Are these meds new to you sometimes it takes some getting use to and then they won't make you drowsy anymore. I know I was on ms contin which is an extended release of morphine and I slept for almost 3 days but I eventually got use to the dose and it didn't make me sleep anymore. I know most pain meds make one drowsy until you get use to it so I am not sure what I could suggest.

How often are you supposed to take the Zaniflex? You might schedule that at a different time than the Neurontin & Ultram. Then maybe you won't be so sleepy. Taking them all at once can rreally zonk you. Maybe take the Zaniflex at noon & at bedtime -- or if you're supposed to take it 3 times a day, you could take it at noon, 5pm and bedtime.

Just a thought. I know the Zaniflex can make people sleepy. Best of luck & let us know what happens. God bless. Hugs, Lee

I take Zanaflex only at night or when I am at home because it makes me sleepy, and I have been taking it for two years, and the sleepy feeling has not gone away.

The Neurontin, at the beggining it made me sleepy, but after 3 weeks or so, I got used to it. You really don't have anything for the chronic pain, since Ultram is a very mild pain reliever in my opinion. The other meds that you take one is a muscle relaxant, and the Neurontin is use for nerve pain. If you are not getting pain relief with this combo, is time to talk to the Doc and see if he/she can change the meds, so you can get good pain relief.

Take Care,

I take Neuontin 3 x a day. and in the beginning It did make me tired. But my Doc gave me Nuvigil, which is a stimulant also used to counteract opioid's. But, It does mean another pill. But if you hang in there with the Neuontin, It should get better.

Best of Luck

Sandi

I have taken the Zaniflex and have gotten very sleepy with it, it is a muscle relaxer isnt it? I would take just in the evening before bed and get a good nights sleep. I have never taken the other two so I am not sure how they effect you.

I have Dercums disease which translates to chronic severe pain and chronic fatigue.
My pain meds are opiate family and I had to suffer a lot of stigmatization and personal problems - but they have worked well for years, though with the unfortunate side effects of chemical dependency ( NOT addiction) and chronic consti[ation.
If your pain meds are sufficient for your pain level, I am happy for you, but since they make you drowsy I can suggest 2 meds that helped me a lot with these problems,
perhaps you can discuss with your doctor because both have side-effects, and monitoring by your doctor is essential.
1. Cymbalta, a SNRI antidepressant with good effect (for me) for raising energy level, mood, and diminishing neuropathic pain, Side effects can be problematic, but I did not suffer from the side-effects, and have used this med for years. Other people have not had such good experience.
2. Provigil (Modafinil) or its new cousin NUvigil (new patent, high prices, essentially same stuff). Is a strong medication for improving alertness/wakefulness without side effects like the amphetamine or other stimulant drugs (and I was also lucky not to haver bad side effcts nor build tolerance nor have chemical depency problems).
I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice, just personal anecdotal report of my own experience.
Hope you have a good openminded doctor who cares about your over-all "quality of life". Good luck and best wishes to you. sf

I have taken all of these at one point. I started taking them all in the evening exept for the Ultram I would take it as needed. I told my doctor that I was doing this and she was fine with that.
I would suggest talking to your dr about it. I have the kind of relationship with my dr that I could just move my med times to suit me. I don't know if you have that kind of dr or not.

Best wishes and less pain,
Toni

I take Skelaxin and Valium for muscle relaxers. At work there are times when I find myself needing a cup of coffee to keep me from feeling like I could fall asleep. When I first started the Skelaxin I couldn't take it during the day because it put me out. Like someone said, our bodies adjust to the meds.

Good luck, and be careful if you're driving.

David.

from what i understand all three of these medications have sedative qualities so i don't think that your reaction is at all abnormal.

in my personal experience, narcotics actually make me less sleepy than muscle relaxers, and anti-epileptics. neurontin was like a walking coma for me.

if these medications are supposed to be taken long term, don't forget to take them regularly on schedule as this will help both the risks and benefits. sometime, when i'm having trouble with a medication combination i ask my doctor to make sure to add one med at a time and slowly titrate (increase) my doses, one at a time, in order to single out problems and carefully watch for side effects.

if the medications are helping you, besides the sleepiness, you might talk to your doctor about having a higher concentration of your medications administered at night. unfortunately, you may or may not be able to get used to three sedative medications during the daytime hours.

with care,
jen