SKELAXIN...has anyone taken this?? - Back Problems Message Board

angel1064 · 10-24-2004, 10:02 AM

how is it?? good? bad? how does it differ from flexeril...i am to take 400mg 2x a day if needed.

SusanPLIF · 10-24-2004, 11:57 AM

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

angel1064 · 10-27-2004, 04:11 PM

it helped pain wise then??

SusanPLIF · 10-27-2004, 05:18 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.

SpondyMom · 10-27-2004, 07:20 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.