need help with spasm
 

Does anyone have any suggestions:confused:.

I started having these awful painful spasms in my back and thighs last night.

I hardly slept and this morning the pain is just as bad. I have tried stretching, laying down, walking:mad:nothing is helping. I've taken muscle relaxers and used a heating pad and its just not settling down.


I really don't want to call the neuro because I know it will pass, but this is probably the worst I've had these.

Any ideas:(

I'm sorry Beth that you are having such troubles. I am also sorry that I don't have any advice for you. I have never experienced them.

Just want you to know that I am sending you some :hug: and hope that you get some relief soon!

Spasms stink Beth! :( I would call the neuro If I were you. The last time the spasms hit me I waited for four days to call the doc thinking they would pass...they didn't. He was a little upset with me for not calling sooner 'rolling eyes' LOL. I got some Zanaflex and it helped to ease them quite a bit.

Aw, Bethie, those nasty little buggers do hurt! Mine are real bad and if I didn't have my Zanaflex in flexible doses, I probably wouldn't sleep at all.

I agree, you really should call it in, even if they just give you a prescription for more or something else, you'll be doing something about it.

Not to make it seem worse, but my friend, mine have not gone completely away for years now.:(

Stretching helps, but only a little. The drugs are the best defense I've been able to find so far.

I actually know how you feel.:(

Take two margaritas, a good book, and relax in bed.

Better yet, drive down to sassy's and we will find a day spa and get a massage with the margaritas.

How do you handle them?? I have them quite often but today is just awful. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain but this is truly bring on the tears.

Awww Beth, you really should go ahead and call the doctor. He can prescribe meds specifically for spasms. Jim lives daily with spasms like Cindy does. It's horrible. He named his legs Fred and Barney and yells at them when one acts up. He gets them just moving a little. He's on baclofen and it seems to help.

Hugs and hope you get some relief soon. Jim can control his spasms a little by grabbing a pressure point by his knees. If we apply pressure at that area the spasm will settle down.

The hardest part is forcing myself not to fight it with other muscle groups because that hurts even more. It takes a lot of discipline, but I have taught myself to relax as much as possible and let it work itself out. It does seem to end faster that way.

Our nature is to resist anything out of our control and in this case, resistance really is futile— and painful!

In a really bad one I literally cannot move at all, for a good minute. I have to force myself to relax and it goes away faster.

Also, if I sit in the same position for more than 10 minutes, any attempt to move will throw me into one, so I try to move often whenever I can.

I even get them when I laugh hard too often. Sometimes it helps to hang my legs over the edge of the bed or to bend way down in a chair so my shoulders are on my knees. Staying flexible has been helpful in doing that.

Beth, I am so sorry. I truly feel for you right now. To be honest, I am not the best about calling the doctor either. I just went through a phase of increased spasticity similar to what you are describing. Turns out I have a wicked sinus infection. UGH!

As for what helps me? Some days nothing. I can't lay down, sit, stand, or walk for any length of time; perpetual motion is all I can do and I am constantly uncomfortable in any position. I am not on anything for the spasms. I do have a bottle of baclofen but haven't tried it yet. I am trying to learn to deal with it without meds.:eek: So far so good.

Now, here I go again about the Epsom salt baths :rolleyes: but they really do help relax my muscles. I also increase my Neurontin and take Advil every 6-8 hours.

Don't hesitate to call the dr. If I had called earlier I could have saved myself a lot of hassle (dehydration) and pain.

Sending you lots of cyber:hug:'s and hoping you start feeling better soon.

*Trying to picture me doing this flexible move* With my luck I would fall out of the chair. LOL. Getting up while have these spasms is not easy and sometimes impossible until there is some release in the muscles. (Can you tell I have spend some time on the floor with these. LOL)

Beth,

Is there anyway you can also have blood work done and check your potassium level? I think on my bloodwork it says potassium should range from 3.5-5.3. Mine was 3.5 so I just started to take one potassium pill (99mg.) a day to bump it up a little, I am also taking baclofen 10 mg once in the morning and once before bed. I just started talking the potassium and I'm hoping that after my levels increase I won't need the baclofen anymore. But, definitely call your Neuro... you should not have to suffer!!:hug:

~ Monique

Link about spasms/potassium:

http://www.acu-cell.com/dis-mus.html

Touch my shoulders to my knees:eek: AMN is tryin to kill me:thud::hissyfit::yikes:

You and me both. Unlike Ms. AMN Limber, I can't move like that.:D

Besides, I have MSRED (Ms related exercise deficiency) so I don't want to feel that tire. LOL

I called the neuro. He is ordering me up some zanaflex! I can go to the pharmacy in an hour to pick it up.

I sure hope it works. I don't want to have to hurt somebody:yikes::Thanx:

for the suggestions:grouphug:

Good! Not so bad after all, was it, my little pretty? And your little dog, toooooo!!!!

meaaah hahahaehheheheheheh!!!!!!

