As some of you know, I've been dealing with extreme spasticity in my legs. They act as though there are iron bars up both pantlegs when my legs spasm. Two weeks ago I finally saw my neuro and he prescribed three new meds; flexeril, enablex and klonopin for sleep, spasticity and bladder issues.

After taking these drugs for two weeks, I woke up two nights ago thinking I was having a heart attack. Living alone, this was very frightening as you can imagine. Chest pain, trouble breathing, irregular heartbeats which continue still. In searching the net, I found rare side effects of flexeril (I forget the generic name), are the same as I mentioned. I'm especially concerned since I do have Mitral Valve Prolapse and take a beta blocker, atenolol, for it, plus with the lymph edema in my feet/ankles/legs, I was supposed to have an Echocardiogram which still hasn't happened due to scheduling problems.

All that said, has anyone here had these reactions to flexeril? I'm also having two days of IV steroids again, Decadron, every two months. Today is day one so I'll mention it to the nurse who comes to the house and will call the neuro later when he's in the office.

Sometimes it seems best if we just let this disease take it's course and forget the drugs!! I don't like this and don't want to do this anymore!!!!

Thanks for any info you may have my MS friends!!

Except for a few Drugs that actually make us feel better, I'm with you, Judy. I'm just on LDN and Prozac now and I feel much better than I did when I was on all those MS modifying drugs.

I hope the LDN is keeping me from progressing too fast and, at this point, it's the best I can do (or want to do).

I am so sorry for your spasticity and for your reaction to Flexeral. How do you know it's the Flexeral? Maybe it's one of the others or a combination?

I would stop taking all of them until you know which one to drop. I pray that nasty spasticity goes away, never to return.

Well, I don't know if it was from the flexeril or not, but when the visiting nurse came Monday morning to start the steroids, she noticed a very irregular heartbeat. By the time I'd told her my symptoms that were on-going since Saturday night, she had the phone in her hand calling the doctor. "Stop the IV and call 911!" NUTS!!!!

Turns out I was in atrial fibrillation. At the local hospital it rectified itself but my docs wanted to transfer me to a bigger medical center with a full staff of cardiologists, newest equipment, etc. It's also where my neuro's office is. So off I went by ambulance.

Had all sorts of tests and they showed no heart attack (thank you Lord), but it had been a. fib. So now I'm adding a blood thinner to the list of pills every day to prevent clots/stroke. There is a history on my father's side of the family. Being pretty much immobile, gaining a few pounds and my age (63), they decided to go with Warfarin. Of course the level has to be checked regularly now.

I did have the second dose of steroids (Decadron) in the hospital so am very tired and weak now. Could be from the "ordeal" or just withdrawal from the 'roids. If it's not one thing, it's two more!

Hope everyone is hanging in there!!!!!!

Oh Judy, what a scare...Yikes!! I'm glad you didn't have a heart attack and I'm glad your Visiting Nurse caught it. A big thanks to her for her quick thinking.

I think, after that, I would have dropped the steroids like a hot potato...egads!! 'roids are hard on the heart.

Anyways, make sure the med combos are not bad for your overall health. I will say a prayer that you will be OK and feeling better soon.