Natural muscle relaxer herbs can be used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and gastrointestinal tension during opiate withdrawal. While natural muscle relaxants can ease tension in muscles, they also have the ability to relax the nervous system. In fact, muscle relaxation is the direct result of calming the nerves.
Some of the most dreadful opiate withdrawal symptoms are anxiety and insomnia. Whenever I used to run out of opiates, I would frantically search for Valium, Xanax, and other benzos. These anxiety medications combined with Imodium AD would reduce my symptoms by about 75%.
Benzos work by mimicking a neurotransmitter called gamma aminobutyric-acid (GABA). GABA is a powerful mental relaxant. When your GABA levels are too low, this can lead to anxiety and insomnia. During opiate withdrawal, your GABA levels in the brain are diminished, and this usually results in extreme anxiety, coupled with the inability to fall asleep.
I couldn’t always obtain benzos while going through opiate withdrawal. Luckily, there are two herbs that work in a similar fashion to these medications: passion flower and valerian root
. While passion flower and valerian aren’t as strong as benzos, these natural muscle relaxers can still increase GABA levels, making them beneficial in the treatment of opiate withdrawal anxiety and insomnia.
Natural Muscle Relaxer Herbs Dosage
During acute opiate withdrawal, I believe it’s often necessary to take 2-3 times the recommended amount of passion flower and valerian. Taking small doses simply isn’t effective when your body is going through intense psychological terror.
I often obtained good results from taking these natural muscle relaxer herbs as follows:
- First thing in the morning on an empty stomach take 2-3 times the recommended dosage.
- An hour before lunch take 2-3 times the recommended dosage.
- Take 2-4 times the recommended dosage an hour before bedtime.
Passion flower and valerian can be taken in different ways:
- Herb tea
- Capsules of dried herb
- Softgels of liquid concentrated extract
- Tincture
Note: I prefer to take these natural muscle relaxer herbs in tincture form. This offers the highest strength, and the alcohol shuttles these herbs into your bloodstream quickly, reducing symptoms in a manner of minutes. These herbs are pretty popular, so it’s often easy to find them at your local health food store. Some grocery stores even carry them in the vitamin department.
How to Use Magnesium as a Natural Muscle Relaxer for Opiate Withdrawal
Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxer that can help you fall and stay asleep during opiate withdrawal. Magnesium is the “chill-out” mineral. Most people are deficient in magnesium, which is a major cause of stress, tight muscles, irritability, and insomnia.
Before I was addicted to opiates I was an alcoholic. After I quit drinking, I would suffer from the symptoms mentioned above on a regular basis. My mom’s friend did acupuncture on me to help with these symptoms, and she also suggested that I start taking magnesium.
Note: I remember getting the best night of sleep in months after taking magnesium for the first time. I was overjoyed that this natural muscle relaxer helped to calm my nerves, which allowed me to sleep through the entire night without waking up.
To use magnesium during opiate withdrawal:
- Use magnesium citrate
(it’s the most absorbable form). - Take between 500 to 1,000 mg with dinner.
(it’s the most absorbable form).
This Opiate Withdrawal Supplement is something you should also research as it has natural muscle relaxer herbs mixed with other nutrients for opiate withdrawal symptom relief.
If you can afford it, I also highly recommend taking this awesome supplement, because the benefits are just too good to pass up.
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If you have any questions on using natural muscle relaxers for opiate withdrawal, please don’t hesitate to leave it in the comment box below.
Hi! I’m quitting tramadol not because I only have a couple left but because they’ve taken over my life for the last 10+ years. I am 48 next month and I have 2 beautiful grandchildren, which live over 1000 miles away. I’ve decided to stop because I am missing out on the real world cause I’m stuck in this tramadol fantasy world in my head.
I get an rx from my Dr monthly, 120 of the 50mg, and I was ordering 180 of the 50mg ones online weekly until they became a scheduled drug and shut down the US online pharmacies. I then started purchasing online still but from other countries but I could get 1000 at a time but they were 100mg. I’ve been going through a lot lately ok the last 10 years so I’ve used them for not only the pain I’m in but also to hide the real issues going on in my own head. Every time I’ve tried to cut back, mostly due to not having them, hasn’t worked. I just recently was on an emergency trip to help with my grandchildren and I made myself leave to go home cause I was almost out and wanted to get home to get to what I had hidden at home and place another order. Order placed and paid for but then found that it was a scam. I can’t afford to try and find “another source” so I’ve decided with a sound mind to stop! I had been taking 1000mg or more daily, for years and I had 50 pills left and decided to start a fast taper and stop for good! I’ve been doing research on how to safely handle the withdrawal of these nasty things and I just don’t know what to really take. I’m already going through the wd’s and the zaps in my head and the muscle aches are bad and I know its just the beginning.
