Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group

As many of you know I just found out some of my lower vertabre have collapsed. I think I am having some kind of spasams in my back that started Sat.

Sat and Sun the spasams came and went, but for the past several hours they have rarely let up.

The pain is localized and feels like a pulse or waves of pain. Does that sound like a spasam?

I am going to try and call my back doc and see about a possible muscle relaxer for some relief. Do any of you take muscle relaxers for spasams?

As I was writing this I remembered I have Xanax which was given to me not for anxiety but to ease my muscles so I can sleep.

I just took one and hope it helps. I will still try to contact doc and see what he thinks.

I am using my heating pad and when I turn it off pain increases quickly, so I know the heat is definitely helping some.

Even with my pain meds and the heat pain is not being controlled well. Maybe, after the Xanax kicks in all will be better.

Please, let me know, if anyone out there has expeienced this kind of pain and what you did for it.

I will have an MRI Wed and we will know more about my back and how to treat it.

Bits

The xanax or klonopin are excellent muscle relaxers. The klonopin will last longer. I use it at bedtime to relax the muscles.

Heat will bring more blood to the area. Unfortunately - it can and often does increase the pain levels. But it may feel good while it is being applied -so it may fool you into thinkingg it is helping. Cold is usually much more effective in reducing pain - 20 minutes on and 2 hours off.

I am sorry to hear you are having so much difficulty.

hugs

Dear Bits - I am sorry to read you are in s much pain! I have even on flexural and skelaxin for muscle spasms but they knocked the crap out of me and made my pain worse so I refuse to take either but flexeril was by far the worst for causing more pain. My doc prescribed me Soma, which is wonderful , it does its job without making me feel like I was beaten with a baseball bat and i can still function. I won't take anything else because it is the only muscle relaxer I've used that helps my fibromyalgia as well. I have also used xanex and it has been helpful on occasion . I hope u feel better soon *gentle hugs*

Bits, spasms are common with spine and disc problems. I was using flexeril for a few years and just got upgraded to baclofen as it is alittle stronger and is also prescribed for shingles nerve pain. I cannot sleep at all without muscle relaxer when neck is flaring.

The worst spasms I ever had was after a spinal to get rrid of the spinal headache from the first spinal tap. They hit a major muscle and my son had to take me back to ER 3 hours later. Whole back, from neck to tailbone spasmed. i don't remember what they gave me for it but i was off work for 2 weeks because of it. i use heat and lots of it and a back massager I can sit against. Cold makes them worse for me. After days of healing, I add in stretches and light exercise. LOL..it's why I don't have turkey neck yet....I am constantly doing neck exercises to keep the spasms down.

Hugs, Donna

Thank you friends for answering. After I took the Xanax I went to sleep, in my comfy chair, slept about 6 hours and upon awakening spasams were gone.

They have since returned but at a much lower level of pain and not constant. The aching has not gone but is reduced. It feels like something is pushing my shoulders down into my back...a crushing sensation.

I have felt the crushing sensation often during the last several months and now understand I actually am being "pushed down" since some vertabre have collapsed and some on their way.

I slept too long to contact doc, but will in the morning. The Xanax really did help...alot. I will take another one in a few hours.

Raoul, I rememebr you telling me to try ice on my back and it did work wonderfully. So, ice bag will be used, shortly, alternating with heat. When RA and OA strike I have to use heat, but when Psuedogout strikes I have to use ice.

I guess we just have to try different things and see which ones do the job.

Donna, I think I will check into getting a back massager for my chair. I wish I had the money to buy one of those incredible massage chairs that have rollers moving massaging you from heat to toe.

Not the kind of chair you can buy for a few hundred dollars, I had a couple of them and they are pleasant enough just not really thereputic. The kind I want actually lifts your body as the rollers move. A deep heated massage.

They are ugly and looking at one makes you believe it could not possibly be worth the price...$6,000.00. But, they are.

I have had many massages and this chair made me feel sooo relaxed and muscles so limp after only about 5 mins I did not want to get up. It wasn't close to the massages I've had...it was better. One hundred percent relaxation.

I am saving for an adjustable mattress to go into my sleigh bed (though, I will be getting hospital bed shortly) and now I will be saving for that chair after thinking about it's great benefits.

Again, thanks friends.

Hugs