Muscle relaxants? | Arthritis Information

It sounds like a lot of people take muscle relaxants. I am going to the rheumie next week and wondered if I should address this. I have terrible muscles spasms in my upper back shoulders and neck. I have gone to PT for them and really not had much improvement. Canyou take muscle relaxants with vicodin?? Are there any side effects with them.

Thanks you for any input you can give me!!!

I took a muscle relaxant while taking oxycocet. I'm now using fentanyl pain patches and still use my muscle relaxer. Both were ok'd by my doctor. Daisy, do you have fibro? I would talk to your doc about that being a possibility. I am not really diagnosed with anything, and take them at night instead of sleeping pills. Sleeping pills don't do much for me, and so we went with Zanaflex instead...since it's not addicting anyway.

Honestly though, it doesn't do JACK for me other than knock me OUT cold. If I'm really in pain pain, I still have to take painkillers, or else I will lie awake all night in a haze of pain. (so this is where my thoughts on them saying i have fibro is wrong...muscle relaxers are supposed to HELP fibro patients)

Doesn't hurt to ask. It's a nice way to unwind after a long day (I have two small kids). And I don't get a hangover like a glass of wine. lol

Dear Daisy, Oh my gosh muscle relaxants are the best, but you need to check the interaction with your doctor. The one I used to take is Norgesic Forte, but I've been told, 'no one knows how they work or what they do to your brain" , now that is scary. Others on this forum have different types, perhaps those are better. Wikipedia, and Yahoo medical are both good for referencing all these meds and Yahoo has a 'what goes with what', even. Good wishes for dealing with this as it is complicate. I took gabpentin for neck/shoulder pain before my RA meds began to work. That seemed to help.

lol, sarah

I take them with 7.5/325 Norco Hydrocodone.I take flexaril (I thinkg that's how you spell it) I use them for my back which I have a terrible time with. I use them with Tramadol. Lovie, do you have arthritis in your back. My back between my shoulder
blades is killing me. I have heard that it is rare to have arthritis in the back
joints. Just not sure what is going on with mine.

I do Lorster; but it is in my lower back. I ened up having to go to an orthopedic back specialist. They dx'ed it after an MRI that also revealed DDD, Bulging disk as well as spina bifida occulta which is a birth defect that likely isn't the cause of my pain.

The ortho said that RA will affect the back; but often it takes many years before it does.

I love Soma...no hangover like stuff the next day. I get the same upper back/neck muscle spasms and 1 works great. If it gets real bad....then 1 every 6-8 hours for a couple days and I am better. I do not take it every day...just on the worst days.

Hope you get something that works!

Lisa

I take zanaflex and take it with 15mg of vicodin.

Thank you all!!!! I do have Fibro, hmmm the doc has never mentioned muscle relaxers, I am going to bring it up tomorrow. I need all the help I can get lately.

You are all so sweet!!

Wow, I can't believe you have fibro and the dr never mentioned muscle relaxers! Guess every dr's different.

I've been taking Skelaxin (800 mg/2x day) with Vicodin ES for a long time. Main side effect is drowsiness, so be careful when you start taking any muscle relaxant until you know how it works with you.

Without my Skelaxin, I'd be in big trouble! Hope they find something that helps you.

Daisy, I have sever muscle spasms in my lower back that have been extremely difficult to control.

My regular pain meds (methadone and morphine for break thru pain) do not do anything for the muscle spasms. So my pain doc also gave me Robaxin for the daytime and Flexeril for bedtime. That helps a bit, but my spine is so screwed up that these spasms are always there.

I have Osteoarthritis in my entire spine, among other things. I've been told that RA usually only affects the upper part of the cervical spine. But that's just one doctor's opinion, I guess.

I really do think you should tell your doc about the serious muscle pain and talk to him/her about muscle relaxants. Usually you can take them with most drugs. Just don't drive til you know how they work with you.

Good Luck!

Nini