that's been around for atleast a yr. Called NTI piece. You put it over your two front teeth and it stops you from grinding your teeth together, but as far as the clenching goes, you can still clench even with the mouthpiece and that will cause pain. If you have less stress you may not clench as much, but the grinding of you teeth at night is not going to stop without something like the NTI piece in between your top and bottom teeth.

From what I understand benzodiazepines and muscle-relaxants contain many similar properties so you may find a benzo better than something like Soma for fibro.

If Soma does nothing for you don't take it because it has side effects that COULD do something to you. Depends on the mix, some have caffeeine and codeine in it, some with aspirin and some are pure carisoprodol.

From what I understand though and from personal experience it is a potentiating drug for analgesics. In other words, if you take Soma in combination with your prescribed pain killers it will often strengthen their effect to relieve pain you couldnt normally relieve. I would discuss this with your doctor first or start off with low doses of your pain medication.

As for Ambien, it is well known for alpha wave disruption during deep sleep and this can cause sleepwalking and even conversations. Ambien is best used for individuals who have trouble initially getting to sleep, personally it puts me to sleep and i wake up feeling great and have no side effects like left over drowsiness at all. This is at the 10mg level, I once took 20mg and slept like a rock and the next morning felt still drugged. Once you get up to 40mg unless you have a high tolerance don't expect to wake up until the next afternoon.

This is my experience in my 10+ years with Fibro: your sleep is the most important factor in your illness. So if the muscle relaxers help you sleep at night, go for it. I personally don't do well with them unless I take them at night. My drug of choice, however, is Trazodone. I take it with 5mg of Ambien and the two keep me asleep all night and I get a better quality of sleep. I do find the Trazodone, in higher doses than 50mg, can make me very groggy the next day for a while until I get used to it. So if muscle relaxers help you sleep, I say take them. During the day, though, if they make you tired they aren't going to do you much good since we already have daytime fatigue we are battling. Just my opinion.

PS - Soma mixed with a benzo can get a little weird. I've lost days on Soma and Ativan - I would realize it's Thursday and can't remember a damn thing about Wednesday. Maybe I'm just special to get that effect, but it is possible.

I agree about trazadone, ambien, and sleep. Also good to add along with those is the herbal mixture "Fatigued to Fantastic Revitalizing Sleep Formula." It improves sleep and also directly helps to reduce muscle pain.

Regarding muscle relaxers at night I think flexeril is good (although more than 10mg will give me restless leg problems), but Soma is more tricky. Soma will reduce muscle pain and put you to sleep, but the sleep you get from it is not the deep, restorative stage 3 and stage 4 sleep that you really need to improve fibromyalgia. For that reason I think Soma is a better choice when you wake up in the morning if you need a muscle relaxer then. I never take it later in the day than 3PM or it makes my sleep later at night less restorative.

Muscle relaxers did nothing for me. Fibromialgia Network actually took a poll of its members about most effective medications. This list can be ordered rectoactivally. I wish I'd seen the list Before trying Lyrica, Cymbalta, Neurontin, Trazadone, Amitriptiline-to no avail.

What works for me -Ambien or Lunesta and Pain meds. Klonipin was like a miracle, but then I began to have memory problems. More than you asked for, but its a pain to have to try so many drugs and experience all of those side effects!

Hope I've been helpful.

Hey! I've found a great book. Maybe mentioned it before. The Chronic Pain Care Workbook by Michael Lewandowski,PH.D

He exactly describes all the issues of chronic pain patients -finally someone who "gets it" Very good book. Publisher is New Harbinger Publications

I've been on most all the muscle relaxers and they just made me more tired in the morning "Fibro Fog". My last Pain Management doctor would not put me on muscle relaxers for this very reason. I've been on Zanaflex, Flexeril, Soma, Robaxin and probably a few more I cannot remember.

It just goes to show everybody is different. For me, Klonopin only helped a very tiny amount and mostly just made me into a zombie all day long (after taking it the night before).

I have been through the same thing. The doctor wants to put me on all these really expensive drugs that do nothing for the pain. Lyrica and Neurontin make me act like a zombie. Topamax has major side-effects. Amitriptline did nothing for me except make me gain 10 lbs. The flexeril is okay. Doesn't help too much, but doesn't hurt to have on hand either. What works for me is regular pain meds with xanax for sleep.

Had been prescribed Flexeril, which knocked me out for two days, so they switched me to Baclofen. It does not have that extreme tiring effect, for me at least. But I was on it for four months before I really noticed the pains (especially in my arms) seemed to disappear for the most part. Have been taking it since and rarely have pain anymore.

I take Soma along with neurontin......my family doc will will not prescribe Soma..he says it turns into morphine in your system (yeah I wish...LOL). Helps me sleep without a hangover. I have tried flexeril, bacloflen, zanaflex...all of them! The only problem with Soma is that you tend to build up a tolerance to it after awhile and have to take more! Has anybody else found that out to be true?????

Would love some feedback!

Your family Doctor doesn't know much about Soma. No muscle relaxor turns into Morphine in a persons body. I can't even imagine where he'd get such a crazy idea from?

Sounds to me like a doctor who will say anything into scaring his patient off a particular drug. Been there, done that and all I said was BULLSHITE!

Time to find a new doctor, me thinks.

Are you sure your doctor didn't say that Soma turns into meprobamate in your system?
Or possibly Jackspa is your doctor? Then I would understand.

No, he probably said morphine. There was a local doctor on the nightly news saying that a couple of months ago. Of course, he said if you took Hydrocodone and Soma. I was also reading one of those Angry Pharmacist type blogs and a bunch of them made the statement also. Silly, you would think they would know better.

My doctor won't give me Soma but she writes me scripts for flexeril with the directions to take 3 at a time. If you have to take 3 of anything at a time, IMO, it is time to switch to something else.

The carisoprodol pills which have codeine in them could possibly explain where the confusion lies. "Soma compound with codeine", isn't it?

I really dont get that '3 at night'???

I take one and I have a 'sleepy hangover' all the next day.

I dont take them, though thats one pill handed out like candy.

I could easily take 3 at a time and stay awake, but I would like to be able to walk a straight line. I have enough flexeril to last for years. I just keep getting them filled. You never know what might happen. I keep them in the family medicine cabinet along with my 5 gallon bucket of ibuprofen 800mg.