Question about meds (Muscle Relaxers & Narcotic Medication)

[Cindylou]

Say, I was just wanting to ask some different folks who take muscle relaxants along with their regular pain medication, if, when you start your morning pain med dose, do you take it all together? For example, in my case, I'll take my long acting morphine, also 1-2 break-through med's, but I really need a muscle relaxant too, in a big way. Do you typically wait for maybe 30 minutes to an hour after the pain med's to take a m.r., or do you go ahead and take it with your first dosing? I have done both. The couple of times I have taken immediately with the other pain med's, I have forgotten how loopy it makes me......and tired. So I thought I would just ask. Any thoughts or suggestions? CL

[Katie]

I've always taken them at the same time, so as not to forget. I'm loopy after either, so the chance of forgetting is higher if I wait

Can you just accept the fact and make sure you take time to rest for the first bit after taking both?

[Cindylou]

Yes, probably a good idea, to allow "some extra time" afterwards. Do you get fairly loopy Katie too? CL

[Katie]

The muscle relaxants do make me that way...more than usual And either I don't remember being that way, or I've lost my tolerance for the higher levels of the morphine. The few times that I've needed more than two or three a day now, when I've taken two which was my normal dose every two hours just eight months ago, I get really 'fuzzy' and sleepy. Maybe I really was that way before....guess that's why I wasn't very productive

[Cindylou]

Oh, btw, LOVE your new avatar!! Adorable. CL

[KBear]

I always took all mine together, though I usually didn't take muscle relaxers except for night time, as they knocked me out. When the pain was bad enough to need them in the day, the side effects weren't as bad it seemed, but I would be tired still.

[Katie]

Thanks CL. Time to start showing off the new addition She's almost eight months old! I'll start rotating some more pictures soon.

[Justin]

I always took my meds together, as not to forget.

Flexeril (Cyclobenzaprine) is a muscle relaxer that is widely prescribed. A major side effect is drowsiness.

Interestingly, Flexeril is coming off of its patent so a new med that is being pushed is Amrix (an extended-release Cyclobenzaprine). There have been studies reporting less side effects (less drowsiness) on Amrix. However, I believe these studies did not include Flexeril as a control so they are pretty meaningless. Anyway, I was going to through Amrix out there as an option, but it's essentially an old drug being re-branded so that Cephalon (the pharm company that makes Amrix) can make more $$$$.

As always, consult with a physician regarding medication changes.

[Cindylou]

Thank-you for all the feedback everyone. I appreciate it very much. My muscle relaxant is Zanaflex (the generic of it), 4 mg. I don't know if it is stronger, weaker, or comparable to Flexeril. Anyone know? Anyway, I'm gonna try to keep up taking it with my other meds, but man has it been knocking me back, big time. Hopefully, this extreme drowsiness will lift soon. CL

[KBear]

The one I took was Zanaflex too. It is very strong, one time when I was going over medicines with an anesthesiologist before a procedure, he commented that 1 of the 4mg ones would take out a horse. LOL I took 2-3 a night for sleep, just depending on how bad the pain was. If I was in a lot of pain, it wouldn't knock me out, or even make me tired.