My neuro advised against baclofen. In his opinion it causes more problems than it solves. However I know that many here have found it beneficial.

I had read a discussion on MSW a while back and went and found it, This may help you. I only take Baclofen at bedtime on a regular basis, other than that on a as needed so not to build a tolerance seems to work on my legs but when things like my big toe curls out to the side instead of up or down it don't seem to help much. Here is a link to that post

http://www.msworld.org/forum/showthread.php?t=118811&highlight=Baclofen

Here is a pretty big thread on spascity

http://www.msworld.org/forum/showthread.php?t=112595&highlight=Baclofen

I take 20 mg of baclofen 3 times a day for spasticity. I can really tell if I forget to take it. I find it very helpful and I gradually increased the dose over a long period of time so my body was able to adjust to the side effects. I'm not a very large person so my doctor says 60 mg a day is about the max for me.

I have Dystonia too and also take clonazepam for tremors and for the Dystonia and I take Topamax for the Dystonia as well. In addition to the spasticity from MS my muscles contract into abnormal positions and it is very painful. At times I also get botox injections, but try not to get botox any more often than I have to as it causes weakness which I am already dealing with due to MS.

I also take magnesium and calcium. Plus, my potassium was low so I am on a potassium supplement. All of these seem to help. I don't seem to get as many painful spasms as I use to although I still get hit a few times a month.

I also exercise as much as I'm able to and do stretching exercises as recommended by my physical therapist. I do recommend physical therapy if you haven't tried that yet.

Take care,
Neener

after a while medications become less efficient and do not work as well due to tolerance of the body.. i was on baclofen and it worked for like the first two weeks then it did absolutly nothing.. there are many alternative therapies that work from vitamins to marijuana to exercise..as a unit it can provide a better quality of life with more energy to stamina..spasms can be due to an inbalance of magnesium/ or calcium..something to check out.. i find that modern medicine is only giving my body nore crap! good luck, jackie

I take baclofen 4 times a day & can miss 1 time if not doing anything but sure know about it later. I am on a high dose of 25mg x 4 times a day & it does control spasms for me. I can't function, or even sleep well without it.
As with all medications everyone responds differently so discuss any effects with your neurologist/Dr.

hi!! well u goin into a relapse??? sorry- but you might need to see dr- hugs!!- i mean -bad spasums- - believe me that could be it

A few years ago, I was put on Baclofen. I took one pill and it worked great, for four hours. Afterward, my spasticity was twice as bad before taking the pill. Not ready to give up Baclofen after just one pill, I tried it again. The same thing happened. I never took it again and that was four years ago.

Thanks for everyone's response.

Bobby, that is kinda what is happening to me. I get worse after taking the medication. But, if I try and taper off, I feel better.

The bad thing, that sounds like an easy fix, but it is not. While backing off the medication helps the muscle pain be less, it makes other muscle spasms worse, like my throat. And trust me, throat spasms, while for me, not painful, are very disconcerting and scary. I start choking. It is hard to swallow. Usually my saliva, i do better swallowing larger amounts. Not sure why, just how it works.

So, i think, Baclofen works for some things and makes some things worse. So, I will start keeping a log and discuss with my doctor on the next visit, Maybe she might have a solution.

Thanks again, everyone.