Hey beth,

So glad you got the muscle relaxer.

I understand that it can be related to spacticity but might want to add in a couple other things just in case.

Also try some gatorade just in case those electrolyes are off.

And a little extra magnesium also helps me. Mrsd gave me that tip.

:hug:

I was going to warn you about that but figured you would find out all by your lonesome.

Don't drive while on Zanaflex!!!!!!! Don't attempt anything except lying down while on Zanaflex!! At least until you know if it affects you the way it does me -- everything relaxes so much I can't even hold my head up.

So...maybe this is why you haven't called me yet?

I hope all is ok.

Yes, do not drive on Zanaflex. It really makes you tired, but less so I am told than baclophen. I take it at night. I have spinal cord damage from an accident and I will always have them. Zanaflex works great for the first 6 hours.

Then I have little break through spasms that are not enough to wake me completely. My spasms only act up when I am not moving.

You will feel the difference!!! Hope you feel better.

hi beth,

sorry you're going thru this awful muscle pain.
i deal with that almost 24/7 so i know of what you speak.

you're doing all the right things. i'm glad you called your dr, especially before the wk/e. i do heat and stretching and baclofen and it all only goes so far.
i also do once a wk massages which helps a lot but also costs a lot.

i hope the med helps. the only other thing i was going to suggest would be a warm to mildly hot bath, if you can tolerate the heat.

i hope you feel better soon.

Thanks everyone. I'm not going anywhere. I've taken one about an hour ago and it didn't touch it. Hopefully it will settle down.

oh, ps....the K (potassium) test might be a good idea. you also need good levels of Mg for muscles. i get that in my multivits. so labwork might be a good idea just to make sure there's not something else you can do.

take care.

Hi Bethie~ Just chiming in to say I hope the Zanaflex is helping. You're way too sweet to be having such a cruddy time of it.

{{{{{BETH}}}}}} :hug:

Thanks DM but its not helping because the doc gave me flexeril and not zanaflex:(

I didn't even look at the bottle when I picked it up from the pharmacy. I came home and popped one right away. (by the way I usually always check my rx before taking it but i was in so much pain I didn't)

Any way I was talking on the phone with AMN today and she wanted to know what the dose was that the doc prescribed. I went to grab the bottle to tell her and it read flexeril:thud::thud: Anyway I'm still having spasms like mad so I am going to call him again tomorrow to get the zanaflex.

Thanks for caring princess:hug:

Beth,

please also get your blood looked at if neither works. I was really shocked to see how low my mineral/electrolyte levels was... and I do feel better taking the supplements. I really hope you feel better soon!

~ Monique

Thanks Monique. I have an appt for my yearly physical next week and I will talk to my pcp.

She always does bloodwork at these visits:eek:

I used flexeril - which wasn't bad - but zanflex is better. But it does make me sleepy (so did flexieril, but not as much - I took 10, 20 mgs).For day I use methocarbamol which does not make me tired.

I also use potassium and magnesium supps, heat and rest. Stretching - when I'm already spasming -only makes it worse. I do yoga when I'm not bad, and that keeps me not bad.

For me, it's the whole regime that seems to work. One or the other alone is not enough.

Swimming is really a good thing though and if I could only pick one thing that would be it.

(Just so you know, I did not wait for the bloodwork to start the supps, and my docs never had a problem with that. I don't see how they can hurt if you use as directed)

Hope you get relief soon.

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I am feeling a little bit better today. Spasms are still with me but they are not as agravating as yesterday.:)

Others have already suggested all the things I was going to say!

Plain magnesium (not mixed with any other minerals or electrolytes) at bedtime mostly seems to work for me, and that's available OTC.

Zanaflex rocks! it is short lived, and works great on those stubborn spasms. it will take a few days to really sink in and work. soak in a nice warm bath, and practice some yoga relaxation before you go to bed. :hug:

dont take Cipro while on Zanaflex, or at least let someone know you are on it. Cipro can cause the zanaflex to be more powerful, and cause the liver to work harder to clear it from the body.

I hope you slept better last night.

Thanks you guys.

I am always afraid when the doc adds to the many medicines that I already take.

I know they are the doctors but I do get online and enter all my meds to make sure there are no interactions.

I remind myself that doctors are human and they too make mistakes.:)

Hope things are better for you today Beth!:hug:

hey Beth .. hope you are feeling better ... I get them too ... trying to find out some natural things .. still looking .. keep us posted ... thanks!!

I am feeling Better Vonn. I still have them but they aren't as bad

Thanks for you post Beth. I just don't know what the answer is either...

A Hammer??? I just hate being drugged up all the time...but lately even that isn't working!

Let's hope we all find some answers! Let's share, ok? :hug: