i have suffered from palpitations for 35 years and they still have the ability to frighten me. My cardiologist says they are benign and are caused by a group of cardiac cells that at times override the SA node and produce their own beat. it results in a fluttering feeling and a compensatory pause before the heart returns to its normal beat. some days I can feel them as often as every fourth beat and they seem to be getting worse as I get older.....I am a very energetic 70! I also have suffered from a spastic colon since childhood which produces a pattern----no bowel movement for sometimes a week and then unpredictable severe cramping and a long session on the toilet which leaves me totally empty. i have had barium enemas and a colonoscopy every two years------they are always very normal with evidence of an irritated colon.....never even a polyp. You can imagine how that has impacted my life...even a long car ride leaves me fearful of being away from a bathroom. I do not participate in anything that would make it impossible to use a bathroom if needed. I spent a week in the hospital when I was in my early 20 and again they could not fix me! My maternal aunt suffered her whole life with the same misery and lived to be 90, so I guess it doesn t threaten my life------it is just the most miserable condition to deal with and it causes me to miss many activities I would enjoy-----a simple bus trip is off limits for me. My doctors give me Lomotil which I take two tablets BID. My final problem is Fibromyalgia of about five years standing. I always hurt, but the worst is the night when I wake my husband up with my moaning in my sleep. My arms are the most affected which can ache like a toothache for hours and my legs also throb if I lay down. Sounds like a mess...right? Well, if my family were to describe me they would say I am always happy and have a great attitude about life. I love to work, in the past as a nurse and now I just finished painting the sanctuary in our church.....by myself! I love to help people anyway I can and I look at my ailments as something that robs me of productive time. Most times I can push past the aches and pains and no one would know I had a single problem! Now that you have a picture of my problems I will proceed to my question. Several months ago I tripped over the outreaching leg of a clothing rack and fell hard in the store. I injured my shoulder and the doctor put me on Soma for several weeks. I made the most startling effect I did not expect......my palpitations almost vanished and my irritable bowel settled down! Even my aches and pains from Fibromyalgia were greatly reduced. I know that Soma is a muscle relaxer but it seemed to make my symptoms much less severe, especially the palpitations! Does this make medical sense to you and is it a treatment option I could use long term? I am currently on Inderal 80mg LA od, Norpace 200mg bid and inderal fast acting 40mg prn. My doc would like to get me off the Norpace but the palpitations are too severe to be off of it for more than several days. I know that Soma is not intended for long term use but I don t think the current meds I take should be taken everyday for 35 years! i don t seem to have side effects from Soma----just relief I have long hoped for. I do not know anyone who has the same trio of symptoms so I cannot compare treatments with another person. I find that my doctors have tunnel vision as to their specialty---isn t it possible that a medication that works to relax muscles could affect each of my ailments in a positive way?