Is Robaxin Addicting?

[diso]

I just detoxed off a 140-160mg a day addiction to oxycontin.  It has been 10 days since I took my last opiate.  I am still suffering from leg and shoulder cramps.  I have a bottle of Robaxin that was prescribed to me before my detox.  My question is whether Robaxin is addictive?  And would it be wise or unwise to use it for the cramps that currently bother me?

[hellbent]

Hey 1Day. I don't know anything about Robaxin. I do know that I drank TONS of fluids when I was going through OC w/d. I couldn't eat much, but I drank tons of water, juices, and that green "superfood" stuff. I never really cramped up at all.

[diso]

I just got a thank you.  You answer my posts everytime.  I have really appreciated the advice you have offered.  The last thing I want to do is to start taking another pill that's going to get me in trouble.  I have heard that I need to drink a ton but thanks for reiterating that.  Your comments have been greatly appreciated.  My legs and shoulders cramped so bad last night that I woke up at 3:00 a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep because of it.  When you're operating on about 31/2 hrs. of sleep and you're fighting being lethargic because of the detox and the clonodine patch I'm wearing until Friday it makes for a pretty rough day.  Thanks for taking time.

[suzieneedshelp]

Can u e-mail me plz?
thx,
suzie
***@****

[hellbent]

I remember that clonodine patch. I put on two of them and walked into walls for a week or so. I'd stand up and fall right back down. It definitely does help with anxiety however.

If you are getting 3-1/2 hours a night, that's actually a good sign. I slept maybe 6 hours in the first 3 weeks, and ended up in ER. Fortunately, I wasn't working then and just grew roots on my futon and watched the history channel all day. I wouldn't leave the house at all, my girlfriend got me food. I'd walk the dog and get 10 yards and turn around. My neighbors looked at me in disbelief. They must have thought I was on LSD or something.

Sounds like you are right on schedule, right where you are supposed to be. Get out as much as you can, and surround yourself with others in recovery if you can.

[Bodymechanic]

Robaxin is not addicting.  It is muscle relaxant like flexeril. It is not schedualed and is not fun.

[diso]

Thank you all for the information.  Hellbent, you sound like you had it a lot worse than me.  However, I can definitely relate to trying to take the dog for a walk.  I have three that I used to exercise twice daily.  I've driven them to the park to exercise on several occassions since getting out of detox.  I can barely move.  I just kind of stick around by the car, walk in a 15 foot half circle and play retrieve games.  Damn stairs are hard.  It seemed like my first couple days out I saw real improvement.  The past 3 days however, I have seemed to have plateaued (sp?).  Kind of discouraging.  It doesn't make me want to use.  I just don't seem to be improving.  I think for the time being I will still try to avoid the Robaxin.  I just didn't like that little bit of information warning the recovering addict.  Thanks to all again.

[mrrstracy]

I emailed you at hotmail. I was wondering if you got it yet.

Thanks, Tracy

[LizzyM]

You can get my personal e-mail from Staraven..she has it..tell her I said it was ok to give it to you or if she see's this post she'll know

[CGTMHI]

Hi,

The information you posted about Robaxin appears to be copyrighted information and I had to remove it.

Cindy
Med Help International

[Thomas02]

You'll sooner get relief from Robaxin from smoking a great dane ****. Esecially when it comes to WD! Robaxin and pseudo-placebo drugs like Paraphon forte are listed in the PDR as being "of questional, i.e., unproven value as therapeutic agents. Yet they allow them to sell them. Unless the doc is prescribing to a toddle, being written for Robaxin or Paraphon forte is your doctors way of saying, "I don't believe you're in pain and I'm not about to give you anything effective. Instead, I'll push some meds functionally no more effective than blackboard chalk on you just to get you out of my examining room. And if you call back tomorrow complaining about pain, then I'll call in a handful of Darvocets. Robaxin and Paraphon Forte are for chumps. It's the doctors way of calling you and wimp and a liar without enunciating the words. Quite honstly, I long, hot bath beats the **** out of all the Robaxin in the world. If you really need a muscle relaxant, you need a benzo like Ativan or, better, Valium. Sorry.

