DOSE:	repeated	smoked	Cannabis	(plant material)
	repeated		Pharms - Cyclobenzaprine	(pill / tablet)

BODY WEIGHT:

230 lb

I was intruiged by the reports of recreational cyclobenzaprine, so I figured I'd include my theraputic experiences w/ this drug. I suffer from extremely painful menstrual cramps. The last time I went without any medication during my period I experienced so much pain I vomited twice in one day, had multiple uncontrollable bouts of crying, and had extreme difficulty walking because the pain of severe cramps often extends down into my legs and makes it almost impossible for me to stand. I've been checked & I don't have ovarian cysts or endometriosis, which are common causes of severe cramps. Apparently I'm just lucky. =P Throughout high school I routinely spent 2-3 days every month totally incapacitated and unable to attend classes or participate in any activities because the only treatment I was using was the application of heat and the recommended dosages of acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

When I got to college I discovered that cannabis made a huge difference in reducing the pain and the associated nausea of my cramps, and distracted me somewhat from the residual pain so I could function more easily. I was also able to manage the residual pain better after my doctor explained to me that doubling the dose of an over the counter strength drug generally gives you the 'prescription strength' dose. I started taking ibuprofen 200mgs @ a time, supplemented by standard doses of naproxen sodium.

Though this combination of high dose OTC painkillers and cannabis was fairly successful, I was both concerned about what the painkillers might be doing to my liver in such high and frequently repeated doses, and dissatisfied with smoking as my primary pain control technique because finding time for multiple smoking sessions while attending 6 classes can be nigh unto impossible! I was complaining about this and the fact that my cramps were often so bad I couldn't sleep through the night to a friend who had just cleaned out the medicine cabinet of a deceased elderly relative and was offered half of a 10mg cyclobenzaprine to see if it would help. It made an unbelievable difference! I slept the night through, & for once the relief was due to the cramps actually being milder rather than relief via loads of painkillers.

I approached my wonderful doctor after this experience and asked her if she could help me out, I was willing to pick up the meds in tiny 2 or 3 pill increments in case she was concerned, but she was very understanding & wrote me a prescription for fifteen 10mg pills of flexeril. Having monthly access to this drug has *greatly* improved my ability to function during my period because it's such a valuable theraputic tool for me I'm very wary of developing a tolerance, so I keep my doses to just over threshold levels whenever possible. Despite my body weight, I can often get relief from 5mgs, and sometimes as little as 2.5mgs if I have a completely empty stomach and/or drink a beer with it. When my cramps are at their absolute worst I often go for a 'sampler pack' approach to pain control; some flexeril, a beer, several gravity bong hits, & some OTC painkillers or time laying on a heating pad.

Though I'm very conservative with my use, I have tried cyclobenzaprine recreationally a few times. I do not recommend this drug for insufflation!!! It *BURNS* like hell, leaves my sinuses feeling wretched, & really doesn't come on much faster than it would otherwise. If I'm looking for a faster/harder hitting onset, I'll parachute the dose (crumble it up, wrap the crumbled bits in tiny a shred of tissue & swallow whole) with an alcoholic drink on an empty stomach. Personally, I find cyclobenzaprine bland & boring as a recreational chemical. It makes me sleepy & hazy & relaxed, but there's nothing interesting about the experience, and the fact that I often sleep @ least 12 hours after dosing is rather inconvenient. The main non-pain-relief task I really favor it for is as a sleep aid for long plane rides; it works beautifully to knock me out while preventing most of the muscle cramps & soreness I usually experience after a 5 hour flight. Its also proven itself useful as a sleep aid when I'm coming down from psychadelics and feeling exhausted but restless.

The only side effects I've ever experienced have been mental cloudiness, extreme sleepiness, and some degree of lingering sedation. Depending on the dose, whether or not I've eaten, and whether or not there's any alcohol in my system, I usually feel the effects for 8-16 hours after ingestion. My girlfriend is roughly half my weight and is extremely sensitive to this drug; even when taking doses between 2.5 & 5mgs, and with no alcohol or other substances in her system, she feels its effects for 18-48 hours. It makes her mental processing much slower than normal as well as leaving her heavily sedated. The first time she took an entire one of my pills she sat on the bed for an hour, claimed she felt nothing, hopped off the bed & promptly fell down because her muscles were so relaxed her knees went out from under her! Comparing her & my experiences to the others posted on this site, individual dose responses to this drug are clearly quite variable.

As with all substances, please be careful when taking this drug! I've found it to be an invaluable tool in pain management for my cramps, but it doesn't appeal to me for recreation. YMMV, but I do recommend looking into this treatment if you suffer severe menstrual cramps that don't respond well to OTC medication.

Exp Year: 2005	ExpID: 44155
Gender: Female
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Oct 9, 2007	Views: 119,606
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Pharms - Cyclobenzaprine (267), Cannabis (1), Pharms - Ibuprofen (249) : Retrospective / Summary (11), Health Benefits (32), Medical Use (47), Not Applicable (38)