Long term Baclofen use?

[Bad Balance]

Didi I read recently that high dose long term use has adverse side affects?
I take 130mlgs per day.

 

[Port]

I read a paper that stated long term use would result in weakening of muscle groups. However this study was done on people with spinal cord injury. I'm thinking so long as you still are able to use your muscles this would not necessarily happen as you are still exercising them. But then again, I'm not a dr.

 

[lgelb]

If you are taking it orally as a tablet, the maximum daily recommended dose as labeled is 80mg. So that's 63% above the recommended max, for a fairly dirty drug. I would be much more concerned about the dose right now than how long you've been taking it, although long-term exposure at such a high dose is certainly a potential safety issue.

. How did you get up to this dose? Depending on the answer, I would consider, _only_under medical supervision, tapering down (the recommended process is dose reductions of 10mg every 2-3 days and you would never want to go down any faster than that but you also need to be monitored since the process can be fatal).

Are you sure that's the dose you're on? Has your spasticity been that severe? Since spasticity tends to wane as nerves die, anyone on baclofen or tizanidine should have their dosage re-evaluated periodically anyway. Some of the symptoms you've ascribed to ALS or other conditions may actually be byproducts of these drugs.

 

[Mike in Maine]

Great question, I have often wondered the same. I'm on just 90 mg a day and I don't see that dose coming down anytime soon. To me Baclofen is a god send, without it I would not be able to fuction, with it I can (side effects suck), but does the good out way the bad?

 

[MaxEidswick]

>To me Baclofen is a god send, without it I would not be able to fuction, with it I can (side effects suck)

what side effects?

 

[Mike in Maine]

Very tried, muscle fatigue, Baclofen fog

 

[MaxEidswick]

hmmm ... maybe that's it. I will try cutting it out and see. thanks!

 

[Mike in Maine]

Max,
I must have missed something, not sure your point, sorry. Baclofen for me is the reason I can still get around, good right now out wieghs the bad even with the side effects.


Mike

 

[MaxEidswick]

I'm exhausted all of the time so I'm going to try cutting the dose in 1/2 to see if that helps .... we'll see. wish something would help with the shaking hands as typing is getting harder, even with one hand :-(

 

[Mike in Maine]

Max,
I'd just call the Doc frist and get a drawdown schedule, tried cutting down the Baclofen once by myself and went a little fast, It wasn't good.



Mike

 

[MaxEidswick]

>I'd just call the Doc frist and get a drawdown schedule, tried cutting down the Baclofen once by myself and went a little fast, It wasn't good.

I'll report in. just stopped last night ...

 

[MaxEidswick]

trying to get some energy up for the DC trip next week