baclofen weight gain

[acesjr68]

I have been taking baclofen for 5 months (10mg 3x day) and i have gained a bunch of weight. I am also really tried.
Has anyone else had this happen? I read a lot of other threads but didn't see anything about weight gain.

 

[MaxEidswick]

>I am also really tried

it may cause tiredness. I am always tired, but my arms weigh more than can be lifted :-(

 

[dalvin]

I too have gained a lot of weight since starting baclofen, 30-40 pounds. All in my stomach, even as I lose in my legs and arms

 

[acesjr68]

dalvin it is the same for me left leg is shrinking and belly is getting huge

 

[slopokahontas]

I was just put on that. I have to say I'm tired out fatigued without it as well. I was told to keep extra weight on. Is the extra weight causing problems physically a in harder to move etc?

 

[dalvin]

With your muscles atrophying, they have to work harder to do even simple tasks. You will have weight loss in them. If you don't take in enough extra calories to provide that extra energy your body will 'eat' your muscles to get it, thus speeding up your progression. That's one reason your told not to lose weight. If your maintaining or even gaining weight, your at the least slowing your progression. That's how it was explained to me

 

[affected]

spot on Dalvin.

It was always distressing for me that Chris would not take in anywhere near enough calories. It was truly an FTD thing because I know his understanding of calories and his views on the importance of animal fats in the diet before ALS. It's very hard to explain FTD and I often don't like to bring it up as it is complicated. When you know how someone was before FTD, and you see the total change in how they approach things, that is the real difference to saying something like he wouldn't take in enough calories. His life revolved around food, and his understanding of foods and nutrition was very high before ALS.

On top of refusing calories he insisted on the 'use it or lose it' approach.

I do believe it only resulted in hastening his progression, and reducing his quality of life.

He only tried Baclofen for a few weeks, didn't like how he felt on it so refused to take it, so I don't know if he would have seen weight gain from it.

It's a good point about the body 'eating' it's own muscles. The nerves are dying, the muscles are dying and so the body will simply rob those 'useless' things if it needs energy, and PALS need a LOT of energy.

 

[slopokahontas]

That makes sense. I wasn't explained why. I had thought I should work out and the more muscle I had the longer the progression. Guess that theory is wrong.

 

[affected]

slopokahontas you can search here on exercise and find some discussions we have had on this, or start a new thread of course too. ALS tends to turn most of what we knew or did upside down!

 

[cheerleader]

Boy, Tillie, is that the truth. Forget sayings like "if you don't use it, you lose it". The ALS mantra is more like, "conserve, conserve, conserve!" The only exercise hubby was really encouraged to do was range of motion. Stopokahontas , you have so much info to absorb, it will take time! And if you try, you can always find something positive! Boy, would I love to be told I can and should eat all the fattening things around! So load up on that ice cream topped with lots of hot chocolate and nuts, slather the butter on your bread and don't worry about gaining weight! Hang in there. Donna