Posted by yxibow on December 5, 2008, at 21:17:32
In reply to What's after SOMA????, posted by sometimesblue on December 5, 2008, at 10:59:21
> I have been taking Soma for about 3 years now for chronic back pain. It's pretty much starting to poop out on me...is there anything else I can suggest to my doc? I have a physical coming up in Jan. so I'd like to discuss it with him.
>
> any ideas would be greatly appreciated!!!
>
> thanks,
> SBI wish I could take it at one point because it vanished one of my dystonic disorders I have but, yes, it is powerful, it is one step away from Miltown, an old anxiolytic (not related) from the days of Quaaludes and the like in hopes they were better than barbiturates.
Getting off the Soma is something that may probably bring back your chronic pain more temporarily and should be done safely and properly -- it is habituating and is now labeled C-III and C-IV in a number of states. (States can exceed FDA scheduling and have labeled substances C-IV and C-V recently.)But it's a necessary thing because as you say, it is becoming less effective.
You may be able to ease off of it with its lighter chemical cousin methocarbamol (Robaxin) because of its relation.
I still take Robaxin, I can't say it has worked as well as I like it and I have some wierd rare side effect of heat connected with any serotonergic agent I take just for a brief period, but that's just my experience -- it probably will not be yours, it does have vague side effect lists in the PDR. It and Soma, after all, are older agents and were never tested against much of anything.
Yes, Flexeril is an option -- if you can stand tricyclics, I found it a bit odd but then again also my own experience.
Some of the dystonic back reaction is from a withdrawal from Tranxene 10 years ago -- and anxiety I think increases it.
I think at one point when things weren't as strong, even by accident Benadryl relaxed it, which probably is why Atarax relaxes people, and in fact orphenadrine (Norflex) is similarly related, another possibility but almost an opiate like agent to some.
Finally, there is Skelaxin, which is also known to be pretty strong, so due caution there.
There is always the one remaining COX-2 inhibitor on the market, Celebrex. It wont relax the back but it may cover the pain -- its supposedly more targeted than Ibuprofen.The whole COX-2 thing was a rather overblown situation akin to labeling every antidepressant a suicidal possibility, but obviously caution is warranted with everything.
Baclofen as was suggested, can cause seizures actually so probably something to consider carefully.
Basically, a lot of muscle relaxants may end up becoming less useful over time but it may take quite a while, just as it is theoretically possible that ibuprofen may become less useful. Benzodiazepines have antispasmotic/muscle relaxant properties as one of their four subtargets but they would probably become as habituating as Soma eventually.
One may have to switch among agents over time, but that's just an armchair opinion, it may not actually be true for you.
So I would discuss some of these things with your doctor -- if you have an anxiety disorder, some things may return when you discontinue Soma, on the other hand it is not a good idea to mix benzodiazepines together with it-- thats why I never got to try it.
-- tidings
Jay
poster:yxibow
thread:866832
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20081204/msgs/866925.html