Hey Wendy!

I'm sorry you're dealing with those horrid muscle spasms, but I've got some tricks that I use to help alleviate the worst of them.

Of course, there's the meds; I'm on Skelaxin, which does work to some extent, but when I've got those horrible wrap around spasms that drop me to my knees, it's "Hello Valium!" time. My doc has me with a PRN script of 10, which has lasted me 5 mos. so far, but when I need it, its there so I don't have to go to the ER.

Now, for the non-prescription remedies, I of course use heat/ice, alternating between to two. My spasms actually can get worse when I just use ice alone, but if I do the combo, 20mins on/20mins off, rotating between the two, I seem to do alright. Secondly, I will go soak in the tub, with epsom salts...I have some great bath salts I picked up at WalMart, one is Eucalyptus scent, the other is Lavender, and I use 1/2 cup of the salts in a tub of very very warm water and soak for about 30 mins (till I start to prune). And lastly, I will have some tea. I know, tea, but for me, it really helps me relax some. I have a blend that I've played with a bit over the years, but it consists of valerian, catnip, chamomile and mint, with a teaspoon of honey so it doesn't taste like I'm chewing grass. The time I let it steep depends on how much of the active ingredients I want to extract, but avg time is at least 10 mins, with fully boiling water.

Before you use any of the herbals, make sure that there are no interactions with your regular medications. Your local library should have a copy of the Herbal PDR, or you can pick up a copy. I own one since I use herbals in conjunction with traditional treatments all the time, for various health issues that I have. Just be sure its ok with your doc.

Now, the other thing to consider is this. I go every 3 months for Botox injections to deal with the worst offenders for the muscle spasms, and I have trigger point injections (kenalog and lidocaine) to deal with the muscles that aren't covered by the Botox. I've been diagnosed with CMPS, which is a bit different than the Fibro you've got, but I would think the results of Botox would be the same. If its possible, discuss this option with your PM doc or your rheumy. I researched it a whole bunch before I went ahead with it, and it's worked very well for me. But, its only a "band-aid" fix, and it does wear off, and there's the possibility of building up immunity to the toxin over time. For now, I get about 10 weeks of a break from the bad spasms, and they slowly start coming back, and usually by 12 weeks I'm back in for another series of injections. It certainly can't hurt to ask, especially if they're interfering with your quality of life like mine were (they'd drop me to my knees where I was, and make me feel like I was having a heart attack; spasms around back, ribs and abdomen from T-spine probs).

Good luck with this Sweetie! I would be happy to pass on any of the literature I have on Botox, if you're interested. Just send me a PM and let me know. Hope you had a good holiday.

Theresa