Any experience with sore/tight muscle and diazepam?

[Sun2021]

Hi all

a quick background

Iv been suffering from glute pain/ piriformis, which has me in quite a bit of pain for 4 months.
iv seen a physio privately not much help, Iv seen chiropractor which I feel has made it worse

after many trips to GP they have given me naproxen and diazepam

I took the diazepam last night and this morning I’m feeling quite a bit better, the tight muscles seems to have somewhat released.

I have booked in with a osteopath for tomorrow and not sure if I should go to see them or just carry on for the diazepam and hope this will resolve the issue

so my question is, is it best to stick to the diazepam for a few days and see how I go or willl the muscles most likely tighten up again once I stop taking it and so I should see the osteopath?

what have your experiences been?

iv thrown so much money at this and it feels hard to believe that a simple 2mg tablet will be the fix for this.

I'm no doc, but I'd guess the diazepam will give you a very short window of respite and opportunity to change something to effect a longer-term improvement. Whether just being able to move more normally without pain for a few days will be enough to do that IDK.

I had diazapam for a back spasm. It allowed the muscles to relax long enough for them to stop spasming. The relief was amazing. But it doesn't sound as though your situation is quite the same.

I was given diazepam to release muscle spasm. However it is VERY addictive - I was told I could only have it for 3 days. Once the muscle is out of spasm other painkillers should do the job, so it’s not a long term fix.

Personally I would go to a different physio, but I think the osteopath is worth doing.

Naproxen also excellent.

i would change physio rather than go for osteo (have had very similar issues including diazepam once for a week).

then long term, pilates (only a class taught by a qualified physio, there are a lot about) and surprisingly, something like a yoga savasna (the lying down bit at the end of a class where you breathe and relax your body, there are some on YouTube, I would NOT recommend yoga itself as the twisting through the hips is what gave me the issues) or a lying down 10 min meditation or some breath work can work insane wonders for encouraging spasmed muscles to ‘let go’.

Poor you, it does suck.

I used diazepam when my back muscles were in spasm. I used it for a few days which allowed me to be able to move my back and exercise the right way to start fixing the issue (bulging disc probably). With a lot of injuries like that, when something is painful you can't help but lean or take pressure off by holding yourself a certain way which only makes the issue worse by being off kilter. The diazepam helped me stop sitting, standing and laying in a certain way and the issue eventually resolved.

Another one who used it for a few days for back spasm with miraculous effect. Getting my back out of spasm allowed me to move. I would be tempted to see what it does for you before adding osteopathic treatment on top.

Thank you everyone

from the sound of things it’s not going to obviously fix the actual issue (whatever that is)

I am at a loss of finding a good physio the one I had was meant to be brilliant but after the session I had relief for a few days and the muscles were back to tightness after a few days

so I’m right in thinking this is a short term fix and I need to find the solution in the meantime.

@Mybasilplantispastitsbest did the diazepam sort the issue for you long term? Or was it the Pilates physio etc ?
naproxen hasn’t really worked for me tbh Iv been using it for months on and off, Iv tried co codamol ibroprofen tramadol nothing helps pain was only diazepam took the edge off tbh

I'd change physio and look into whether the piriformis is being triggered by the nerves coming out from your spine. A bulging disc did exactly that with me and for months I thought it was piriformis syndrome...until my disc herniated. Pilates classes run by a physio are your best bet alongside one-to-one physio assessment.

Well if the physio did give you relief for a few days that's at least as good s the diazepam... did they or the GP have any follow up advice?

@PragmaticWench

according to the chiro it is coming from my SI joint and lumper region.
the physio said the same, they said there is inflammation in that area which is causing muscles to spasm and tighten. Not sure if this is true though.

i will have a look at the Pilates classes see if I can find something near me

@PermanentTemporary yes the massage from the physio resolved it for a few days but they were back to their usual state of spasm.

saying that the diazepam has worn off this afternoon and the pain is back to it’s normal self 🙄

gp isn’t interested he’s said if I want can go on long term amitriptaline but that doesn’t resolve anything, also I have been waiting for nhs physio for 4 months I did have an appointment yesterday but it’s been cancelled and now us end of November

Also just something else the gp gave me 2mg to take as and when I need it. Iv got 14 tablets Iv only taken one at bedtime last night, is this correct? Would have helped if they gave me proper instructions 🥹

Just wanted to reply Sun2021.

