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What muscle relaxer do you take?

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  • What muscle relaxer do you take?

    Since my first surgery on June 17, I've been prescribed flexeril and for the most part, it has done well. When I went in for a check-up today, everything is on target except for the muscle mass that I've lost and have to work on building back up. (Mainly from the 8-10 weeks of inactivity due to the iv antibiotics.) I asked about changing to a different muscle relaxer and he prescribed Zanaflex. After ONE dose, I was so loopy for hours and after only two hours of relief from my spasms, I noticed that my back was SO very tight. My question to you all is what (if any) muscle relaxer do you use and are you happy with the results? And don't worry, I'll be calling first thing in the morning to get my flexeril back!

  • #2
    Hi Jenny-

    When I was released from the hospital back in June, the doctors put me on Valium since Flexeril didn't work for me in the hospital. I was on the Valium for 3 months. Then my neck and shoulder started spasming like crazy and so I went to a local shoulder specialist. He told me to stop the Valium since it wasn't stopping the spasms anymore and put me on Flexeril again. I've been on it for 2 weeks now and I can tell you it works much better than the Valium for the spasms I am having in the neck and shoulder. When I went to the shoulder doctor again last week, he was really concerned with the loss of muscle and atrophy in my neck and shoulder. Basically, my shoulder loss so much muscle mass that it dropped forward and now is totally not aligned with my other shoulder. This atrophy/loss of muscles has caused me to have a really bad pinched nerve which I am feeling in the back of my shoulder blade and goes through the front of my shoulder and into my neck. The flexeril really helps in the area of my neck/shoulder, but I think the Valium was better for my back.

    Where are you having your spasms?

    I can't believe how much atrophy/muscle mass I have lost because of this surgery! Did anyone else have this problem? I have lost 55 + pounds in 9 months so maybe this is why I am having an atrophy issue.

    Talk soon! Hope you are feeling better week by week!

    JenM
    Surgery date: June 8, 2010 with Dr. Boachie
    Thoracic curve: 55 degrees, corrected to 25 degrees
    Lumbar curve: 58 degrees, corrected to 27 degrees
    Posterior-only surgery, Levels T3-L3
    31 year old mother of 2 young kids

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    • #3
      JenM - So glad to hear from you. I was starting to get concerned since I hadn't heard from you in a while. We'll have to talk soon! And the muscle mass that my doctor is talking about it all over from inactivity. But the really aggrevating thing is that since March, I've GAINED 15 pounds!

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      • #4
        I haven't taken them in at least 6 months, but I used to take Soma. It worked well on my muscle spasms, but it also did make me sleepy. The pharmacist told me that it's nickname was 'Coma'.

        For me, the spasms definitely lessened over time.
        __________________________________________
        Debbe - 50 yrs old

        Milwalkee Brace 1976 - 79
        Told by Dr. my curve would never progress

        Surgery 10/15/08 in NYC by Dr. Michael Neuwirth
        Pre-Surgury Thorasic: 66 degrees
        Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 66 degrees

        Post-Surgery Thorasic: 34 degrees
        Post-Surgery Lumbar: 22 degrees

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        • #5
          I have been taking the Zanaflex and it works well for me and it does not make me sleepy . ONTH, boy , does the flexeril. I guess that is why there are different drugs

          Melissa

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          • #6
            Love this forum!

            I love this forum, even after my surgery, it is still very helpful in trying to figure out why some quirky things happen post surgery. JenM, I also am having problems with my left shoulder which is also drooping down and not alligned with the other side, and very painfull. Had an MRI this month and waiting to see my ortho. My spine surgeon recommended me to him as he is good with shoulders. The funny thing, (not really) is that I lost over 20 lbs. and not have been able to put it back on but for about 3 lbs. I'm still walking alot and eating as much as I can because I can see that I have also lost tone to my muscles. Sometimes I wonder though if the shoulder problem stems from my surgery, when I was in recovery, my surgeon had to give my a shot of steroid or something like that because I was in so much pain in the shoulder. Maybe from being in one position for such a long time.
            Dolores A
            June 4, 2009 Anterior L3 - S1
            June 8, 2009 Posterior T4 - Pelvis
            Mark Agulnick, MD FAAOS
            NY Spine & Scoliosis Center

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            • #7
              I was prescribed skelaxin, which works really well. The only problem with those is that my insurance is terrible and wont pay for them anymore. I'd have to pay like $3 a pill if I were to get them. Luckily though, my fiance is able to get me TONS of samples of them from her work. But in the meantime, my doc prescribed norflex, they are much cheaper. They seem to work as good as the skelaxin.
              Pre-surgery- 80°+ thoracic/ 60°+ lumbar
              Still unsure of post-op numbers
              37 yrs. old, 6'7" ish
              Scoli pics

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              • #8
                I have Flexeril and Valium both. Was taking Valium during the day and Flexeril at night. I don't take anything during the day now and still take a Flexeril at night.
                Age 56
                Wore a Milwaukee Brace for 3 years in hs
                Fused L4-S1 for high grade spondylolisthesis Jan '09 in Indy
                Thoracic 68
                Surgery Aug 31, 2010 T3 to L1
                Dr Bridwell St Louis
                http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...1&d=1289881696

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                • #9
                  I used Robaxin for about 2 months after surgery...just took it twice a day and never had any muscle spasms so I guess it did its job. :-)

                  Nitram
                  Pre-Surgery Lumbar 65 degrees
                  A/P Fusion T10-Pelvis by Dr. Christopher Good
                  Virginia Spine Institute, Reston, VA 3/17/10, 3/18/10
                  Post-Surgery Lumbar 19 degrees, and 2" in height

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                  • #10
                    Got my flexeril back and I'm feeling ten times better. It never ceases to amaze me how the same drug can work so differently with people.

