I also take Cyclobenzaprine, but I asked my Dr to reduce the dosage because I'd rather deal with a little pain than be zonked out and foggy the next day. The 5mg plus an 800 mg Ibuprofen takes all the pain away, not just for the night, but for most of the next day as well.
I do not like taking meds at all, so I only take these meds when I can no longer bare the pain. I don't really have trouble getting to sleep, I have more of a problem sleeping too much. It's terrible getting up in the morning and I too take naps during the day if I can afford the time...and there are times that I can not afford the time, but can not function if I stay awake, therefore a nap is necessary.
I had anxiety so bad that I couldn't drive or at times even leave the house. They gave me a passing out feeling where my hearing would nearly shut off, and my vision would get blurry. My entire body even the inside of my head would have this numbing, buzzing feeling and I would have hardly any strength to walk...(jelly legs).
After having a couple of these attacks, I started having a fear of anxiety which made them happen almost from the time I woke up in the morning. I tried different meds...this was one problem I would take "any" prescription to get rid of. Xanex just made me feel limp and sleepy...the anxiety didn't go away until I was actually asleep. Then I would sleep much too long and feel miserable the next day...That prescription was not going to work out for me.
Then I tried Lorazepam 2mg, which worked for awhile, but eventually the difficulty breathing part of the anxiety pushed through the meds, so for awhile I had to deal with that part of the anxiety. When I ran out of the prescription I had another terrible attack but I didn't have anyone to drive me to my Dr's office, so I went to the nearest urgent care, which was only a few blocks away. There I ended up seeing a P.A. (Physician's Assistant) who actually took an interest in my condition. He left the room and came back with his laptop medicine book and decided to prescribe propranolol for the tightening of my chest. 10mg of that is a mere drop in the bucket compared to what actual heart patients need to take, he said it was not dangerous in the least for me and that they give it to patients for other uses as well.
That combination did the trick. I took immediately when I woke up in the morning so it would take effect early on, and I rarely had to take a second dose at night...After taking it daily for a month or so, I started to wean myself off and now have been anxiety free for 2 years. The trick for me is to keep my prescriptions coming and I always keep it in my purse so that I'm never without it. Just knowing that I have help right there in my purse keeps the anxiety away. Also, I had the lorazepam reduced to just 1mg twice per day, but never really need it twice in day. I have had maybe 10 attacks at most in 2 years and only 3 or 4 times were they severe.
I know I'm writing too much...probably nobody has made it this far down...but I just want to say that eating healthy really does make a difference. I started taking coconut oil (not from the grocery store, that's all junk) and making fruit and vegi smoothies every day along with trying to stop eating processed foods and take out. I didn't realize how good I felt until I started eating out more and reduced the frequency of making smoothies...I felt a huge difference.
Oh and to tie in my anxiety spiel...I can't take some of the meds they prescribe for fibro because anxiety is often a side effect. Cyclobenzaprine (flexeril) is something I can take and also take my anxiety meds if I have to.