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Baclofen Side Effects?

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Posted 8/20/2013 7:49 PM (GMT 0)
Other than the list/s of potential s/e, I'm wondering if anyone here has experienced anything in particular.

Thanks.

Sookie

Posted 8/20/2013 7:53 PM (GMT 0)
Not really. I've taken this medication on multiple instances, at times for very long periods of time. I've only taken it at a low dose though.

The only thing I have noticed is that when stopping it, I get a pins and needles feeling in my hands and feet for a few days. It's annoying, but not too bad.
Posted 8/20/2013 9:12 PM (GMT 0)
I take it and with my other meds I seem to get a heavy feeling in my chest and limbs. If I take it separate from my meds no issues. I am on baclofen 10.
What side effects are you having?
Posted 8/21/2013 1:50 AM (GMT 0)
I've been having bloating and heartburn, and my GERD, which has been asymptomatic for years is back in full force. I was thinking if there was something else, but there isn't. My meds and diet have remained the same. I am chewing on tums and taking zantyc (my body didn't like Prilosec way back a decade ago when I last had GERD,....so yeah it's been that long). I've only been on zantyc 2 days. I have apnea, when I exhale, especially to force a breath out my throat closes up. If I mouth breathe, I can breathe okay. Night times are the worse. And I can't sleep flat on my bed, so I've got the hospital bed propped up. My face feels full and swollen.

I thought 2 weeks ago when this started, it may be something cardiac or even breast, I wasn't sure. My last XRays showed pleural effusion, but that didn't seem to concern the docs too much, "it can happen after surgery. I didn't have any "symptoms" until 10-14 days ago and they're progressively worse. I feel like I'm choking, and the apnea is a pain.

But it doesn't hinder me doing PT (other than lying on my back), and cardio (I can use the bike and do fine), and they put me through my paces there, and I'll work up a sweat and I'm okay. Nothing triggers it,...but it gets worse on an empty stomach.

It may not even be this med, but it just occurred to me,...could a muscle relaxant relax the esophageal rings of muscles? I haven't had these symptoms in ages.

Thanks.

Sookie
Posted 8/21/2013 4:54 AM (GMT 0)
Sookie I have been on high dose Baclofen for many years, I take 30 mg every eight hours. and I have not had any side affects from taking it. For those that take this medication regularly this medication is not to be stopped suddenly but  tapered of slowly. in other words weaned off of it. Suddenly stop taking it can have very adverse side affects. This is a rather potent antispasmodic.

Snookie you mentioned apneas, do you have sleep apnea? and are you being treated with CPAP for it? The reason I ask is often using CPAP can cause bloating and extended stomach, from filling up with air from the PAP machine. Some people that use CPAP have constant problems with it, others only when first using it, they their bodies seem to adjust to the air pressure.

Anyway Baclofen has been a real Godsend for me, and has controlled my muscle spasms really well!

White Beard

Posted 8/21/2013 6:08 AM (GMT 0)
As an experience medical center operator I must tell you no medication is good for a longer period of time, even the most need full life saving medication are changed every 6 month by doctors. Its not like, they are going to caught you in side effect but its not good to have same medication for a very long period of time.
Posted 8/21/2013 7:04 AM (GMT 0)
White Beard,

I have been taking two per day (gotta check the dosage, but it's almost 3am here and I'm up, as usual, just don't want to walk over to table with meds on it, hoping I'll go back to sleep). Could it possibly cause the muscle in the esophagus to "relax" as well?

I seem to get the same exactly side effect with every (this will be number three) muscle relaxant. I can't figure it out and with three, it's getting difficult to find this coincidence. They don't all cause me to get GERD but they all have caused bloating and swelling.

I have apnea during the day, and yes I have sleep apnea and no I don't use a CPAP.

I used to only have it at night, and I snore dreadfully until those sudden cessations of breath where I just stop breathing all together. I also think an exacerbation is that I need get new dentures,...I've lost so much bone/vertical height, the collapse is making it worse. And the 15 pounds I've gained since my hip surgery isn't helping. I can feel that.

It's fluid and dynamic, and the fact only the past two weeks, as long as I've been on Baclofen, have I been getting this pressure feeling from my stomach on up, and with it, I'm feeling the GERD like I haven't in years.

Maybe it's not even related,...it's just poor timing??


Sookie
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