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                    • #11
                      My MD gave me Skelaxin and Flexeril which have never worked. My surgeon gave my Valium which never worked either. The only thing that works is the Percocet, which I only take on work days now. Don't need them at home anymore.
                      Janet
                      36 year young cardiac RN
                      old curve C 29, T 70, L 50
                      new curve C 7, T 23, L 20
                      Surgery June 11, UCH, Dr. Cronen T2-L5, posterior
                      Revision December 20 L5-S1 with pelvic fixation
                      and Osteotomy to L3 at Tampa General Hospital

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                      • #12
                        Muscle Spasms after Surgery...

                        I went for my six week follow up with Dr. Boachie and everything went well. I am not on any pain meds the hospital prescribed since the pain is gone. It's a great feeling and I don't have to go back for five months. I start physical therapy on Monday. BUT.... I woke up on Saturday with a horrendous muscle spasm on the top of my left shoulder/neck that I couldn't even touch my shoulder. I have been sleeping on my back for the last six weeks and Friday night I slept on my left side so I attributed to that. Well by Sunday, I was in tears, the jabbing pain is awful. All weekend I used Ben Gay and then later on a moist heating pad. Dr. Boachie's nurse, Lindy, said it's not uncommon to have spasms after this surgery. Well my goodness, it is really painful. I have my appointment with my pain management doctor on Monday and if this continues, I am going to ask for a muscle relaxant. Looking at similar posts, I guess it does happen, but this is torture, and I consider myself a person that has high tolerance for pain. Other than this, I'm doing well. LYNN
                        Last edited by Jacque's Mom; 01-21-2011, 05:52 AM.
                        1981 Surgery with Harrington Rod; fused from T2 to L3 - Dr.Keim (at 26 years old)
                        2000 Partial Rod Removal
                        2001 Right Scapular Resection
                        12/07/2010 Surgical stabilization L3 through sacrum with revision harrington rod instrumentation, interbody fusion and pre-sacral fusion L5-S1 - Dr. Boachie (at 56 years old)
                        06/11/14 - Posterior cervical fusion C3 - T3 (Mountaineer System) due to severely arthritic joints - Dr. Patrick O'Leary (at age 59)

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                        • #13
                          I haven't had surgery yet but am prone to spasms now, and low doses of xanax along with celebrex and tramadol are my daily routine.

                          10 mg of Flexoril will put me down for 18 hours at a clip. Skelaxin makes me nauseated with vertigo... I'm hoping for percocet post-op. Fingers crossed.

                          So it sounds like post-op, because you're not moving a lot, spasms pop up. Is that the deal? If so, how soon post-op can you start PT usually? I was hoping to start the week I get home - my PT is already planning to come to my home to get me going.
                          Female, age 38
                          4 years of bracing, concluded at 42*upper/38*lower
                          currently 64*upper/40*lower
                          Fused T3-L4 on Feb 23 2011
                          now 32*upper/18* lower

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                          • #14
                            I took valium/diazepam post op for awhile... I've been taking it now for about 8 months for terrible leg cramps (actually feet, calves, shins, and upper legs-- sometimes all at the same time) that I was getting almost every night-- my neurologist prescribed it. What a relief!
                            71 and plugging along... but having some problems
                            2007 52° w/ severe lumbar stenosis & L2L3 lateral listhesis (side shift)
                            5/4/07 posterior fusion T2-L4 w/ laminectomies and osteotomies @L2L3, L3L4
                            Dr. Kim Hammerberg, Rush Univ. Medical Center in Chicago

                            Corrected to 15°
                            CMT (type 2) DX in 2014, progressing
                            10/2018 x-rays - spondylolisthesis at L4/L5 - Dr. DeWald is monitoring

                            Click to view my pics: pics of scoli x-rays digital x-rays, and pics of me

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                            • #15
                              I was fine for a few months, and then maybe 4 months post op started having terrible stabbing muscle spasms, that felt like a knife was going through my lungs. The muscle relaxant that ended up helping was called Soma. I'm 2 years post op now and haven't needed it in over a year.

                              It will get better, I promise.
                              __________________________________________
                              Debbe - 50 yrs old

                              Milwalkee Brace 1976 - 79
                              Told by Dr. my curve would never progress

                              Surgery 10/15/08 in NYC by Dr. Michael Neuwirth
                              Pre-Surgury Thorasic: 66 degrees
                              Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 66 degrees

                              Post-Surgery Thorasic: 34 degrees
                              Post-Surgery Lumbar: 22 degrees

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