Thomas

[pillhell]

This is my first time here.I hope I am in the right spot for a question.If not everyone has my apolagies in advance.I have been getting high for 5 years.pain killers is where I started.Right now drug of choice is methadone.A friend of mine gets 60 methadone wafers a month.I buy everyone shes got.So in all actuality,I pay her mortgage every month.me,and my husband are both scared to death to quit,and scared to continue.I think If it wasn't for my kids I would of put a gun to my head a long time ago.I called docs to get help,but nobody will talk to me with no insurance.I am from the west palm beach area in florida.Does anyone have any suggestions?I wrote down the recipe.I want to detox at home.I have a 9 year old,and a 20 month old.So a rehab is not an option.Please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lisabet]

Hi - I'm sorry I can't help you on the methadone question, but I wanted to advise you to read all of the posts you can on this forum.  Many posters, much more experienced than I can answer your questions.  There's all kind of methadone posts here.  From what I can gather, methadone withdrawals are nothing short of hell, which is why I recommend you reading as much as you can.  Good luck, Lisabet

[theGolden1]

Dear Friend, I felt compelled to respond to you. It is wonderful that you are a mother. We would move mountains for our children. Please do not be afraid of getting off methadone. Although I took dolphines a few times (many years ago) I didn't continue and just "yawned" my way out of it. I have been close with a few people that were on high doses of methadone at clinics and took meth for years and years. Each one of them got off without a glitch! They tapered very, very slowly. They really didn't have
much of a withdrawl. One girl said she had some body aches and knee pains ... but that was after she stopped altogether. She took perscription motrin and hot baths and it just faded away. Don't panic. I'm sure someone on this board can give you a slow tapering schedule to follow. Start taking control. Your family means the world to you. There is help that is confidential. I just think "cold turkey" is punishing yourself. You and your husband could be treated (advised) by a doctor. As far as all the druggie behavior .... the 12 step meetings could change your life. Once you really see it for what it is ... it will not have the same power over you. But that is the "head" part that you need to work on. As far as the physical part ... please do not just "quit". You can't be in that condition with a baby. I can't remember, but I think they cut a tiny bit every 10 days. Be patient and God be with you ..... ***@****

[groovygirl]

Hello - I'll bet if you really searched, you could find a methadone clinic that will take you without insurance.  Some clinics have a sliding scale payment option.  Since you are taking methadone, a methadone clinic makes sense to me.  They can put you on a tapering schedule, which you can't mess up because you would have to go get your dose every day...no take homes.  

I'm curious, you've been using for five years, which means you were using when you have your youngest child?  There was a thread on here talking about methadone use while pregnant.  Were there any effects on your baby...did you manage to stop while you were pregnant?  Like mentioned in this thread I'm talking about, methadone is what is usually prescribed for pregnant women who are opiate addicts.

A tapering schedule would be the least painful way for you to quit, but you can go the cold-turkey route as well.  Try to check out some clinics in your area.  There is a clinic that uses Buprenex to detox people in the Ft. Lauderdale area too.  I don't think I'm supposed to post the address, but if you post your email address, I'll send you the info.

[Starraven]

Thats okay,  I understand.  Is it alright to quote reactions to meds from reasearch websites on meds?

Thanks,
Suze

[Starraven]

In my post that was removed I read that people that are prone to addiction should be very careful when taking it.  I'm not the doctor,.It just said that people that have a history of drug abuse or dependence should speak to their doctor before taking it. IT also said that Robaxin may produce mild physicial withdrawal symptom, but is not a drug that people regularly abuse. (that post is in my own words from what I read)  Hopefully this one will not be removed.  I took Robaxin for my pain ( Spinal pain) when I was withdrawing. IT was the worse withdrawal I had gone through with the three I have previously gone through. It last long after my Roxabin was gone, so maybe, just maybe it was prolonged by my robaxin use. I did not feel completely myself until the thirtieth day of withdrawal and I don't think that was normal. My other withdrawals only took about seven or eight days and i was back to normal.
Suze

[Starraven]

Just wanted to say that I loved your post above on Robaxin.  You sure do have a way with words. :) To the point! Thats a good thing!

