[Erika]

Has anyone had this done? I've had a couple so far and am considering getting another one to get a handle on the leg and back spasms. Not into getting the Baclofen pump which my neuro suggested. So far when I've had the injection, it has proivided some relief for about a week.

What have been your experiences? How long has the effect lasted for you?

With love, Erika

[Kitty]

I take Baclofen regularly and it seems to be working well. I'm not big on injections and especially not in my spine but if it works well for you then I'd say go for it. Different things work for different people. A week of relief just doesn't sound like it works for very long. You'd have to get these shots weekly?

I hope you get the relief you're looking for.

[Erika]

It does take the edge off but the neuro says that repeated spinal injections of the stuff is not recommended. He wants to implant a Baclofen pump and I don't want that.
They won't do them weekly willingly but...I'm sort of desperate now.

With love, Erika

[SallyC]

(((((Erika)))))..UGH and OUCH

[jprinz99]

Erika-

I have no opinon on what you should do. I just want you to know that I feel aweful that you are having these pains for so long with little relief. I truly hope you get "back" to feeling better soon (pardon the pun)

[barb02]

I did not know they did baclofen injections into the spine more than once, and that is to see you are a good candidate for the baclofen pump. I took what my neuro saidwas the maximum dose of baclofen (60 mgs) for a couple of years, and it did not help at all. I tried zanaflex at a low dose and it seemed to be helping a bit, but it made me too nauseated. I have always been too leery of trying the pump too.

[Erika]

Generally they don't, but apparently my body is too small to be a "regular candidate" for the pump. I'm 5'2" and 115 lbs...and loosing about a pound a week due to the ongoing digestive issues.
There is a smaller one that can specially ordered (more expensive) but I'm still not sold on the idea of getting something that is an oddity or having something the size of a hockey puck tucked into my belly.

The injections provide good relief for around a day and then slowly the spasticity returns over the course of a week. It does give me a break from the pain of them though; and sometimes that is all that I need to feel less hopeless.

Thanks for your input my friends. I think that I may just have been venting though.

With love, Erika

[skywalker1988]

I would say then find a MS Specialist, neuros don't know everything about MS

[Erika]

Thanks, but my neuro is the head of the MS clinic and does research so he's about the best that we've got in these parts.
We're both pretty frustrated with the current situation because either it doesn't tolerate a lot of the meds used for MS symptoims due to other autoimmune issues (liver, digestive, thyroid stuff), and I won't participate in the drug trials he's suggested.
We sort of had a falling out over this situation so I don't even know if he would approve of another spinal injection or not. He wasn't willing to approve the second one because the effects are not long lasting. I suppose it is hard for him to understand that just getting a short period of relief is worth it sometimes.

Riding things out for now anyway.

With love, Erika

[Kitty]

It sounds like you're doing everything you can to help your situation, Erika. It's got to be frustrating when doctors don't or won't try to see things from our point of view. I know they've had formal training/education..... .....to be able to make informed decisions but when you're the one in pain and you're trying to explain to them that any relief is a blessing well, then......it's pretty upsetting when they don't listen and think they know our pain better than we do. I hope you get some relief soon.