I've used a Flexeril for several years and it has been a lifesaver. Other painkillers help in different ways, but once I added Flexeril to my "toolbox" of meds, I felt much better. I take it before bedtime and it means that I get a restful sleep, which means I wake up not just well-rested, but also in much less pain than when I don't use it.

There are a couple reasons that could contribute to why Flexeril, a muscle relaxant, is working for your pain. First, RA can cause inflammation in tendons and muscles, as well as in your joints. In my experience, when this happens, your muscles and tendons become tense and tight, which is helped by Flexeril. As well, when your joints hurt and/or have limited mobility and flexibility, you use your body differently, which puts a new type of strain on your muscles, causing tension and muscle to tighten and ache and again, Flexeril to the rescue. As you've noticed, though, it is not an anti-inflammatory or a disease modifying drug, so it's not doing anything to the cause of your pain (i.e., your RA). However, it does pack a punch in terms of symptomatic relief - in my experience, managing the pain of RA requires a combination of modifying the disease and other meds, like muscle relaxants. I'm glad you found something that works for you. Hopefully, you and your doctor will find it disease modifying drug that kicks your RA's behind, as well.