Spasticity: Share your questions and experience here!

[dlsal]

Pump saved me

My spasticity got so bad that I could not bend mt right leg. If antone touched me I would spasm. I had tried everything: oral eds, px therapy, massage... Nothing worked and the meds caused me to sleep all day. I finally opted for the Baclofen pump and my life changed for the better. I can bend my leg and I don't spasm anymore. It takes a while to get the dosage right but once you do it's amazing the difference. I wish I had done it sooner.

[mlroyalty]

I had spasticity as one of my first symptoms.

Initially doctors misinterpretted it as back problems and sciatica. I was in PT for a suspected disc issue when I really herniated my disc.

This was because I could not feel how to do the exercises correctly or the pain from a bulging disc.


While in PT again after disc surgery- MS was finally suspected and tested.

But my spasticity continued.

I would get outrageous spasms in my back and legs all the way to my feet. My husband would try to rub them out but even when the initial spasm would subside, my muscles were always very firm.

I began deep tissue massage therapy but was still unable to completely relax the muscles.

I was prescribed Baclofen, Keppra, Zanaflex, and also did Botox for a year and a half.

I now have had a baclofen pump for two years and have had the greatest results with it. All the other medications were too sedating in the dosages that I needed to get relief.

Currently I am in pt for spasticity involving my arms, shoulders and neck. So here we go again!

I have experienced similar symptoms as to those that you just described. I get an initial charlie horse or "tingle" in a certain spot of my back. Once I get this warning I have approximately fifteen seconds to get down my emergency meds. I also have to take a many anti-spasmatics, muscle relaxers, and anti-seizure meds to try and keep them under control. My diagnosis was, in short, PNKD... just google this to find the name. I would type the full name but I would have to get out my paper to spell it... I have full body spasms. All my muscles will go tight and I am basicly a giant charlie horse. My muscles are rock hard although I do move into interesting positions. I was in the hospital a month trying out different medicines to find out what cocktail would work best. My neuro stated that I was the worst case he had ever seen. There is also a connection between MS and PNKD. Just something to look into.

[LeoCarter]

I undergone surgery to reduce this extreme spasm but not worked .

[happy23]

combo makes me sleep

I have spasticity in my feet & take Baclofin & Gabapentin.
They work well,I've been on them for about 3yrs.
God Bless Nona Judy

Owlnona,
I had to stop taking the baclofen with gabapentin because the combo made me feel so drunk. did you experience that and worked past it or do you just tolerate it?