Now: () Baclofen queston Was : Thanks!

[Guest guest]

,

First thing.. did your doctor tell you that you can't take the

Zanaflex and the Baclofen at the same time? I only know this

because I had something going on with my back or my neck --

don't remember which right now -- but my PCP prescribed Zanaflex

for whatever it was going on.. worked great, I was out of pain,

and those spasms stopped (but they were only temporary, and

didn't continue, like my legs did/do).. But when my PCP

prescribed the Zanaflex for that, he also told me that I

couldn't take my Baclofen while I was taking the Zanaflex.. I

didn't ask him why, I just assumed that since both were muscular

skeletal relaxants that taking both would have been way too

much, possibly turning me into jello or something along that

order.. (and I didn't call my neurology nurse to see what she or

the doctor thought) It didn't occur to me until much later that

what was going on was most likely MS related.. I was seeing a

Chiropractor thinking something was out of place.. he's not a

rip/jerk type Chiro.. he used electro stimulus, heat and ooooooo

his massages.. to gently work whatever was out, back where it

belonged type deal.. if it got stubborn, he did the "adjustment"

but gently, not the rip/jerk/pop type stuff... When I was still

having pain, and he couldn't find a single thing out of

alignment.. that's about the time we both concluded that it was

most likely MS related.. and just about the same time, whatever

it was decided to go somewhere else to play.. and I do tend to

babble on...

I think it might depend on the dosage.. I did start out with a

low dosage.. 5mg twice a day.. broken a 10mg in half because I

don't think they come in 5mg tablets..but don't quote me on

that. Then it was upped to 10mg twice a day.. those didn't make

me tired or sleepy.. it was when the neurologist group upped the

10 to 40 that I started to have the tired sleepy.. So she told

me that she didn't "how" I took it, just so long as I got the

whole 40 in per day.. So while I was working, rather than try

and combat fatigue, or have to take a Provigil to combat the

fatigue.. I took 10mg in the morning, 10 mg in the afternoon..

then 20mg evening or bedtime.. got the whole 40 in.. After I

stopped working, I switched it around.. took 20 in the morning..

20 in the evening, nothing round noon..

Neurologist just told me that type of scheduling won't work and

could be the reason for some of the pain I was having (he was

right).. he upped the dosage to a total of 60mg per day.. but in

10mg tablets.. and scheduled it as 10mg morning, 20mg noon, 10mg

evening, 20mg bedtime.. and that seems to be working fine, and

actually reduced the pain... still have some, but it seems only

when its raining, or damp & chilly outside (if I can get it

or keep it warm, it stops).. just above my right ankle.. so that

has me believing that this particular pain is a result of the

broken ankle in '87.. the hip to knee stuff/pain I was having

has gone..

Hope this helps a bit.. talk to your doctor about the baclofen,

and how you might be able to adjust it, if it's making you tired

and you're having difficulties working that way..

Might also be that it's not actually the medications your taking

now, causing the tiredness/fatigue... Could be another one of

those fun things the MonSter shares with us.. Some of us deal

with the fatigue on a day in day out basis.. I have periodic

episodes with it.. and mine gets worse and more frequent in the

summer with the heat..

Fortunately, there are also medications we can take for the

fatigue. If you mention the fatigue/tiredness to your doctor.

He or she will most likely prescribe Amantadine first.

Amantadine was a drug first developed for relief of flu

symptoms.. and then it was found to stop the fatigue in MS

patients.. The good/bad news about that is.. it works

beautifully for about half of us.. the other half of us will

have move on to something else... Sharon was given Ritalin at

one point in time. Ritalin was never suggested for me. I went

directly from Amantadine to Provigil. Provigil was developed

for people with nacrolepsy, however it works well for people

with MS and MS related fatigue as well...

Hope my essay (and you will find that I tend to write essays if

not short stories, when a simple sentence should suffice) helped

a bit..

HUGS

|)onna

My leg pain has gotten much better. I feel much better today. I'm on Zanaflex for my leg cramping. But I will definitely talk to the dr about the baclofen when I go in. The dr wants me to take the Zanaflex during the day and not just at night since it will work better having it in my system around the clock, but it makes me sooooo tired I can't function and then how am I suppose to work! For those who have taken baclofen does it make you tired? Thanks again for all the help. Hope everyone has a great day!

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[Guest guest]

Thanks for the info. I've never taken baclofen before only Zanaflex for my legs.

I have talked to her (the neuro) about my tiredness she hasn't said anything

other than it's ms fatigue, but didn't give me anything for it. I'll have to

start my list of questions for the dr so that I don't forget any of this.

Have a great day!

> > My leg pain has gotten much better. I feel much better today. I'm on

Zanaflex for my leg cramping. But I will definitely talk to the dr about the

baclofen when I go in. The dr wants me to take the Zanaflex during the day and

not just at night since it will work better having it in my system around the

clock, but it makes me sooooo tired I can't function and then how am I suppose

to work! For those who have taken baclofen does it make you tired? Thanks

again for all the help. Hope everyone has a great day!

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