I so feel for you. I have been struggling for a year…had mri scan back in January as GP convinced it was disc problems (horrendous sciatica symptoms). Scan showed normal wear and tear but also an inflamed sciatic nerve. Consultant was very dismissive and said it would get better on its own or offered a nerve block injection for £1900 but no guarantees it would help. So I didn’t have it and have been muddling along with TENS, heat pad, mindfulness and swimming. GP prescribed amitriptylene but side effects freaked me out so didn’t take them.
Saw 3 NHS physios who were rubbish. Eventually saw sports physio guy privately back in March who thought my pelvis was out of line and irritating piriformis. It did help alot initially but the last month it feels like it’s getting worse by the day.
So went back to GP and had X-ray last week but not got results yet.
I got given diazepam back in May and didn’t take that, like you 2mg, 14 tablets. I was told to take one 3x a day by GP but physio said as and when it’s bad. I took my first tablet this morning as pain is awful. Don’t know whether to take full course or just as and when.
Sorry for massive message but your situation sounds so similar. Hope the diazepam helps you, took mine 10 minutes ago so we shall see 🤪

@Foundation31

im sorry to hear your going through this! It’s horrible isn’t it? For me the anxiety is actually worse than the pain I just feel so down!

I took the diazepam I would say it reduced it somewhat but pain is still there. I have been seeing a sport therapist had second treatment yesterday, she has special machines she uses, so far no improvement but will give it another week.

how did you get on?

@Sun2021

It’s crap and yes can be so depressing at times.
A quick update…. Took diazepam for 3 days which did relieve some of the spasm and pain. Went back to Dr for X-ray result which showed everything was fine just wear and tear (which is what physio thought it would come back as). At this point the pain was getting worse and she told me to start gabapentin. Didn’t take it as had physio appointment a couple of days later so wanted to ask him.
So saw physio and he couldn’t find what might be causing flare up, really massaged buttock and did some dry needling. He told me to take gabapentin. Got home and started them as painful even just to move around house. Started Tuesday, 1 tablet then gradually building up to 3 a day. It’s taken the edge off but gives me indigestion so am taking omeprazole with it. Am going to take 2nd tablet this evening.
GP has referred me to yet another physio who I’m seeing Wednesday. I just want someone to tell me what’s actually wrong with me so I can move forward. I’ve got to the point where I’m prepared to pay for scans, consultation but no one seems to know who to refer me to. Frustrating.
Sorry for massive message……

@Foundation31

im in the exact same boat but my GP won’t refer for anything. Iv been waiting since June for a physio appointment. Iv paid for so many private professionals and I still don’t know for sure what it is. I do think it’s piriformis from my own research and when that’s not spasaming then I have all my glutes on fire to make up for it

i am hoping this massage therapist will help with this, they do shockwave and some other therapies so if the one she’s doing now doesn’t work we can try something else.

to be honest I don’t have high hopes of this getting better. I think I’ll give it few more weeks then start the amitriplyne and see how that works.

please don’t be sorry for long messages! I am in the same boat I know how it is, just want this phase to pass so I can move on and do what I enjoy left my little one 🥺

Just my tuppence worth - I’ve been suffering similar issues on and off. Have also been prescribed diazepam, gone to osteopath and physio- all of which helped at the time but didn’t fix the problem. Recently my mandibular muscle spasmsed - so painful. Doc ordered blood tests and lo and behold, vit D and B12 were both extremely low - apparently if it goes untreated over a long period it causes muscle spasms. 🤷🏻‍♀️annoyingly, a blood test from 2021 had picked this up but the only thing the doc said at that point was that my cholesterol was high and he treated that. A simple vitamin supplement might have saved me from a great deal of pain 18months later

@knitpicker

thats a good shout I have celiac disease so I am prone to vitamin deficiency, I’ll start taking a multivitamin and ask for a blood test. How long after vitamins did you feel a difference? I suppose over the counter vitamins won’t be strong enough if I have a deficiency but better than nothing.

I had a blood test about 3 months ago and showed I was anaemic and vitamin D deficient but they didn’t mention B12.
Dr prescribed iron tablets but told me to just buy over the counter vitamin D 25mcg. I started taking the two at the same time and did feel better within a couple of weeks. Definitely worth getting checked out.

I just found this out 3 weeks ago😅. I guess I do feel better - I’m on prescription strength Vit D, comes in a tiny vial. Over the counter iron and B12 as well as cod liver oil - doc promised it would be transformative, looking forward to that. Still have ache in my jaw and reduced movement so certainly not a quick fix. Good luck - it was a relief to find my problems had such an easy fix