I had a few xanex on hand that I’ve been taking just 1 at bedtime with 3 Tylenol pm’s. I have melatonin but wasn’t sure if I should take that too or separate or what. I’ve now got 5 tramadol 50mg pills left. That scares me….but for yesterday and today I’ve taken 2 tramadol when I get up…..about an hour or so later 2 vitamin b12 and I ended up taking 1 more tram late afternoon with 2 more vit. b12. This isn’t doing it for me. I have Cal-Mag but not sure on how to take it as well as valerian root. I can’t go to any place to detox under supervision for 3 reasons…..no insurance…..can’t afford……don’t want my name flagged as an addict. I do have medical issues, degenerative disc disease, scoliosis and neck pains. I can’t remember what the neck part is called right now, but I can’t say anything to my Dr about my abuse and addiction. I’m afraid and mostly embarrassed. Please help with some guidance that may be able help me get through this as safely and as pain free as possible. Please. I’ve never asked anyone for help before for this I’m guessing because I never realized I had a problem.
Thank you
I know this is an old post but I was hoping maybe someone would read what I have to say. Never let the fear of being “flagged” as an addict keep you from getting help. With the HIPPA laws that info can not be shared or made available to anyone unless you give consent. Granted if you tell your Dr. it will be in your chart but will not visible to any other medical facility. Having said that there is a caveat to this. If you see another Dr. or go to a clinic and they happen to use the same medical sofrware then they may have access to your chart. Now to the real issue. Why would we not want to be “flagged” as an addict. That is exactly what we are and if we want to have any hope of getting better we must be honest with ourselves and our health care provider. I will get off my soapbox now. I hope this helps someone.
Hello Im so glad I found this web. I was on Norco 5mg 2-3 per day for about a year. I know its nothing compared to others. But the withdrawals are still present. I went from 3 per day to 1 and to half within the last week and it wasnt easy at all. I take flexeril in the evening to help me sleep better and so far so good! The days are the hardest. My brain keeps looking for a stimulant and I get emotional and edgy over everything. My back pain is terrible but I am willing to live with pain than take another norco.
So I bought passionflower & valerian root tincures today and Im planning to use that all day tomorrow without taking even half of the norco. Is it possible to get sick from these tinctures?
I was on pain pills (230+ML a day) for 3 years and eventually switched to subs. When I decided to quit I was taking 1 sub a day. I didn’t taper. I stopped sub use and started suppliments immediately. I’m on day 18. I’m ok. I’ve have insomnia and RLS but I’ve controlled it for the mist part with suppliments.
I wanted to share for anyone going through this with me. Most if the forums said I couldn’t do it. Mist of the people I spoke to was convinced I’d end up on subs again because I didn’t taper but I haven’t touched them and I still had a few when I stopped!
The Thomas recipe works. Don’t give up hope. Get the suppliments, sleep as much as possible through the first week or so and then get yourself up and find a hobby. I started playing disc golf with my kids. It sounds cheesy but it’s actually fun and it keeps my mind off of withdrawls.
I have 2 friends who quit with me. They were both heavy addicted to pain pills and took the same suppliments I did and they are doing amazing.
Sorry for the long post. I hope this helps someone! I’m not out of the woods but I am ok. Good luck to everyone going through this. It’s hard but it’s totally worth it. Much love to all
still restless legs and i can be as “doped” up and walking into walls and it still cant sleep through it the mag is hit or miss, welll day one and two u can read i went back reread took one 500 at dinner then it did make me tired i could always take another.. i still have to get potassium having hard time, and i eat bananas..so its 254 got 54 minutes of sleep and rls started still on ultram, getting hopefully potassium tomorrow and 4 ultram to split and take one half a day till gone its only been a low dose for a couple of weeks but im not taking any chances.. no suboxone day 21~!! ps sorry Matt,im usually not a bitch ,i cant seem to help it, the 5-htp made me sleep during the day didnt chill me.
same night/333 now 4am on 12-31 and im very disappointed in myself, if i could get the leg, sleeping thing down id be great,snd then could help my friends.. buti cant 🙁
im half and half i want everyone to use it because omg i was so tired the first night, the second night and maybe i need a more soluble vitamin like matt says ill let you know..day 17 no subs!!! lil restless legs, taking an ultram.. wishi had anything but u.tam,working on it!!
pd i just bought regular magnesium CVS rand, so maybe the kind Matt mentioned would have kept me asleep longer not sure..i ddnt do it intentionally ,your brain is foggy during the wd’s ,and i didnt see it.plus cvs wouldnt have had it ..
