Multiple sclerosis support - Baclofen. Diminishing effectiveness?

Author

Baclofen. Diminishing effectiveness?

Robert

2005-04-26, 10:57 pm

I have always had problems with Baclofen making me weak even at small doses.
Even back in the "You look so good!" and "I never knew you were sick" days
when I was about 99% all right and walking fine (makes me wonder what that
neuro was thinking prescribing it in the first place!) it affected me
adversely.

I've always avoided it prefering instead to use Zanaflex (which works wonders
if only for short duration) on an as-needed basis. I have tried Baclofen
off-and-on a few times again over the years with the weakness starting after a
few days and at low dose.

Since I have progressed a bit and don't need to stand as much or walk as far
the weakness caused by Baclofen seemed less critical and I decided to give it
another try earlier this year. I started at 10Mg a day for 2 days or so and
then upped it to 10Mg twice a day. Before, doses as low as 15Mg a day after
about 2-3 days would weaken me. Now, I was on 20Mg and it seemed fine.

I then went to 10Mg 3 times a day and still seemed unaffected by unacceptable
weakness. Good deal. A dose as low as 15Mg a day would affect me after about 2
days and now 30MG a day after a month or two is not. This is a fickle disease
isn't it?

So finally to my query: Have others had a diminishing effectiveness while on
Baclofen? I'm still puzzled how 15Mg would weaken me yet 30Mg is (now) seeming
to have little noticeable effect. When I awoke this morning my legs were stiff
and I am wondering if the Baclofen is losing its effectiveness. I have never
taken it over this long a time (about 1-2 weeks was my all-time maximum
probably 20 years ago) so I have no experience using the med for this length
of time. Lately it was 2-5 days and then weakness made me stop.

I really don't want to have to go to 40Mg a day. When will it stop? Will I
have to keep increasing my dose incrementally forever? Is this normal? I plan
to ask my new neuro (who prescibed it again for me this last time) when I see
him in a couple of months but I was hoping for some feedback from others who
use Baclofen for better or for worse.

Thanks for any and all information/experiences.

Robert

Robert

2005-04-28, 5:51 pm

In article <5Hbbe.4919$WW5.4466@newsfe2-win.ntli.net>, "Roarke" <roarke.unionatomik@ntlworld.com> wrote:
> Baclofen does settle
>down with a given dose and side effects for some do disappear after a few
>days of a higher dose.

I've read about how well you tolerate baclofen and how much it does for you.
Sounds like a good deal for you and that's kinda what I was looking for.

I don't need a lot of relaxation-effect and figured I'd give baclofen a go
again under my new circumstances instead of putting up with the side effects
of Zanaflex like the dry mouth and drowsiness.

You've partially answered my question and thanks for that. I figure baclofen
(like all meds usually) will lose a bit of effectiveness after a period of
use, I just didn't think that I would go from being mostly unable to
tolerate baclofen in such small doses to being almost unaffected by it at
almost twice that dose! Yep, MS is fickle indeed...

Thanks again for your information.