I complained to the doctor of severe back pain and tenseness that prevented me from getting adequate sleep, just to see what I might get. I ended up with a prescription for cyclobenzaprine.
At the time that I ingested the cyclobenzaprine, I did indeed have a fair bit of muscular pain in my lower and mid-back. The doctor and pharmacist both cautioned me against taking it during the day and certainly not before driving or operating heavy machinery, saying that it would cause extreme drowsiness/sedation, and they said to absolutely not drink alcohol while taking it (ha ha...right). The doc also told me that many people feel woozy the day after taking it and suggested I try it first on a weekend.
I had a rather bad case of bronchitis and had just started on an antibiotic (cephalexin) that day. I had three beers in the early evening just before I took the first dose of cyclobenzaprine, and continued sipping two more beers over the course of the evening. I drink frequently, so I only had a slight beer buzz as my tolerance for alcohol is high. I also smoke quite a lot, so I was probably having a cigarette every half-hour or so (yes, even with the bronchitis).
Knowing that I had to work the next morning, I started slowly, taking the 1/2 pill dose (5 mg) recommended by the doctor (just to see if it did anything for my back). After about 15 minutes, I started to feel sleepy, but that subsided quickly. My back felt exactly the same. I took the other half and waited another half an hour. Everything felt the same. Didn't get tired. About an hour later, I took an additional 10 mg. It did nothing. Thought I'd smoke some pot, but decided against it since I had to work the next day and I didn't know how it might interact. A half hour later, I took another 10 mg, and still, it seemed to do nothing. I still felt like I had a normal beer buzz, and my back still hurt.
I was a bit bored and annoyed by this point, so I decided to forget about it and go to bed early so I could get plenty of sleep. Then came the only noticeable effect of the drug. As soon as I got into the half-dream state before sleeping, I felt like I was in the fluffiest, most comfortable bed ever conceived. Toward early morning, I half-awakened several times and each time, the bed felt incredibly good. Like I had several layers of goose-down under and over me. My bed is pretty damn comfortable anyway, but it felt really good, even the covers over me felt different, like I had a big fluffy cloud hugging me. It was a very nice feeling and I hated to get out of bed.
So basically, I suppose it does what I asked for: Makes sleeping more comfy when my back hurts. And not a damn thing more. The next day, I didn't feel particularly 'woozy'. Just normal for someone with infected bronchial tubes. Had a fine day. The stuff isn't terribly toxic as far as I understand, so I may try a larger dosage all at once the next time and see if it does anything more profound.
