Muscle relaxant symptoms and conditions

My main side effect was because they had me on too high of a dose at first: I had severe abdominal cramping to the point of needing to go to the ER and needing a muscle relaxant (bellatal - sp?). My endocrinologist said that was not possible, but the second he put me on the right dose, it went away. Many people have idiosyncratic (personal to them and abnormal) reactions to medicines.

All I can say is that some experts believe that the synthetic hormones can give false results on the blood tests, making everything look fine, so I have opted for real thyroid hormone and take Armour Thyroid. My thyroid problem symptoms all completely went away within 6 months (many by 2 months) after starting the Armour Thyroid. I spoke with at least a hundred women online before switching who all had the same experience: doing much better on Armour Thyroid. Some doctors are hesitant to prescribe it because there is some bad press in the AMA that some doctor's buy into about it, but it's all misrepresented and untrue.

I have two experiences with Prednisone to share: I am a 52 year old woman, married, no kids. One year ago I came down with a serious case of shingles on the top and inside of my left eyelid. What started out as a bump that looked like a pimple or a bite on a Friday afternoon (and I don't have acne), spread across and under my eyelid by Mon, morning, up into my eyebrow and down the side of my nose. My eye felt like there was glass in it every time I blinked. I got to the doctor on Mon, the dermatologist on Tues and the opthamologist on Wed. All confirmed shingles. I have never felt anything to excruciating in my life! The dermatologist prescribed a 3-week descending dose of Pred starting with 6 pills a day. I was also given Gabapentin (a nerve blocked), Acyclovir, a muscle relaxant, pain medication and two separate eye drops, one of which was also low-dose Pred. After the 3 week course of treatment was done, I had to continue for another week, but with lower doses.
Side effects: I did not notice any side effects except that my appetite was seriously jacked up! I ate anything and everything -- and then some! Food was my best friend and I hogged everything in site! In hindsight, when I try to assess myself and any changed, I guess I do have some attitude issues in that I am quicker to anger, quicker to react and respond and seem to "snap" a lot quicker.... Oh yeah I am also on antidepressants.... I now have one droopy eyelid due to the nerve damage from the Shingles and permanent damage to the cornea and tear ducts.... However I am not really sure how much of that is due to the Shingles and how much is due to the Prednisone.

My 89-year old mother was hospitalized in August for emphysema and chronic lung disease, she was down to 81 lbs. They treated & released her and she was on a descending dose of Prednisone for a week. She needed to gain some weight & gained 3 lbs! This was very good.... She is still smoking and her doctor will NOT insist she quit (I think they have given up). They put her back on a 2-week course of Pred again last week. Her appetite is back up Yeah! but she has some serious attitude and anger issues. We are only 1 week into the 2 weeks and I don't know how our family is going to stand taking care of this evil old woman during this Prednisone treatment, and afterwards. I'm sorry I ever let the doctor put her back on it--- however she is gaining weight and getting (falsely) stronger, which she needed.

I HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER THAT IS HAVING WITHDRAWALS FORM METHADOSE WHAT CAN I GIVE HIM TO HELP HIM THRU THE WITHDRAWALS

I have taken the generic Vicodin, Hydrocodone, for 8 years for chronic pack pain. Along with the Hydrocodone, I take Soma, a muscle relaxant. I take them together, usually 3 to 5 of both a day. I know this sounds like a lot, but after 8 years, I am so used to it that it has become part of my every day. I know I am addicted to both because when I run out, I can hardly wait to get my refill. I have pain and I get irritable. My doctor checks my liver regularly and I have had no other side effects. I am surprised to read about those with constipation as it gives me diarrhea. I also sleep well on the medication. Mine is an unusual case as I have had surgery (Thoracic) and have been under both a neurologist and cardiovascular doctor's care the entire time. I pray that anyone taking this medication learns how to use it and not abuse it. It truly helps you to live a normal life, however it can become all-encompassing if you take too much.

I have been on methadone for about a year now. I started at 90mgs a day and it seemed to help my fibromyalgia but now in a period of 6 months I have gained 62 lbs.I went from 109lbs to171lbs at 5ft 4in. I am fat my husband will not have a thing to do with me. He thinks I can just stop the methadone no problem. After all I have read about the withdrawals I am now scared to death, Where do I find help? Is there anything my doctor can prescribe that will make any easier? Oh and I should have mentioned that I have gone down to 40 mgs a day on my own, its hard and some days the pain is so unbearable I have gone up to 60mgs.

I have been taking Lipitor for about two years. Just recently I have experienced muscle pain on the sides of my arms from the shoulders down and muscle pain in my legs. This is so uncomfortable that it wakes me up during the night. I can barely get out of bed in the morning and feel as if I've been run over by a bread truck. My doctor prescribed the drug as a preventative for high cholesteral because I have diabetes. However, my cholesteral has never been above 200.

