angel1064
10-24-2004, 01:02 PM
how is it?? good? bad? how does it differ from flexeril...i am to take 400mg 2x a day if needed.
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SusanPLIF
10-24-2004, 02:57 PM
Skelaxin served me well. My docs had first prescribed Flexeril back earllly in my "back situation"..and I found I could not take it b/c it gave me very very weird dreams. (do any of you remember the big orange hairy monster in the Bugs Bunny cartoons??)
Anyway.. a had a couple of scripts for Soma too,, but for the last surgery and a few months before, I've used Skelaxin.
Post op, I had 800mg pills. (just in spasm control before surgery, I only used 400mg pills) I tolerate them well. No bad dreams, no sedative effect like Soma. In fact, it was kinda hard to tell it was doing anything - but it does.
I think everyone tolerates medication differently..so theres no telling how your body's going to react.. But - my experience was that it worked quite well.
Hope they work as well for you too!
Susan
Anyway.. a had a couple of scripts for Soma too,, but for the last surgery and a few months before, I've used Skelaxin.
Post op, I had 800mg pills. (just in spasm control before surgery, I only used 400mg pills) I tolerate them well. No bad dreams, no sedative effect like Soma. In fact, it was kinda hard to tell it was doing anything - but it does.
I think everyone tolerates medication differently..so theres no telling how your body's going to react.. But - my experience was that it worked quite well.
Hope they work as well for you too!
Susan
angel1064
10-27-2004, 07:11 PM
it helped pain wise then??
SusanPLIF
10-27-2004, 08:18 PM
Well, the discomfort it helped is different than the REAL KNUCKLE CLENCHING pain that I have dilaudid for.
I think chronic pain sufferers here could describe several different kinds of pain that they get.. and also describe the different medications they have for each.
I call Skelaxin a "soft" MR... alone, I really couldn't tell I was using it. Not like when you take a narcotic and you feel a little "lite".. if you know what I mean.
Skelaxin is a gentle medication - at least it was for me. But it DOES seem to help with muscle tightness. I like it for that reason.
If I had STRONG muscle spasms, i'd be begging for Soma...wishing it'd knock me out. Generally though, I use skelaxin and it releases the tightness - yes, helping the pain.
I don't think Skelaxin alone would do it for me though. Skelaxin and naprosyn maybe.. or a narcotic depending on how bad I felt.
Probably all depends on what your pain is coming from.... If the 400's dont help... ask to try the 800 before you switch meds.
I think chronic pain sufferers here could describe several different kinds of pain that they get.. and also describe the different medications they have for each.
I call Skelaxin a "soft" MR... alone, I really couldn't tell I was using it. Not like when you take a narcotic and you feel a little "lite".. if you know what I mean.
Skelaxin is a gentle medication - at least it was for me. But it DOES seem to help with muscle tightness. I like it for that reason.
If I had STRONG muscle spasms, i'd be begging for Soma...wishing it'd knock me out. Generally though, I use skelaxin and it releases the tightness - yes, helping the pain.
I don't think Skelaxin alone would do it for me though. Skelaxin and naprosyn maybe.. or a narcotic depending on how bad I felt.
Probably all depends on what your pain is coming from.... If the 400's dont help... ask to try the 800 before you switch meds.
SpondyMom
10-27-2004, 10:20 PM
I used to take Flexeril. It worked great. My doc switched me to Skelaxin and it is VERY EXPENSIVE like $150 for a month's supply. I told him it was too expensive and I take a generic called methocarbinal. Costs me a $10 co pay. Just as effective. Both of these make me less drowsy than the flexeril.
angel1064
10-28-2004, 08:02 AM
its so hard for me to take meds....not only do i have back pain...(arthritis and one bulging disc)...but i also suffer from panic disorder...i dont metabolize meds well. i dont take any narcotics...all i take now is the tylenol arthritis, wear lidoderm patches everyday...i have had 2 cortisone shots so far and due again in february. i was given the skelaxin...800 mg to be taken 1/2 at a time 2 x day and am always so nervous with new meds as i never know how i will react to them.
