baclofen pump newbie

[zenhead]

friends- i have been managing spasticity (jimmy leg) pretty well with oral baclofen, but lately i find it is not working so well, up to 80mg.+ daily. i think it is time for a pump. but there seems to be so much conflicting information. my neuro tells me maybe week in the rehab hospital, other places i read say more. i did have the test injection and wound up in the hospital overnight (needed 3 catheters - OUCH!) before i could even move my legs. i've never even heard of a physiatrist until reading here - are they integral in the pump process? i am asking all of this of my neuro as well, just nice to hear from the end users too. i may be asking a lot, but i have a lot of questions. any info will be greatly appreciated.

[Marco]

friends- i have been managing spasticity (jimmy leg) pretty well with oral baclofen, but lately i find it is not working so well, up to 80mg.+ daily. i think it is time for a pump. but there seems to be so much conflicting information. my neuro tells me maybe week in the rehab hospital, other places i read say more. i did have the test injection and wound up in the hospital overnight (needed 3 catheters - OUCH!) before i could even move my legs. i've never even heard of a physiatrist until reading here - are they integral in the pump process? i am asking all of this of my neuro as well, just nice to hear from the end users too. i may be asking a lot, but i have a lot of questions. any info will be greatly appreciated.

Much of it is flexible and depends on your doctor's preferences and skill set.

• Some people have the pump installed and go home the same day. While others spend days or weeks in a rehab hospital. If possible, I would spend a few days in the rehab hospital especially if your doctor will be going there to make dose adjustments.
• Did your doctor suggest you may have gotten too much baclofen during the trial? This is often the case when someone has rubbery legs. So you had 80mg without benefit and then overresponded to 0.050 mg. Pretty incredible, huh?
• Your neurologist may know enough to handle the entire process including making all the necessary adjustments. The more pump experience the physician has the better off you will be. A physiatrist may also be known as a rehabilitation physician or physical medicine & rehab doctor (PM&R). Just remember you will need to see this doctor roughly twice/year for medication refills and future adjustments.

If you are getting a Medtronic pump, they have an Ambassador program where you can schedule a phone call with an existing pump patient. Of course, feel free to ask your questions here and we'll do our best to provide you with answers.