Please help me what this medication is all about. I have severe vertigo with numerous MS symptoms but that is beside the point. Can anyone make sense of this? Please help... Answers??

Baclofen is prescribed for muscle spasticity -- stiffness (rigid muscles) and spasms. My spasticity affects my gait and makes it more difficult to walk.

Barb:

I increased my Balcofen to 10 mgs/day just to see what would happen to my body. I've noticed it has helped with the inbalanced/incoordinated gait considerably. Is this why and what you are referring to?

Baclofen is not a medication for vertigo. It's a medication for spasticity. Spasticity is probably best described as muscle stiffness. Like muscle spasms in the leg (i.e. charley horses) and The Hug, which is a sensation like someone is hugging you around your ribs. Usually it's not a very comforting "hug".

Baclofen relaxes the muscles and sometimes helps with the pain that spasticity can trigger.

One of it's listed side effects is actually dizziness. I know when I take too much that it can make my head spin a bit more and I'll feel more wobbly.

If you're having vertigo, you can ask your neuro/doctor for an anti-emetic, like Meclizine or Dramamine.

There is a med called Anti-vert of meclazine for dizzyness. Baclofen is for muscles.

I would ask your MD why he gave you that for dizzyness.

I'm going to call the doctor and ask about the vertigo. I've tried dramamine and it does not help at all. Thank you for the suggestion -wish it would have worked!! That is how bad it is.

The treatment of Balcofen definitely has helped my walking/gait tremendously since I increased the dosage- though I shouldn't have done without talking to the doctor. Just wanted to see if an increase would help-and ironically it did. So I am assuming this is why he prescribed the Balcofen.

As for the vertigo- need to find more out about it and how to treat it.

Thank you for the information about the drug and helping make sense of things. It has helped tremendously.

Coffeegirl

10 mg is apretty low dose. I was on 60 mg a day with no results.

I take 2 1/2 baclofens every night before going to bed. (two 10mg pills, plus one that's broken in half) and it makes me wobbly and lightheaded most of the time (which is preferable to having my legs try to kick me in the butt with my heels)

I've never heard of baclofen being prescribed for vertigo.

Is it possible that he prescribed it for spasticity, and the spasticity was making your legs stiff and making you walk weird. (I know I walk weird when my legs are all stiff feeling) and since you upped the dosage, the spasticity has gotten better and that's what you were feeling?

The antivert (meclizine) is available over the counter as Bonine motion sickness medication. It never helped me with vertigo or dizziness - even though that's what they had me try it for. The only thing that has really helped is Klonipin and an added bonus is that it also helps with the spasticity, so it supplements the Baclofen for me.

You are right Erin. The drug was prescribed due to spatisticy with my legs. Since I increased the dosage my gait/crashing into everything/falling all over everything in sight- has lowered tons. The vertigo- it comes and goes.