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Need A New Muscle Relaxant...what Works For You?

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Chava

MyPTSD Pro
I know a lot of people hate Flexeril for its side effects, but for several years it really helped me. I could take a few pills when needed and settle the spasms and locking in my muscles. Now I don't know how to deal with this (tramadol and gabapentin help with the pain but the tightness doesn't resolve). Flexeril quit working for me quite suddenly...kept me wide awake at night and extremely restless...just made everything worse. I don't know how that happened (hormone shift, who knows).

My doctor said there aren't many other options. Has anyone tried Soma or other muscle relaxants? I see Soma is best for short term use. The only other option I can find is something like Valium, which could also be a nightmare since I need something long term (though not daily). I have a pretty terrible addiction history. I have temazepam for sleep and when I double that it does help relax me, but that doesn't even work as well as flexeril used to. Also, I need to get rid of that med anyway because it's also not a good longterm med and it's a pretty strong benzo. I'm feeling a little helpless at the moment.

Massage and stretching do not help, but increase pain once muscles have locked up. I'm sort of wondering where I could find a Jacuzzi and if that would help. Has anyone found help for painful muscles spasms aside from meds (again, manipulation of any kind increases the pain and is not an option)? I know acupuncture can help some people with pain, but can it helps with settling muscle spasms?

I'll also go back on magnesium. And maybe try Valerian root (did nothing in the past, too lightweight, but I'll try any combination that might keep me off benzos and yet not hating being in my body so much once the muscles lock up...very hard to resolve). Because of the body-oriented trauma therapy I'm doing I don't have major meltdowns over this kind of pain anymore, but I feel frustrated and uncomfortable anyway.

Non-strenuous, fluid movement helps, so I will try a lot of that today, along with some active rest (like Alexander Technique rest) and maybe soothing sounds or music.

Feels like I've tried almost every viable route here. :blackeye: I realize distractions and activities I enjoy will help my patience, so sticking with that this weekend too.
 
@Chava,

I have had to deal with muscle spasms too and cannot take any benzo at this time as it makes my blood pressure to low. I have found the magnesium helpful, yoga stretches, hot tub or jacuzzi and moderate exercise (but I always stretch first). Haven't personally tried acupuncture but a lot of people get relief from it so it couldn't hurt. I hope you find some relief soon.
 
I tried Soma and it was horrid for me. I would fall asleep standing up and fall down. I would forget hours and hours. I would think I was somewhere for 5 minutes but was there for an hour. I just couldn't tolerate it. I take 1mg of Klonopin at night for sleep walking and parasomnias. It works for me. I also take Mirapex for restless legs.
 
I tried Soma and it was horrid for me. I would fall asleep standing up and fall down.

This does sound horrible. Also reminds me of how some people describe Flexeril, yet it never really knocked me out, just made me a little drowsy. Not much knocks me out, sleeping pills, nothing...
 
I just started Orphenadrine Citrate 100mg ER tabs. They don't give me a fuzzy head Like flexeral. Plus when my Dr looked up reactions tramadol and flexeral combined can cause seizures. I take 1 per night of the Orphenadrine, and tramadol during the day. It has done wonders for my tight sore muscles. I also take 400mg of magnesium per day.
 
Hi @Chava, My heart is with you!

I'm not able to use prescription muscle relaxants: they make me too sick.

Magnesium is my go-to remedy when I have muscle spasms.
I like Magnesium Ascorbate the best. My second choice is Magnesium Citrate (for oral magnesium). These 2 forms absorb easier than the carbonate form.

I used to get long-duration Magnesium IV drips. Now I do Transdermal Magnesium Therapy. You'll want to look this up (Dr. Mark Sircus writes in-depth about it.). It's absolutely wonderful - absorbing Mg through the skin and into your bloodstream. It's nearly as effective as IV therapy, without the high cost or needles stuck into you. You can do this in many ways. One of the cheapest and easiest is to do Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulphate) bath soaks. So relaxing! There are other great ways of using Epsom Salts and Magnesium Chloride that Dr. Sircus teaches.

Electrolytes are also very beneficial. Muscle spasms are common in electrolyte deficiencies.
(I use Tri-Salts that I get from Amazon - it's cheaper and healthier than sports drinks.).

If our calcium/magnesium intake is unbalanced, really nasty night cramps will happen. If calcium levels are higher than magnesium, we'll cramp. You don't want to reduce calcium intake, we just need to add more magnesium.

If we get insufficient Vit. D, we can cramp. Also B-complex vitamins are essential for nerve/muscle functioning. Iron deficiency can cause cramps "cousin" symptom of restless legs.

I hope this is helpful, @Chava
Muscle cramping is not fun!
 
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@Chava -- I use a heating pad a lot. Sometimes a cat does the trick, if I can get them to keep their claws in! But generally a heating pad, then I do stretches after the muscles are warm.

Re. why we get these spasms... it's very common w/chronic childhood trauma, probably with other trauma types too... Tenseness is part of some of the fight-or-flight spectrum stuff, and since our brains are partly stuck in parts of that, in general, I figure that it's related but don't know the details.
 
Just deleted everything by tagging a new person. WHY does that happen?!

@Rumors I don't know. But I think @greenleaf hit on part of it. I don't relax unless I'm passed out or very dissociative and numb. So I go from chronic tension to "resting" through sedatives, muscles relaxants, benzos, or just numbing out and disappearing. I'm working on a middle ground but it's really challenging. I think I gained some ground in therapy today when an arm was hurting badly. I was moving between pain and numbness (arm would just go limp too). I ended up being able to feel a stuff animal...not pain, not shutdown, but a small bit of a middle ground.

This is the case throughout my body but it's worst in my back and shoulders.

@deer_in_headlights ....I added magnesium back to my shopping list. I used to take it but quit. But that's an easy add, even if it helps just a bit.

@RavenGirl ....thanks I had not heard of Orphenadrine
 
Your body is more than likely responding to the pain from withdrawl. The absolute best thing you can do for yourself is to get p and move around. Even if it's slowly. I used to refer to it as being "shark-like". The more you lay and rest, the more your joints and muscles are going to contract. With the help of your doctor, wean yourself off pain meds etc. I can guarantee with 99.9% certainty that you will feel better.
 
@OhSoLittleMouse ....it's really muscles spasms, not withdrawal, being still, etc. Sorry if you misunderstood my posting, but thanks for responding. I quit Flexeril 5 months ago and am on nothing daily except low dose gabapentin. I work full time, exercise or walk daily. Laying down helps take pressure off my spinal muscles but it's hard for them to relax anyway...the muscles don't relax much even when sleeping (I only lay down for a few minutes at a time throughout the day to take down pressure...and actually need to tolerate laying down and resting better).
 
@Chava -- I know that you value exercise a lot (me too!)... can your body tolerate any exercise type that really gets your heart rate up around 70% for your age? I often use a treadmill and tilt its angle way up so I don't have to do anything really fast -- fast walking seems to bother my knees.

I always feel like I've washed a crunchy sense from stress out of my body after this; it's like a hose has washed a pent-up feeling out of my limbs, it's relieving. I don't feel muscles immediately relaxing, but it feels like some energy that might have turned into muscle tension is washed away. So, it's more like a maintenance activity, keeps stuff more manageable.

About 10-20 minutes of high heart rate exercise seems to help with this the most, for me. Mellow exercise is helpful too, just not quite as much.
 
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