# A Question About Muscle Relaxants... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 10, 2002, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-muscle-relaxants/102914 "2002-04-10T21:59:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2002, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-muscle-relaxants/102914/1 "2002-04-10T21:59:16Z")
I was on Norflex for the past year for my L5/S1 herniation, which hasn’t fully healed yet. The last few months it seemed as though the Norflex wasn’t working – my muscle spasms worsened, and short of resorting to Tylenol #3 (which I wouldn’t do), I was one miserable woman. I had to go back on disability from work because of it…:rolleyes: Anyway, I was taken off Norflex and put on Robaxin, which I think is a stronger med. I’m spacing out now, which I never did on the Norflex, so it must be stronger… My question is, is there such a thing as being “immune” to certain meds after taking them for awhile? I know the dangers of getting addicted to codeine and such, but does the same thing happen with non-narcotic meds, like muscle relaxants? ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-muscle-relaxants/102914/2 "2002-04-11T01:10:41Z")
I would think it’s entirely possible to be immune to certain drugs. Although I think that you just might have a higher tolerance for norflex or maybe you didn’t notice the effects of the medicine. From my experience with muscle relaxer’s I think that it could a combonation of the two; My senior year of highschool I, like so many other kids, thought I was invincible. I threw caution to the wind in the weight room and constantly did heavy squats. As a result, one fine afternoon, I heard a sound whilest going down. It was a snap. My leg actually _jerked_ me up, it was an odd sensation. Well I was dumb and did yet another squat. Anywho I was put on muscle relaxers because I had partially torn my quad. I lay in bed for several hours thinking that the pills weren’t working. Being young I took more pills than I should have. Still nothing. I went to go to the bathroom and that’s when I noticed it. The medicine definately had an effect, I was winded on my 4 yard trip to the bathroom. Not to mention I didn’t feel the tear. Anywho to make a long story even longer I think that, yes certain medicines can have different reactions in peoples bodies. ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-muscle-relaxants/102914/3 "2002-04-11T01:29:22Z")
Naturally, I don’t expect a cite here, just the general impression of those of you who have been here for some time. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-muscle-relaxants/102914/4 "2002-04-11T01:31:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cainxinth \* > \*\*Naturally, I don’t expect a cite here, just the general impression of those of you who have been here for some time. \*\* Uh…I think you made an error there dude. ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-muscle-relaxants/102914/5 "2002-04-11T01:31:34Z")
sorry, wrong thread ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-muscle-relaxants/102914/6 "2002-04-11T04:07:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Meatros \* > **I would think it’s entirely possible to be immune to certain drugs. Although I think that you just might have a higher tolerance for norflex or maybe you didn’t notice the effects of the medicine.** That’s what I was wondering. Being on it for so long, I suppose it’s certainly possible not to notice the effects after awhile. I certainly wasn’t spacy on the Norflex, except at the very beginning. Robaxin, on the other hand…:eek: What I’m wondering about is possibly becoming addicted to such without realizing it. A lot of the books I’ve read concerning back pain say that one shouldn’t be on muscle relaxants indefinitely, but don’t give a specific reason why. I would think that my doctor – heck, any doctor – would inform a patient of that, or at least not renew the prescription. Nothing has been said to me. When I asked my doctor about it, she dismissed it saying that “Well, if I didn’t think it’d help you, I wouldn’t prescribe it.” 😕