I am suffering increasing amounts of pain - it’s like i’m coming down with a bug but mainly in my arms and hands and more often at night in bed. It’s been like this now for many months so not a one off symptom.
Once i’m up and about it wears off to a certain extent which is obviously a good thing but i’m beginning to dread going to bed because of this. I’m also experiencing more spasms in my legs than usual and my Baclofen doesn’t seem to be controlling tham well. I want to try Sativex but it’s not funded locally.
I’m also interested in the intrathecal Baclofen and quite cross that it’s not just used in wheelchair users (of which i am one) - if recent articles on it are correct, using this method to control spasms may have actually kept me mobile for longer!
Anyway, i’ve been looking at Gabapentin and wondered if you have experience (good and bad) of taking it for pain and spasms. The only negative for me would be the weight gain as i’m already overweight.
I haven’t tried gabapentin, but I take pregabalin, which is very similar. After a few weeks of side effects, I’ve been very happy with it - it’s cut down my neuropathic pain, burning, pins & needles, etc. loads
When my baclofen wasn’t proving enough and I couldn’t take any more, I was put on tizanidine on top of the baclofen - maybe this would work for you? Be worth asking anyway.
Praps you could try raising your bedhead 6-8 inches.This might help blood to flow from your brain more easily and prevent your night time pain.
In the good old days there would have been lots of replies to this, and I would have been branded as a heretic , but that facility appears to have gone.
I Have awful pins and needles in my feet and legs which i have had like background noise for many years but for the past couple of months it has become very intense, and the pain… well its like someone sticking knives in , walking is awfull , i am off sick from work (nurse) at the moment cos i cant really walk that good, worried about that , MS nurse to be honest isnt that good , i take gabapentin but it doesnt do that much, maybe i should just try to ignore it ?? any ideas i am relapsing so hopefully the pain and pins and needles will ease once the relapse has gone??
Hi Happy chic, iv been having exact same symptoms for several months and is getting worse. And now the numbness in my left leg is getting worse. Saw Gp as I wasnt convinced it was a MS symptom as a different pain to what iv had in the past. My Gp isnt very interested. My feet feel like iv been wearing shoes that are two sizes too small and the pain is excrutiating at times.
I spoke to my MS nurse who seemed to think it was neuropathic pain so a deffinate symptom of MS. Saw the neuro last week and now waiting for another MRI and also a refferal to see a rheumatologist to rule out any other auto immune probs.
I can totally sympathise with you as it is driving me crazy, im lucky to get 4 or 5 hours sleep at night and its stopping me from going out and doing anything, feel like iv aged 20 years in the last couple of months. Persist with the MS nurse if you can and get appointment with neuro. its not something you can ignore dear and why should you.Hope your sorted soon
I have tried Oxcarbazepine, Tegregtol, Gabpentin and am now on Zonisamide.They have all worked well (up to a point) - you do not need to be suffering. Please ask you neuro to give you something; if one doesn’t work, there are many to try.
I take Baclofen 2X a day and a night take some Tizanadine. This is because half life of Baclofen is 4 hours but standing up kept spasms in my ankle at bay. Obviously horizontal at night, I needed something else to stop me waking up after 4 hours sleep.
Drugs, side effects and their reactions do vary from person to person. Suggest you have a good chat with MS Nurse or neurologist.
