need help

My son has cerebral palsy and takes oral baclofen   the Neurlogist wants to implant a pump ,  I do not know what to do

[Dr San Miguel]

Hi. Baclofen pump is indicated to treat moderate to severe spasticity which cannot be adequately treated with oral medications and Botox. There is no age limitation to ITB, although as young as four years old are eligible to receive baclofen pumps.

Before surgery, patients are evaluated by a physical therapist to obtain baseline scores of muscle tone. After the evaluation, they are given a test dose of baclofen, which involves numbing the skin on the back with an anesthetic, and injecting a dose of baclofen into the spinal fluid. The patient is then evaluated every two hours for 4 to 8 hours to determine if there has been a significant reduction in their tone. If a significant change has been noticed, the pump is usually inserted the following day.

The surgery usually takes about 1 to 1 ½ hours long. As soon as the pump is inserted, a certain amount of baclofen is poured into the pump and controlled with calculated rates. Baclofen dose is increased everyday as needed until spasticity is distinctly better. Patients are often discharged 4 to 5 days after procedure with marked improvement of symptoms.

Baclofen has been used for more than fifteen years with no long-term complications being reported. Your doctor may have suggested this procedure with best intentions. For other concerns, consult your doctor. Hope this helps.

[mooksmom]

You have not given any where near the correct amount of information to even begin to answer you. It just wouldn't be safe.

[S3XYMARCY]

My son has cerebral palsy he is now 9 years old he walks, runs,has good balance but has poor hand n finger motor skills he also has no speech he does goo or ahhh sounds he has very poor swallowing muscles in his neck he takes a medication called glycopyrrolate for exesive drooling due to poor muscles on his jaw I wanted to know if botox or baclofen is useful for my son or is there any other thing I can do to help my son to improve his muscles n jaw strength so he can be able to talk? Oh and by the way his name is miguel angel I hope to hear from comments or other opinions that can help me n other parents like my self.

[boomersooner81]

Hey there Donna I'm 29 y/o I have spastic diplegia with a congenital contracture. Dunno what that means but I was told that using the baclofen pump can be dangerous and cause you too have too much baclofen or too little. Plus my father didnt want anyone messing in my spinal column spinal cord. i dont remember if its the baclofen pump or the rhizotomy surgery can cause bowel and urinary incontinance. I use 10 mg of baclofen and 4 mg of tizanidine (zanaflex) simultaneously 2 x day. i hope this helps