Stormy01
10-28-2004, 08:08 PM
I took Skelaxin once. Never did a thing for me. I flushed the stuff and went back to Ibuprophen and Valium.
Sarandipity
10-28-2004, 11:13 PM
I took Skalaxan, not much relief, Im now on Robaxin - it is non narcotic- you can't feel it working, but my SI joint feels a little better. I take it twice a day.
Goodluck!
Sara
Goodluck!
Sara
injured betty
10-28-2004, 11:29 PM
its so hard for me to take meds....not only do i have back pain...(arthritis and one bulging disc)...but i also suffer from panic disorder...i dont metabolize meds well. i dont take any narcotics...all i take now is the tylenol arthritis, wear lidoderm patches everyday...i have had 2 cortisone shots so far and due again in february. i was given the skelaxin...800 mg to be taken 1/2 at a time 2 x day and am always so nervous with new meds as i never know how i will react to them.
I understand why you are taking what you are taking except for the patches. My doctor prescribed those for my SI joint and my pharmcist was reluntant to fill them. They only help with surface pain on the skin. I forget now what I paid for a box but I think that my co-pay was about $36. Do you have surface/skin pain?
I have arthritis in the L4, bulging L5 and SI dysfunction. Nothing has worked so far. I too, don't metabolize well and suffer from a paradoxical effect from most meds.
Skelaxin is a synthetic, I believe. They didn't do anything for me but give me a headache. But then, none of the muscle relaxers work for me. I did try Bextra for the arthritis and it worked but it didn't do a thing for the SI.
What are you taking for the panic attacks?
I understand why you are taking what you are taking except for the patches. My doctor prescribed those for my SI joint and my pharmcist was reluntant to fill them. They only help with surface pain on the skin. I forget now what I paid for a box but I think that my co-pay was about $36. Do you have surface/skin pain?
I have arthritis in the L4, bulging L5 and SI dysfunction. Nothing has worked so far. I too, don't metabolize well and suffer from a paradoxical effect from most meds.
Skelaxin is a synthetic, I believe. They didn't do anything for me but give me a headache. But then, none of the muscle relaxers work for me. I did try Bextra for the arthritis and it worked but it didn't do a thing for the SI.
What are you taking for the panic attacks?
angel1064
10-29-2004, 10:06 AM
hi i only take xanax as needed for the panic and i am in therapy....i find the lidoderm really helps me! i wear 2-3 across the back and it works wonders for me! i pay 20.00 co pay for 3 months worth which was about 8 boxes.
i wish i could find a med i could handle to help. i am only 40....i know lots of you are so much worse than me...but the daily ache just consumes me and tires me out.
i wish i could find a med i could handle to help. i am only 40....i know lots of you are so much worse than me...but the daily ache just consumes me and tires me out.
injured betty
10-29-2004, 09:23 PM
The Xanax becomes a catch-22. Not for people like yourself who only take it for anxiety attacks and occasionally but if it is taken on a regular basis, it relaxes that muscles, which feels good, but the muscles need to be tight to a certain degree to keep the back in shape. The only support that the back has is the abs.
Look at older alcoholics, it is not that the beer is really putting the gut on, per se, it is that the alcohol relaxes the stomach musles and gives them a gut. I think that as time goes by, with all of the new drugs such as Xanax and Valium (relatively new in comparison to the old days of laudlum), we are going to see more back problems caused by these anti-anxiety/muscle relaxers.
How do you react to meds? Does your body metabolize them too quickly or do you have a pardoxical reaction to them?
Look at older alcoholics, it is not that the beer is really putting the gut on, per se, it is that the alcohol relaxes the stomach musles and gives them a gut. I think that as time goes by, with all of the new drugs such as Xanax and Valium (relatively new in comparison to the old days of laudlum), we are going to see more back problems caused by these anti-anxiety/muscle relaxers.
How do you react to meds? Does your body metabolize them too quickly or do you have a pardoxical reaction to them?
starrfish
11-01-2004, 10:28 PM
I have taken both flexeril and skelaxin. I am now on tizanidine. All don't do much but make me very tired. The one I am on seems not to make me as groggy, but I don't feel much relief from it.