15 replies to this topic

[Mark Stallard]

G'day my real name is Mark & i have just registered as my email address cause its easier to remember when logging in.

Could any body help me with my question that i have that i don't want to go to the dr just to ask him.

Can anybody please tell me what the daily limit of taking baclofen orally is, i'm a t-4 para who's been here for 5 years this june but gee my spasm's are peaking now & even though i get passive exercises done in the mornings after my shower it is taking an extra half an hour to get me ready due to the spasm's i'm having & my spasm's are getting harder to stop by bending my toes back,the girls are concerned their going to break my toe's.

Any help will be much appreciated,see you all next time i stop by,

Mark

[russ1]

hi Mark

I think the max normal dose is 120mg daily. If you're upto the max then I suggest that you ask for something else in addition to the baclofen. I take Dantrolene in addition to Baclofen for spasms and also Neurontin for both pain and spasm control.

[Apparelyzed]

Hi Mark,

According to the BNF handbook:

Quote

Baclofen - 5mg 3 times a day, preferably with or after food, gradually increased; max 100mg daily (discontinue if no benefit within 6 weeks)

Other medications used in the relaxing of muscle spasms are:

Quote

Dantrolene Sodium - Initially 25mg daily, may be increased at weekly intervals to max. of 100mg 4 times daily; usual dose 75mg 3 times daily.

Quote

Diazepam - 2-15mg daily in divided doses, increased if necessary in spastic conditions to 60mg daily according to response.

Quote

Tizanidine - Initially 2mg daily as a single dose increased according to response at intervals of at least 3 - 4 days in steps of 2mg daily (and given in divided doses) usually up to 24mg daily in 3 - 4 divided doses; max. 36mg daily.

As usual, check with your doctor before increasing the dosage of your medication.

Regards

Simon.

[LizzyB5280]

Right now I take 30 mg, 4 times a day. One of my doctors has said that he could possibly go to 40mg, 4 times a day, but the other said 30mg would be the limit. And I am on other spasm meds anyway. But even if he would consider the 40mg dosage, I would be reluctant because baclofen can cause a good amount of drowsiness. But anyway, they both agreed that a total dosage of 120mg/day was no problem. I would think though, that it would partly depend on how big a person was. Many med dosages are determined by a person's weight.

[kanga2433]

mark, I didn't find baclofen much help at all so went on to Tizadinine which is much better. However, it can leave you feeling rather sleepy at times.

Have you thought of the baclofen pump? Look further down the forums and you will find lots about this. It seems to work well and avoid the side effects.

[briley05]

I am a c5 quad and I take 50mg daily. My spasms are still so strong that i broke a leg spreader that i use for washing purposes. My aids have an extremly hard time dressing and washing me. I recently looked up baclofen on a site and it said baclofen can cause spasms to worsen. Has anyone heard of this before I consult my dr. ?

[Apparelyzed]

briley05

Quote

I recently looked up baclofen on a site and it said baclofen can cause spasms to worsen.

I think that is mainly when trying to reduce baclofen, as a withdrawal symptom is increased spasticity.

I've been through withdrawal a few times, and the increased sensitivity lasts about a week to ten days, then it tends to settle down again.

It's good to do this now and again, as it gives you a base reference on what your spasms are like with no medication, but it can be very exhausting, and if not done with medical advice and the medication is not reduced gradually, it can be dangerous.

Are you taking any other meds?

I no longer take any anti-spasticity drugs, as I now have a baclofen pump, since 1992.

Simon.

[WonderDerek]

Not trying to take the change topic or anything but I hate baclofen... It helps but for some reason I hate it. I know you have to taper off of it but what happens if you just quit all at once?

[jetslut]

Mate,
I've been sitting for three years now (T7) and have been taking 100mg Lioresal (Baclofen) + 100mg Dantamacrin (Dantrolen-Natrium), OK I drew the S**t card with spastics (former rugby player) my body still not being able to come to terms with paraplegie.

the limits were defined to me as

Baclofen Daily:- up to 100mg
Dantrolen Daily (with Baclofen);- up to 200mg

I find my demands change with winter/summer, in summer I can sometimes get away with 40mg Baclofen+50mg Dantrolen, the other stuff of course is Magniesium, get it in!! big time, works wonders- trust me!

Other thoughts on Spastic management,-

mobility!!!! I know it's tough to get out and do a few miles, but the more energy you burn during sports, therefore the less energy remaining is to 'power' the spastics

'Smoking' - load of bollocks, or at least for me. tried it a few times - felt effin awful.

hope this helps mate

[mttb14]

Hi to all of you,

John (my husband) takes 10 mg x 3 so 30 mg three times a day, so he is on 90 mg and he has been told that there is still plenty of scope to increase his dose if necessary, he was given dantrolene and it turned him into the most snappy, horrid person all within a few days of taking it, any longer and divorce would have followed (and I don't think we were even married then) lol.

Has it had that affect on anyone else, he was absolutely horrid on it, as soon as he stopped and went back onto baclofen he was back to normal, only snappy when he was in chronic pain, which I am totally used to.