i have hope!! okay the emidrol night 75 bucks day one another 75 bucks,i can’t afford, i got my suboxone scripts free through the company nice of the fuckers right? anyway, i tapered down for an entire year and i was being subscribed 3 films a day,i was taking a 1/2 , for 4 years? and it still took me a year to taper down to the tiniest of corners. I stopped had ativan,i take 2 mg 3 times a day yes doctors love to hook me on stuff, i have panic attack disorder and PTSD, then i decided sto stop all pills and had seizures and wow low and behold my next script of xanax (10 years) said can cause seizures 🙁 then i was told the ativan is easier to get off of that was 10 years ive cut down form 4, 2mg to 3,2mg .. so the ativan made little difference, i had some xanax .5 mg form a friend and she had flexeril, no clue what mg.. so the first night no issues, 2,3 ,4 omg sucked rls!! insomnia!! oh no.. so my mom had ultram,i took 50 mg, the first night and finally slept along with xanax and ativan. then i found out it was a synthetic opiod, so ive been careful to take only with the rls,the most in one day was 150 mg which is what the bottle prescribed…
so, I read everything on here and decided onthe thomas plan, and i had 40 bucks, went to cvs, bought a men’s multi vitamin/mineral because it has twice as much rda as the ones for me the ladies, i also bought magnesium 500 mg, b6 100mg, 5-HTP 100 mg. I couldn’t find the potassium, and cvs had bogo Free so i spent 30 bucks plus had a 10 buck off cvs coupon. I have been off the subs 15 days, BUT like i mentioned the ultram so tonight i took the multivitamin,and the 500 magnesium, i couldn’t believe it, me who has a HIGH tolerance,(i woke up in a surgery before)I fell asleep at 10pm and woke up at 3am with a little (only one leg) rls, enough to wake me.but nothing like before, so i took another 500mg mag,and 1 , 50 mg ultram, .1, 2 mg ativan, as i forgot before i crashed earlier and now i feel refreshed!!
i mean Im 45,if i go to sleep normally b4 1am i am up at 3am for the day and then at 7am im wicked tired and i have a 12 year old w/ ADHD and SPD who thankfully is on vakay and loves his video games!! hell be fine! I am also on my period and before the sleep i wanted to kill everyone,i screamed at the cvs lady, but shes been mean to my son in the past and i don’t like her but this level of animosity was crazy, i am not mad right now, i have no rls,and hopefully i can fall back asleep before 5am but, if not i know this building up in my system will work,i plan on getting the rest this week,im not stopping the ultram before my period ends 7 full days because it is w/out the subs making the pms like i was as a teen and some women might understand,im a bitch to EVERYONE and i cant help it, so i decided to get the stuff in my system and then stop the ultram. So I wanted to let people know t is working.. but don’t jump off the subs at 2mg,as ive read, when you taper stay at the tapering for a month then taper again, and again and, ill keep in touch..
THIS will wORK, i refuse to be a statistic,and btw the pain that was sooo bad isnt once i came off the subs ,i mean my 800 mg ibuprofen is managing it fine!!
Im so excited because ive had insomnia without drugs since i was 12 and my dad and 4 others died, but even then id dose myself with nyquil,had i known a vitamin would actually work, id have taken it long ago… so give it a try… ill write back once off the ultram too so in 7 days and let you know after i add the rest of the thomas remedy, how it’s going…
I am not a doctor i have a heart issue i take a beta blocker for sinus tach, but, it controls as a side effect my bp, please if you can ask a dr or better yet your pharmacist if the vitamins will interact with other meds or any health issues you may have, my druggist knows a heck of a lot more then my doctor, my Doctor left due to dementia, and i do not want to tell my new doctor so my pharmacist,/druggist has been very helpful!!
Thanks everyone, not sure if i’m out of the woods i doubt it BUT remember it isnt forever and we can make it bearable if not better..
oh the 5-HTP is for mood i read, and the b6 is for energy..if ya want ill write during this wD process!!The crying ,it did come over me a couple times(so far during the WD’s but its better)ill let you know how that goes, because i never cried before i took the suboxone and im looking forward to having that control again..
Roxie, it’s been a while since this post. How are things going at this point? What helped you through this the most? Thanks.
My doctor told me to take Magnesium Glycinate. However, I would like to know what is the best of the Magnesium supplements for Opiate Withdrawal. Glycinate or Citrate and why…If you don’t mind shedding some light on this situation. Thanks.
Just a little background. I have been prescribed opiates for about 6-7 years and once my doctor retired, I was unable thus far to find another doctor to keep me on the same amount I was on for over 6 years. My body certainly notices the decrease and I WD every month for a period of almost a week each time. Was hoping that maybe some of these supplements would help. Thanks.
i have to say i was on vicodin 5 pills a day for pain had i known it would last a week, the wds and i could use the thomas remedy, id never had 1 done the opiates again and 2 EVER taken subs,im looking at what could be a 3 month wd.. just my 2 cents..
Hello I’m trying to find a specific type of muscle relaxer. This one, I believe is nonnarcotic, helped me before when I stopped using heroin. I went from using more than a gram a day to cold turkey and the muscle relaxer basically saved my life. Literally! The pill is white, oval shape, and has a strange design on one side. Any help would be appreciated. If you couldn’t already tell, I have relapsed.
Not sure what that one is. Common ones are Soma, Flexiril and Valium. Let me know which one you’re talking about if you find out.
sounds ike the generic for tramadol.. ultram