Does baclofen help with weak legs? I was once on it but didn’t need it. So thought I’d ask the question now my leg is a little weaker? Thanks x
Hi Lisa,
Personally, I don’t think it would help you with weakness, no.
I use it to help with stiffness, or spasticity. This does improve use of my legs, but the underlying problem isn’t weakness. Well, I do have weakness too, but that isn’t the main thing I take Baclofen for.
Some people report that Baclofen increases weakness - because obviously that’s a possible side-effect of relaxing the muscles. With me, it hasn’t been a problem - they are so tight already that a bit of loosening isn’t going to make me suddenly fall over - but for some people it might.
It’s quite complicated, but if the weakness is because of your spasticity - i.e. muscles getting so tired because they are too stiff, Baclofen might help. But if it’s weakness on its own, and you’re not really troubled by stiffness, I can’t see it being any help at all.
Tina
x
Hi
Would recommend a chat with your MS nurse/physio, they have varied my doses as my MS progresses. Yes it reduces the spasticity , to improve strength I suppose that’s where a MS physio could help you further.
Thanks for the advice. I’m having physio in the hope this helps. My leg feels stiff sometimes but goes more heavy after walking than anything but yet I can stand for quite some time really. And I can balance usually although a few weeks ago I couldn’t. I was on baclofen when first diagnosed but they took me off as my legs felt really heavy and painful on it after they increased the dose. The first dose which wss half a tablet I didn’t notice any different but then they upped it to two and thats when my legs felt worse. They worked out that actually I didn’t need it. I am wondering now whether I need to be looking at DMDs too. X x x