Baclofen

[jan]

I have been waking in the night due to painful and tight hands for the past few weeks.  I was just prescribed Baclofen the day before all this started, for spasticity.  The 1st night I awoke this way my rt. hand was like a claw!  It was difficult and painful to straighten out.  Every night now I wake to turn and my hands hurt so!  Especially my right. I don't know if it's coincidental. It seems the Baclofen is working for the rest of my body and neuro recommends another dose and I agree, but I am afraid.

I am concerned that maybe this is causing nocturnal seiz.  I have daytime complex partials (simple, too but my diag is CP).  I am not sure if it's caus'g daytime probs, partly because I don't know if the drowsiness would cause some symptoms I am having.
I have a lesion in the left temporal lobe (found '98), demylination. I think it's curious that no symptoms until I had a textbook CP 2001,which led to epilepsy diag.I have seiz,rt side difficulties, abnorm. exam. Drs. suspect MS, but only 1 lesion all this time. (My neuro diag MS and retracted)

I am currently taking baclofen 10mgx2,Trileptal 900mg total,atenolol+verapamil(for inappropriate sinus tachy and neurcardio. syncope= dysauto.), zanaflex 2mg, oxycontin 10mgx2(c-spine radiculop.). I stopped taking my neurontin reg.,because I felt funny when baclophen was added.  All my meds are low doses.

I thought I would stop my pm dose of baclofen to see what happened, but it might make the spasticity worse.  I don't know what to do.  Please give me your thoughts as to what is going on and what I could try.

Thank you

[jan]

Thank you so much for these suggestions.  I am printing them out, so I can use them whenever.

I seemed to have broken the pain pattern.  The pain did cont. in spite of stopping the p.m. dose and still was worse at night.  Friday night my hand cramped up again, too.  So, I took the p.m. dose Sat. night and was god awful tight and painful all over.  I felt this was a reaction in spite of it being the initial reason I was put on it.  There was just something about it (or not lol).

But last night I got so sick of putting up with the pain and sleeplessness that I took Neurontin and an hr. later 1/2 of a vicoprofen tablet.  I am amazed that I am not feel'g any pain today!!! Yay!

[LiaLinda]

See if you can pick up a parafin bath - perhaps you might find one at a 2nd hand thrift shop or even a consignment store.  Parafin wax itself can be bought cheap enough in the baking isle at the grocer store.  There's something about moist heat that relieves pain that electric heat (like from an electric blanket) just doesn't provide.  

Also, you can very easily make a microwavable heat pack that may help.  *Stuff* a sock completely full with some sort of grain (NOT corn!) - a dry, UN-cooked rice does nicely (minute rice will not work).  Because heated grain has a bit of an unpleasant odour, if you like you can add a few drops of a nice-smelling pot pourri oil, or even a few sprigs of lavender.  Then, either use an elastic band to close the end of the sock, or tie a knot.  

Since this heat pack can be used over and over again for years to come, you may want to use an additional sock as a cover so that you can pull it off to wash it.  

Heat the "rice sock" in the microwave ONLY for 1 to 3 minutes... even though the rice is totally dry, it lets off steam and can burn, so be VERY CAREFUL not to heat it too long.  Apply it to wherever you have pain.  It'll stay hot for about 45 minutes to an hour.  

I wrap one around the back of my neck and lay another over my eyes when I have a headache (the heat makes my tense muscles relax, which itself eases the pain a bit).  My mother lays hers on the small of her back, or puts it across the front of the seat on her computer chair so it rests under the backs of her knees.

I hope somether here was helpful and that you find relief for the pain.  Good luck!

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-CS]

It is unlikely that the baclofen is causing the hand symptoms. However, discussing this with your doctor, and holding the evening dose to confirm this would be reasonable. Regarding your underlying diagnosis, I would recommend you be evaluated at an academic center. Hopefully then a firm diagnosis can be made, and a treatment regimen can be recommended. If you are in the area we have a wonderful MS cneter called the Mellen Center. Good luck.