I saw my physician several days ago because the muscle pain was increasing and I was feeling almost septic. He mentioned Lipitor might be causing this and wrote me prescriptions for a muscle relaxant and an anti-inflammatory. I also had a blood test to determine whether Lipitor was adversely affecting my body. The test came back negative. He told me to stay on the Lipitor and the other two medications for two weeks. After being on the new meds for a couple of days, I still felt terrible. I have stopped taking the Lipitor and the other prescriptions. I will see in a week or so if I'm feeling better. I couldn't feel worse, and, I don't think my cholesterol is out of control.

This incident makes one pause and take note that physicians are not omnipotent, and also to remember to take responsibility for our health care.

After 3 months on Nuvaring, nearing the 3rd week, I experienced crippling lower back pain, like I've never had in my life. Muscle spasms to the point were I couldn't stand or walk. I had not injured my back or strained it. I couldn't understand it. Went to Dr. Was given muscle relaxant. Made no connection at the time. The meds. helped loosen the tightness and pain. Pain was gone 4-5 days later. Low and behold, 28 days later, it started all over again! Intense lower back pain. It was so debilatating, I took the ring out a week early, suspecting that it was the culprit. By the next day my pain had subsided and by the third day it was all but gone. I've also heard from another woman who experienced the same symptoms. I'm going to call the manufacturer and my Dr. and tell them. I urge others to do the same. Obviously, not everyone has this side affect, but I want to know what permanent damage, if any, it's had on my body!!!

Hello all,

I have been reading a few pages of posts and it has me thinking. I started taking Flexeril which is either a muscle relaxant or an anti-inflammatory at the same time I started taking Yasmin. I have blamed the Flexeril for my dizziness, especially when I lie down in bed, when I see it is very likely a result of the Yasmin. I quit taking the Flexeril about 1 week after I started taking it because I got so dizzy I almost fell down the stairs holding my sleeping 1 year-old. The reason I started reading the post is I have a weird side-effect I think. I was looking to see if anyone else has experienced it, and I haven't seen it yet...

I started having really tender breasts, like when I would have to express milk while nursing. So, I thought I would try to just squeeze them, and when I did, some milk appeared, or at least what looks like milk (I didn't do a taste test). Has anyone else experienced this?

PREDNISONE: One of the most scary medications that I have EVER taken.
I had injured my neck about 6 months ago. The doctor prescribed 20mg to be taken in the mornings. I am also taking Lorazepam (.5mg) Lorazepam is a tranq and muscle relaxant. I was taking .5 mg 3 times a day and 1 mg at night to help me sleep.
My experience with prednisone was short term: 20 mg the first 2 days... then I was so preoccupied that I forgot a day. On the 4th day I resumed taking the medication, but I was experiencing panic attacks, hostility, and depression.
Soooo, I increased my Lorazepam. By the 5th day, I had no concept of time or space... I had obviously over medicated myself, and luckily didn't die. However, when my significant other got home and tried to take my pills, I became violent. I guess I thought I was superwoman! I among other things, threw him out and called the police... He did not press charges, but the state did... on him, because I called first. Now we have to go to court.
I can honestly tell you. For me, this is a dangerous drug. Needless to say the doctor told me to stop taking the drug when I called the next day. My remorse was unbearable.
My doctor claims that I was only on a small dose and that he had only seen one bad reaction in his 30 years of practice; and he said she was taking twice as much. The doctor said that the prednisone cause the irritability and the Lorazepam removed the inabition (much like alcohol does).The pharmacy did not warn me or give me any paper work on the drug when I picked it up.
It is too bad that we find this site after the fact.

I have experienced 13 years of hell with Levothyroxine, which is pure sodium. Everything in the body from skin to internal organs are affected by shrinkage and shortening of muscle. My horror complaint - leg cramps, massive thoracic jerking and therefore no sleep. think of salt cod or an Egyptian mummy.

First, do not deal with a GP. Thyroid is very tricky and only an endocrinologist should be consulted.

Second, get tested at a Nuclear Medicine Department in your hospital. You may be making enough thyroxin. Partial organs DO compensate.

Third, sodium binds with blood serum. Blood enters muscles. Muscles CAN store sodium. My case.

If you can get away without taking thyroid meds you may find withdrawal unbelievably difficult. In a withdrawal situation, a larger amount is released into the blood stream. You will find your muscles steely rigid and unbendable. You may be pulled over.

You will need huge willpower and support. My withdrawal is now in its 8th month.

