Baclofen dosage question...

Hi, I was having a lot of problems with spasms in my ankle at night and I got a prescription for Baclofen from my GP which I started taking at the beginning of last week. I started off with 10mg and the effect was astonishing, the spasms stopped and I have been sleeping through the night. I didn’t realise how utterly exhausted I’ve been for months and months until I started to get some sleep and I feel so much better!

The problem is that the spasms started again last night. Now I know that I have a lot freedom to up the dose of Baclofen, I’m going to try 20mg tonight but, asking those that use it, does it usually stop working after you’ve been on a low dose for a while? It’s made such a change to my life, noticed by other people as well, in such a short space of time that I can’t bear the thought that it might stop working!

Many thanks

Becky x

Hi, lots of people find baclofen to be a good drug, at stopping/reducing spasms and stiffness.

But there is always someone who cant tolerate it , or find it isnt helping at all.

Now as regards the dosage, it is usually the case that people find their own level which helps.

I began on a low dose ie 10mg x 3 daily. Over several months, I needed to get right up to 70mg a day, before it really helped.

But baclofen can cause weak muscles, which it did with me and it caused falls.

I`ve not been on it for a few years, as I am now a full time wheelie and dont need baclofen.

I think it will be ok to gradually increase your dosage, but watch out for mobility weakness.

Please dont let this put you off, you could be fine.

pollxx

I use baclofen when I need it for spasms. It works well for me too. I used 5mg x3 then found 10mg OK, rather than chopping a tab in 2. As has been said keep a check on dosage, as others said it caused weaker legs when you take a little too much.

Well I’ve been taking Baclofen for years. I started with something like 3 X 10mg which was stepped up over time to the maximum of 8 X 10mg per day. I take it for stiffness and spasms.

I don’t seem to have experienced weakness as a result of Baclofen usage. My legs are weaker than they used to be but whenever leg strength has been tested, my left leg is always strong enough.

Plus, over the last few months I’ve cut my Baclofen to 5 or 6 X 10mg per day with no improvement in strength at all. I cut the dosage because I started taking Cloneazepam for spasms so have managed on less Baclofen.

So it’s really a case of what suits you and what doesn’t. Certainly Baclofen causes weakness for some people but not for others. Sometimes drugs just suit you.

Sue