[MethMan]

I've been on Methadone from the clinics (go in once a month) for over 10 years.  This is day 18 for me off the meth and I feel pretty good.  From 40mg a day, my taper was as follows:
Day 1 through Day 6 was cut by 5mg a day down to 10mg.  From that point, it went down 1mg per day to zero.  I really didn't feel too bad till I got to 10mg a day.  Then, it was only a minor case of fatigue.  The symptoms I felt stayed the same all the way down to 3mg.  Then, the fatigue became a lot worse, but stayed the same all the way to zero.  One day after my last dose of 1mg, I thought I had it made because the WD was tolerable. Uncomfortable, but very tolerable.  Then after 24 hours past, I crashed.  No sleep for 3 days and very fatigued.  I started on the Thomas Recipe and found lots of help here. Hot showers helped relieve the fatigue for very short periods of time, but it was worth it to take 3 or 4 a day to me.  With the leg trembles, bananas worked for me.
  I would strongly suggest that you do NOT go cold turkey.  While unlike benzos, the WD from methadone won't kill you but you'll feel like it would be a viable option.  I STRONGLY suggest seeing a doctor before going below 10mg. Start the Thomas Recipe now.  If you find a doctor willing to help you, more than likely he or she will give you clonidine and something to help you sleep.  You're gonna need both.
After Zero, what can you expect?  Well... obviously, it is different with each person.  I can only tell you want it was for me.  The first week is pure hell.  The second week is less severe, but I found myself wondering if my fatigue would ever let up.  Now, I am working on my third week away from methadone and can tell you that I am starting to engage in life again and am starting to feel much better.  The fatigue is S L O W L Y going away.
You will not feel like doing any exercise during the first week.  But regardless, mid week, try to force yourself to get up and walk.  Even if it is 100 feet, then back.  While it was real hard to get up and move, I can tell you that with the Thomas Recipe on board and pushing myself to exercise daily, you WILL feel better sooner.  IMHO, just laying there telling myself how terrible I felt was the worst thing I did.  I just told myself that if I am going to feel crappy, I may as well work toward the goal of getting outta this hell hole I put myself into.
For some reason, I gained strength in the knowledge that others who helped me here.  Just the knowledge of knowing someone else has been there and done that, then came out good was enough for me to drive to the goal they've achieved.  You are NOT alone in your quest.  Just keep telling yourself that "This too shall pass."  The goal you desire IS within reach of your limits.  It's up to you...

All the best,
Mike

[mrrstracy]

I sent you an email at hotmail and didn't know if you received it. Also LizzyM said it was ok for you to give me her email.
Let me know if you recieved it.

Thanks,  Tracy

[mrrstracy]

Here is my email if you'd like to talk.
***@****

[LizzyM]

I will e-mail you my e-mail..also, I just left you a post from yesterday..so it's in yesterday's forum.

[Bodymechanic]

You picked a drug that is one of the hardest to withdraw from. The way I see it you have 3 options. 1) Cold turkey, you will be in hell for about 2-3 months 2) SLOW detox this may not be too bad if you drop no more than 2 mg a week. 3) Detox using bupenorphine.  This is the route I would take. The literature says that it will take about 3 weeks to detox. It is expensive.

[Bodymechanic]

I wrote my post before I read Maraposa's. She said the exact same thing I am said.  Here is the link to the detox she spoke of

http://www.center4painrelief.com/

If anything goes wrong, remember it is all her fault. :)

[diso]

Congrats on day 18!!  I was in the hospital for detox when you apparently were going through your worst time but your positive messages have been a source of strength for me over the past week.  Today is my day 11.  Yesterday was an awful one for me.  I woke up in the middle of the night and the old restless leg kept me from going back to sleep.  It made for a long, tiring day.  It got me pretty discouraged because I felt like I had no improvement for the past three days.  Today, however, I do feel better.  I have SLIGHTLY more strength but I'll take it!!  I can't believe how hard stairs are for me.  I have to pause once I reach the top just to regroup.  I went to an outpatient meeting last night with a very mixed group of addicts.  I strongly recommend getting together with other addicts as an essential part of recovery.  They can not only encourage you but also teach you the pitfalls to avoid relapsing.  When I first got out of detox I had a really bad additude about the meetings.  Now I am converted.

Thanks to all for your imput on Robaxin.  Thomas02, thanks for the insight.  The cramping is getting better and I downed 5 bananas yesterday.  I think I would have the potential to take to many so I have decided to take none.

To InHell, I agree with the posts above that unless you can go into a hospital for a detox then you need to taper.  Could turkey off methadone could be very nasty.  Tapering requires a ton of self discipline (which I never had).  Going into a clinic may be your best bet.  You've taken the very important first step--wanting to quit.  Good luck on taking the next step--starting to quit.  You can do it.  Post or read the post here daily.  They will provide you with a lot of strength.  I lurked here for months before finally saying "enough."  This is a fantastic place to get you in the frame of mind to quit.