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Baclofen & Water Retention?

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Posted 9/16/2014 6:06 PM (GMT 0)
I know everyone responds differently to meds, etc., etc.

And that may be the wrong term, I'm not sure if it's necessarily water retention, or swelling, or...something entirely different. When I took flexural, my face/throat/arms swelled up, visibly, and compressed the nerves in my arms and neck, and I had lots of tingles. Plus the swelling was not good in and of itself.

So that got stopped and added to my (ongoing) list.

I've never taken baclofen long enough in one go to notice if it does something similar, except for recently. This may not even be related, but I'm noticing similar tingles, constipation (that even with opioids on board I've been able to manage until this).

Throwing it out there to see if anyone's experienced any type of unusual sort of s/e with this? Thanks guys.




M.
Posted 9/16/2014 8:22 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Merrida:

I am using Baclofen. Not a very big dose. 5 mg at lunch and 10 mg at bedtime. I am on other meds also.

I have been having constipations issues this year. For me it is Nortriptyline. Maybe they both do?

My Doctor suggested I try a product called Magnesium Calm. He already had me taking Magnesium Glycinate. I take one of those in the morning and the Magnesium Calm at bedtime. I actually read that you should take the bulk of your magnesium in the evening, an hour before bed. It is helping my stomach. I do have I.B.

I don't have unusual swelling but as you say, everyone is different. It could be you were allergic to something in the medication. I do get tingling in my hands. I do have nerve problems. I am really not sure what brings it on. I can have days and months where it doesn't happen and then all of a sudden the tingling starts.

I will share that my Husband recently wanted to take me shopping. I had already done a household chore. I was not sure that I could accomplish both. I took an extra 1/2 of a dose of Baclofen and I was able to manage the trip to the Grocery Store. My Husband does all the lifting.

Hope it helps you.

Loring

Osteoarthritis in Multiple Joints, Fibromyalgia, Neuralgia, Chronic Daily Headaches, I.B., Hard of Hearing...
Posted 9/16/2014 11:14 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Merrida, I have been using baclofen for many years now, and a pretty high dose too! 30mg every eight hours. Have not had any problems with constipation with it, or any other major side affects. I do have some problems with fluid retention, but it is not related to using the baclofen. For controlling muscle spasms this medication has been one of the few that really works well for me without any noticeable side affects! But my dosage is a bit higher than most to get it to work!

White Beard
Posted 9/17/2014 8:13 AM (GMT 0)
I have been on it many years too, like WhiteBeard I have fluid retention but that started long before being switched to Baclofen. Our gi tracts can change over night, I would not rule out the pain meds being the culprit. I had some issues the first of the year & was going through a period of no appetite & eating very little. When I say very little I am talking maybe two yogurts a day & thats it. I ended up getting constipated first time ever for me. Get some Miralax its gentle on the stomach.
Posted 9/17/2014 9:06 AM (GMT 0)
What you did on the flex sounds exactly like a allergic reaction in the worst degree, anytime a med causes facial swelling of any degree you want to stop that immediately. It would be odd the baclofen would cause constipation because it's a muscle relaxer, the opposite I could see. If you have been on it before and did ok not sure why issues now and I am like Susie and agree that your narcs are likely the culprit of both selling an constipation even if the issue has gotten worse. They are notoriously constant in causing both. I have to keep Lasix onhand to manage the edema when it comes and it's not always just here and there. I have to take miralax daily with pericolace or would get in to real trouble.

Keep a good eye on both issues and ask the Dr next time unless it gets worse before then.
Posted 9/17/2014 4:58 PM (GMT 0)
I popped into the pharmacy and picked up some Miralax. That's on my "to do-do" schedule!

Since being rx'd Baclofen I've only taken it for short periods at a time and stopped....no muscle relaxants at all. This is the longest stretch I've taken it every single day (10mg TID) these past few weeks. I didn't have constipation the last several times I've taken it, but again it was such short term.

Thanks guys. Let's see what erm,...develops, shall we? :)




M.
Posted 9/18/2014 3:32 AM (GMT 0)
Hi. Merrida ,
I have talke to my PM doctor a lot about Baclofen and he has said in general very safe and effective. It is what they usually put in pain pumps. I have a friend spwho had brain surgery and it is in her subcutaneous pump and she has few side effects.....BUT me on the other hand is a0.1% unusual side effect.

I was on Baclofen which seemed to be helping, but I went to the eye doctor who put eye drops in my eyes and I went into seizures. The ER doctor was pretty sure that the Baclofen allowed the eye drops to cross the blood brain barrier, which in turn set me into sieezures.

So, listen to your body, track your effects and also how you feel when you go off the meds.
Hope this helps with all the other great response you got.
Posted 9/19/2014 4:13 AM (GMT 0)
I had lots of problems with oral Baclofen 10mg tid.
I took the first one at noon...by three am I looked like I was 8 months pregnant, my face hands and feet were massively swollen. I had bad cramps, headache and couldn't walk or talk properly. I was vomiting and shaking very badly. I was rationalizing all of this as coming down with stomach flu until I saw spiders marching across the floor in formation.
Medication hits people differently. Although I know several people who use it each day this one is on my never again list.
Posted 9/19/2014 3:20 PM (GMT 0)
I know that it's considered one of the safest, but this just seemed so strange.

So as I mentioned, I stopped it. And whether it's just coinkydink or not, I'm not sure, but the puffiness is slowly dissipating, and I only had a mild to quasi moderate headache yesterday. Meh, who knows.... But it does make for an interesting observation.

If there's going to be 0.00001% who gets some unique reaction, I'm convinced it'll be me.




M.
Posted 9/19/2014 3:34 PM (GMT 0)
Merrida,
Glad you listened to your body. As I said before I am usually the exception to the rule when it comes to drug sensitivities or even radical reactions. Each of our body's have unique chemistry so it is not surprising that effects of meds is different for each of us.

I am finding my thinking is getting muddled from Norco and Valium. I am trying to wean myself of these meds but my pain still overwhelms me at times and the Valium helps me sleep. I can't take anti- inflammatory meds since I am still fusing - any suggestions?
Posted 9/19/2014 5:46 PM (GMT 0)
You got me on that one because I cannot take ASA or NSAIDs. I'm right there with you, and I have an aversion to steroids (as, thankfully, so do my docs,...we save them for when I need to bring out the heavy hitters). Plus, you're fresh out of surgery (in that regard).

So far when it comes to reducing inflammation, my best friend tends to be ice. Off hand I can't think of anything else that works the same way. Maybe one of the O' Wise Ones on the board will pop on and have some suggestions, because I'd sure like to know of some alternatives too.

I hear ya. We're stuck between a rock and a bigger rock....




M.
Posted 9/19/2014 7:15 PM (GMT 0)
I used to take Tumeric and its does help along with EPA fish oil but it is an anti-imflammatory too so even though a supplement I am reluctant to compromise my bone fusion. When I see my neuro in Novemeber again I am going to ask him if I can get an epidural in my L5/S1 since they work and it is a source of pain along with my cervical recovery pain. And yes, ice is a wonder drug! I find it helps for me to fall asleep on ice on shoulders then the next day I feel better.

I may try some of my past sleeping pills again and see if they work at night. I know valium can affect memory. Hang in there and hope you keep improving!
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