I love zanaflex too. I only use at night, so i can't say if they make me tired or not.

I have methocarbamol for daytime use - also works really well, but not as commonly rx'd. Does not make me sleepy.

I've tried skelaxin - which did nothing - and flexeril, which was okay, but made me a little tired. Either of the ones I'm on now are better. As Mrs D says, Magnesium helps my legs a LOT. But my back is still a horrible knot, and muscle relaxers are the only way to cope.


Hope you get some relief!

Hiya Judy!

I do 4 mg. of tizanidine when i go to bed. I was having breakthrough spasms even after the Baclofen I take 2-3X while awake.

I work nights so I don't know if it makes me tired, cause I'm tired at HS anyway.
All I know is I sleep through the night/day now, where previously I was waking up yelling from the leg cramps and toe curls and my feet trying to point at my head!

Jim takes it but it's not working for him anymore. It did in the beginning so do not be discouraged. He doesn't walk anymore so his symptoms are a bit more complex and he takes several meds in addition to muscle relaxers. He's on baclofen, tizanidine and valium to name a few.

His doctor is considering Botox and we're hopeful. He does not want to give Jim a baclofen pump for several reasons and does not want to do ligament surgery. His doctor feels those alternatives to be too risky for him. I'll let you know how things go in June when we meet up with his neuro. If Botox can do what b, t and v can't it will be amazing! Jim will be able to cut back his meds big time.

Anyway, I hope it works well for you. Like I said, it did for Jim too but he's been on it for years. His spinal doc said some people get tired on it and some experience a more awake feeling on it. Jim wishes he would have the latter but didn't. lol

Thank you all for sharing your experiences with t. I took mine awhile ago and am having trouble keeping my eyes open so this wil be quick. Sure hope I have the good results like most of you!

Cindy -- My neuro didn't say anything about combining the two drugs.....t and diazapam. I just stopped the diazapam, but maybe it would be better to use that in the daytime and save the t. for night being it makes me so sleepy and also my eyes are alot more blurry than usual.

And the magnesium......he didn't mention that either. I'll ask my two "trusty friends" here to get some for me. My "gentleman" friend who now lives in Maryland, has to take it to replace what he loses from drinking so much!!! How much should I take -- one tablet daily?

Again, thank all of you!!! It's amazing here, whatever the MS question, someone has had experience with it before.

Goodnight......zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Magnesium is complex... some forms don't work properly.
I have a thread explaining it here:
The old magnesium oxide is in many supplements, and has recently been shown in studies to not really be absorbed.
Other alternatives are on this thread including doses.
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=1138
aim for 1/2 the RDA to start.
You can also do this with food choices which are on that thread too.

If you take certain drugs, you have to space magnesium out, away from them. Fluoroquinolones like cipro, or Neurontin/Lyrica, or tetracycline, cannot be taken with the supplements.

Current studies show up to 70% of people in USA are low in magnesium. This impacts many things--hundreds of enzymes, but most obviously the muscles, heart, and bones.

you can adjust to how sleepy the stuff makes you, but in the early days its a great nap!

You are right to not mix valium and zanaflex. they are both muscle relaxers. Zanaflex was designed for spinal cord injured or brain injured patients. It works to get that signal through when other meds fail. It was truly a miracle for me.

nighty nite lil one.

Thank you Mrs. D and Dejibo for the info regarding magnesium. Guess I never paid too much attention to supplements all my life as I figured we get the right nutrients if we eat a balanced diet. Of course the situation has changed now that I eat mostly frozen dinners and not much fresh food seeing as I can't stand up long enough to cook. Once in awhile on a good day I still do just to make myself feel more "normal"!

I'll definitely check out the links you mentioned mrsd and hopefully this ms brain will understand. Glad I stopped the valium too dejibo! Don't want to cause more problems.

Hugs.........