His spasms seem to be getting more violent lately, he is c5/c6 incomplete SCI, but he has real problems with spasticity in his arms and legs and his tendons stay tight behind his knees and in his elbows and he says it is like really severe toothache. He had spasms the other night which were so strong they were lifting him of the bed, it was like a scene out of the excercist. lol not that we were at the time.

I've discovered that rubbing Olbas Oil (for colds) into his shoulders and neck warms the area, makes massaging easier, but it helps relieve the pain in his shoulders as the spasms build up and afterwards as the shoulders are really tight. How can you describe a muscle spasm to a doctor or another person who has not experienced them, our solicitor keeps asking us to describe them, it is the same as 1 to 10 on how your pain is. Impossible questions unless you are the actual person feeling the pain no one else can know what your pain threshold is and when you live in constant pain your threshold obviously goes up.

Maria

[mnaussie]

I am a T7 incomplete. I could not handle the spasms and taking up to 9 20MG Baclofen anymore. My Neurologist installed a Medtronic Baclofen pump. It is the size of a hockey puck and they insert it in either side of your Tummy. It has a catheter that is fed into your spinal cord and sends a consistent level of Baclofen without the side effects. I can not believe what a difference it has made in my quality of life.

Teri

[jetslut]

mnaussie, on May 16 2006, 11:24 PM, said:

I am a T7 incomplete. I could not handle the spasms and taking up to 9 20MG Baclofen anymore. My Neurologist installed a Medtronic Baclofen pump. It is the size of a hockey puck and they insert it in either side of your Tummy. It has a catheter that is fed into your spinal cord and sends a consistent level of Baclofen without the side effects. I can not believe what a difference it has made in my quality of life.

Teri

Good stuff Teri!!!,
I've been suffering badly over the past weeks although the weather has been more or less great,
I just can't find a reason to have a "Hockey Puck" installed in me and have to return every four weeks to have the damn thing recharged, let alone have the the buggar replaced every five years....I'll stick with tap dancing!

[mnaussie]

mnaussie, on May 16 2006, 06:24 PM, said:

I am a T7 incomplete. I could not handle the spasms and taking up to 9 20MG Baclofen anymore. My Neurologist installed a Medtronic Baclofen pump. It is the size of a hockey puck and they insert it in either side of your Tummy. It has a catheter that is fed into your spinal cord and sends a consistent level of Baclofen without the side effects. I can not believe what a difference it has made in my quality of life.

Teri

Your info might be a bit old. I do not need to have it filled again until mid-2007. You can barely feel it. I'm not worried about the "look" of it. After all the surgeries I have had I'm not worried about wearing a bikini anymore

[jetslut]

mnaussie, on May 17 2006, 08:12 PM, said:

I am a T7 incomplete. I could not handle the spasms and taking up to 9 20MG Baclofen anymore. My Neurologist installed a Medtronic Baclofen pump. It is the size of a hockey puck and they insert it in either side of your Tummy. It has a catheter that is fed into your spinal cord and sends a consistent level of Baclofen without the side effects. I can not believe what a difference it has made in my quality of life.

Teri, nice one mate!
Iv'e been .like this since 2003 and am still coming to terms with Mr.Spastic (everyday a new bollocks) will chk on the infos. ..thanks for the tip. JS

[Apparelyzed]

Hi Jetslut,

The time between drug refills depends on what sized resevoire the pump has, and what volume the pump delivers on a daily basis.

The Medtronic pumps are computer controlled, and can deliver an hourly rate, or a single bolus of baclofen in a 24 hour period. The Medtronic range now have a battery life of around 7 years, after which they have to be replaced. The tubing however, can remain in place, meaning the replacement of the pump is less complicated than the initial implantation.

I have had two Medtronic pumps in the last 10 years, and when the battery ran out on the last one, I decided to get a Codman gas powered pump to replace it.

The Codman gas powered pump does not need replacing, and will last me the rest of my life. It is only suitable though for those whose spasticity has stabalised, and whose dosage can be delivered on a regular, constant dosage.

The pump has a pressurised chamber which presses against a bellow type membrane, forcing the baclofen out of the resevoire and down the catheter.

Further information can be found here: http://www.apparelyz...p?showtopic=147

Regards

Simon

[mnaussie]

jetslut, on May 17 2006, 05:58 PM, said:

mnaussie, on May 17 2006, 08:12 PM, said:

I am a T7 incomplete. I could not handle the spasms and taking up to 9 20MG Baclofen anymore. My Neurologist installed a Medtronic Baclofen pump. It is the size of a hockey puck and they insert it in either side of your Tummy. It has a catheter that is fed into your spinal cord and sends a consistent level of Baclofen without the side effects. I can not believe what a difference it has made in my quality of life.

Teri, nice one mate!
Iv'e been .like this since 2003 and am still coming to terms with Mr.Spastic (everyday a new bollocks) will chk on the infos. ..thanks for the tip. JS

Wow, thank you for the information Simon.