Ooouch My Back! Flexeril Anyone?

Any Flexeril Users? I stupidly "pulled my back" last Tuesday. Reaching for a book on the floor while kind of turning, and- "Ping!" Worse and worse muscle spasms through the day , not responding much to being iced down, So I got a prescription from my doc- Steroid Pack, and flexeril. Now I remember Flexeril from years back (Pre-Op) and they were like Killer Valium Strength! They really did the trick. Now? It’s like I’m taking half a Tylenol! They appear to do Nothing! Anyone know if RNY screws the absorption of Flexeril? Or have experience with such? (I know, that’s a trip to the Med library, and a discussion with a Pharmacist, or at least hours of google-ing, but, with so many back issue guys among us, and some med/pharm folk posting here, I thought I’d try for a ‘short cut’ to info’) Thanks! Back to Ice-ing down my back! Best Wishes- Dx

Cru**** and see if that helps.... kelly took one and slept for 36 hours,,,I had to wake him up to take fluids,,,,he's sucha push over.. Ice or heat,,,,geez and the kids are off at school....maybe massage...in an empty house....wife ,hot oil....look on the bright side Russ

I took one while I was at work and immediately started dozing off.  I don't remember how the pain was though.  I don't have a real answer for you. Sorry.

Flexeril puts me to sleep....I have noticed though if I have  been on a medicine long term in the past,  that when I try to take it now, the effect is much less. You might want to ask the doctor for a different type of muscle relaxer.   I personally like skelaxin...although there are other brands out there that work just as well.....it takes the edge off the spasams...but it doesn't put me to sleep like flexeril does.   I find narcotic pain pills to work best for pain ...such as lyrica  or ultram ....but you can also use stuff like vicodine which has a pain killer and muscle relaxer in 1 pill.   If it's been more then 24 hours since you fulled your back....you should switch to heat.  Cold will only cause the mucles to contract causing you more pain.  In the first 24/48 hours cold will stop inflamation, but after that time it works against healing.   Although...there is a therapist trick of switching from cold to hot every 5 minutes for an  1/2 hour.  It actually confuses the muscles so that they stop contracting.  Also a warm bath actually has more of a mucle relaxing effect then any pill available on the market ...although the effect doesn't last as long. I remember reading a medical study recently that showed that at one time immobilization was the "treatment of choice" for sprains and strains...but the new theory is that movement actually speeds up healing.  You might want to try some light stretching. Of couse, there is the old stand by of a chiropractor....some people don't like the manual spinal  adjustments,  but I swear by it.   I remember you saying that you had a tens unit for your shoulder...I use one for my back almost daily. Anyway hope you feel better ....back pain just sucks. Scott

Scott, Apparently I don’t absorb the Flexeril worth crap. But, I did Ice it the first couple of days, and that, coupled with the Prednisone pack, did the trick. I did do some stretching exercises, and that helped greatly. I was about to pull out the TENS, when it calmed back down. Apparently, no real injury, just a pull that caused the surrounding muscles To "spasm in support." I had also heard the "switch from cold to heat" but never gave it a try. I’ll have to keep that in mind for future issues. Thanks! Best Wishes- Dx

Obviously if you can avoid the narcotics like hyrdrocodone or oxycodone or pretty much any thing ening in -one - then that would be preferrable since they have such high potential for dependency and even addiction...You might want to try utlram (tramadol) it acts like a narcotic pain releiver but isn't actually one my pain management doctor gave me them combined with a drug called baclofen - I think it might help for the type of pain you are experiencing....Right now though, I'm back on narcotics MS Contin which is slow release morphine - it is nothing like IV morphine though - it does a satsifactory job on my pain though without any real side effects except for a little drowsiness sometimes...

I have taken some flexeril since surgery and haven't noticed a difference from pre-surgery.  I think one issue is that flexeril is a muscle relaxant, and sometimes that is what is causing pain and sometimes it isn't.