I use acupuncture by Chinese medicine methodology, resistance exercise several times a day. Get yourself rubber resistance bands and put hooks in your basement walls and ceiling. Pilates is excellent. Magnesium tablets high strength. 1000 mg is allowable but I've done twice that. Some diarrhea but basically one is too dried out for there to be a problem. From a good herbal store, get probiotics 30 million a day, Udo's Oil (Canadian), eat almonds - several hanmdfuls a day - I hate it but Lorazepam had to be used as a muscle relaxant for 6 weeks at the worst stage. Never discontinue these abruptly. Detox drops after a visit to a QUALIFIED Naturopath. First, Unda Numbers to detox liver and kidneys, then thyroid and lungs. Very effective but you may only tolerate shortish stints- 10 days. me anyway.

Eventually, the muscles feel caged but bulging. Then they start undulating dramatically and free up. But so far I've had to endure 6 of these session at about once a week. After which even more toxic stuff pours out. But it WILL end.

I am 63. I resent losing wellness for so long and it took a friend to tell me about a relative with leg cramps to get the connection. By the way, it was the naturopath that identified the cause NOT a doctor. Allopathy (Western medicine) believes all drugs leave you with tissue renewal every 4 months. But Chinese medicine, massage therapists, naturopaths, injury rehab (they use theraball) and reputable spas don't.

All of you are young. I hope I have helped in some way. All of you who ache, I think it is the tightening of the muscles. it is like enforced arthritis. Number 2911, I hope you read this. Your little son sounds just like my beginnings of my dreadful journey.

My GYN prescribed Yasmin for me approx. 5 months ago after I had been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Yasmin has supposedly proven to be an excellent treatment for women with this diagnosis. I wasn't sure if I would be able to tolerate it at all since I've had a history of my body has rejecting any type of hormonal birth contral methods in the past (I would get SEVERE migraines, nausea, vomiting and vision problems). At first I loved it.....I was actually getting my period again and it was coming regularly. My bloating has almost completely gone away (I am constantly urinating), and my PMS systoms and mood swings have diminished substantially. However, as time goes on I'm noticing increasing problems with muscle pain, spasms and "knotting" particularly in my neck, shoulders, back and calves. The muscle cramping has gotten so bad at times that I have been unable to walk for short periods of time. Within the past 2 weeks I haven't had a single pain-free day, so that my chiropractor prescribed a muscle relaxant just so that I can get through my day. I'm not sure if this is the Yasmin or not, but I've never had these muscle problems before and it only began after I had been taking the Yasmin for a period of time. I have made an appointment to follow this up with my GYN because at this point, I still have one month left of this treatment to control my PCOS, which has the potential to cause me some other severe problems if left unchecked. I will repost additional comments after I meet with my doctor. Has anyone else had this problem while taking this pill?

I'm a 58 year old male in good health. Was riding a bike 5 to 6 miles each day and no problems or arthritis. In January I got a Urinary tract infection and was put on a Sulfa drug which gave me a rash so I was switched to Levaquin.

Started taking Levaquin 24 Feb.
Started having lower back pain and heat in two days.
28 Feb went to Physical therapist to see if she could do something for the pain and the heat in lower back. She could not find anything wrong and sent me back to my Doctor. He checked me out and said the infection was gone and not to lift anything over 10 lbs.

1 Mar. pain almost unbearable.
2 Mar. by evening could not control my back and was laying on the floor.
3 Mar called doctor and told him I couldn't get out of bed and he called in a prescription for a muscle relaxant and recommended heat and ice. Called my therapist and she recommended ice 20 min every hour and to come in as soon as I could get out of bed.
5 Mar finally able to get out of bed and went to therapy.
6 Mar took last Levaquin.

Continued therapy and things seemed to be getting better but kept injuring joints when I used them too much.
Since then it has been all downhill. Symptoms include aching in all joints. Unable to sit or lay on my back. Anytime anything touches my back it gets hot. One Rib has gone out of place twice. My back continues to go out of control. Unable to sleep due to the pain. Knees weak. Sometimes have hot spots on legs and arms. Doctor has taken blood tests and had Xrays thinking I had Arthritis which isn't the case. Any physical exertion compounds problems. Had to quit therapy as it causes more pain. Doctor has me on muscle relaxants, Vioxx and pain killers. He doesn't believe this ailment was caused by Levaquin or if it was the effects would already be gone.

It's over two months since I took the drug and no relief. Seems to get worse every day. Tried to go to a Neurologist and he needed me to have a MRI and so far the insurance company has denied it.

Tried going to a Chiropractor but any manipulations cause more pain.

If anybody has suggestion on how to get over this and back to a normal life please let me know.