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shelley2
01-15-2008, 03:46 AM
Hello, my name is Shelley and heres my story

Last year (April 2007) I went to the doctor with a painful blocked ear. After attempts to unblock the ear etc it then resulted in an electric shock type pain going across my teeth and to the other ear as my inner ear had become inflamed. This then resulted in my tongue and face tightening in response to the pain so the doc put me on baclofen. Prior to this my only health problems were a painful lower back and a torticollis, both of which Ive had for 20 years and managed through physiotherapy. I was living a normal healthy life, on no medication as a busy school teacher, living alone and was meant to be getting married this christmas gone.
When I first went on baclofen I took 10mg and then another 10mg. The next day the painful face melted away and so did my back pain and torticollis pain. However the day after my arms started to burn so I then reduced my dosage to 5mg. I stayed on the 5mg for about two weeks before I had to go and see my neuro. By then my pain in my ear had stopped and the inflammation had gone down.

My neuro told me there was no need to wean off the Baclofen and that i would be fine coming off the 5mg. I trusted him and just came off it.

Three days later i began violently retching with an extreme sensation of nausea. The retching was not gastro intestinal but from the sides of my body. My stomach was also very touch sensitive as was the rest of my body. For two weeks the medical proffession were baffled. I kept telling them that it was because of the Baclofen but they kept dismissing it. After two weeks of retching I was rushed to hospital where finally a doctor said that this was most definately Balofen withdrawal syndrome and that I was to go back on 5mg.

As soon as I went back on the Baclofen the retching stopped but my intestines opened and all my contents came flooding out.

I felt so ill but had stabalized none the less. the doctor then told me to wean off 1mg a week. Four days later i started doing this..well someone opened the doors of hell and threw me in and locked the door. i suffered horrendously with EXTREME NAUSEA. (you have to experience it to believe it.) I felt sick all over my body but it wasnt Gastro-intestinal. I could retch one minute then eat the next. My whole body became touch sensitive..if you touched me anywhere I would retch. i had wavy movements inside my body and crawling sensations inside and I thought the retching was going to kill me.

2 months later the weaning off process stopped and I had suffered so much withdrawal and thought it would be over and I would go back to normal as everyone kept telling me... I WAS WRONG.

Three days after coming off baclofen for the second time I began bleeding. I bled for 40 days. I had swinging sensations inside me like I was swinging on a hammock. In the end my parents couldnt cope and called an ambulance. I was rushed to hospital where they were very thorough and checked every part of me and then sent me home..At least nothing else was wrong!

My list of withdrawal symptoms which continued and to date are extreme nausea on one side of my torso which swaps sides sometimes
crawling sensations through my teeth, head and back like snakes crawling through my body.
a feeling of someone poking hot pins into my skin
a feeling of being car sick even though Im still
vertigo type symptoms
muscle spasms
violent and aggressive retching where I needed to be held down
burning sensations in my throat and ears
Problems with digestion
my whole body tingling
cold hands and feet
clenching jaw
a feeling of vibration and buzzing inside me
eyes twitching
body temperature change.
urine dsicolouration
nightmares
hallucinations
vivid dreams
a feeling like Im recovering from flu
sharp shooting nerve pains
a feeling of the wheel of a steam train rotating inside me
a feeling of being spaced out
muscle weakness on my right side compared to my left
thoughts of impending doom(I told everyone I only had a year left to live and started preparing for my funeral)
There is more than this but my current problems 5 months off the drug are


my muscles have not gone back to normal-My torticollis and lower back pain has not returned but I get other spasms instead ie like a rebound spacticity. (baclofen can cause you to have more aches and pains..its a bit deceptive in that it can also cause pain if you are in tolerance to the drug or withdrawal and so you take more)
urine discolouration
a feeling of inner rotation- like the wheel of a train is going round and round inside me
nausea on my right side of my torso but not as bad as it used to be
poor digestion like my intestines are asleep and dont want to work properly. (There are GABA receptors in the intestines too which is causing this)
my jaw is clenching.

Symptoms change all the time and I can manage during the day on my own now after 5 months but it has been hard. My well being has improved BUT Im still suffereing. If anyone can relate to any of this list..be it small please get in touch and tell me what the symptom was, did you recover and how long did it take for the symptom to go away?

my neuro says im suffering from baclofen withdrawal syndrome and central nervous system malfunction but is only guessing that I will recover as she has no knowledge of others who suffered in this way.

My biggest question is- Will my back pain and torticollis pain return(Iwant it to) and my muscles and normal body return.
I went to the doc with one problem and I got at least 30 back in return.

Many Thanks for listening.

Shelley

suede
01-16-2008, 02:38 AM
((((Shelly))))

I am so sorry to hear of all the problems this has caused for you.

I was on baclofen for several years was taking 10mg 3 times a day, when I decided to stop I just stopped, I didn't have any problems.

I really wish I had some helpful advice for you I can only imagine how this must be effecting you life.

I have been getting treatment now for close to 9 years for CP related to several different health issues and have been on many different medications fortunately I have not had the problems you are.

There is another on the Chronic Pain Forum that is suffering much like you from withdrawal of cymbalta. Many of these drugs the companies have not been forth coming about the SE, and then to every person responds differently.

Please hang in there and I pray you are able to get help soon from this.

Please feel free to join us on the CP forum we can at least off you support and there is a couple of Dr's that post there plus a pharmacist and others with that are very knowledable that may be able to help, if not at least you will have a support system here.

I want to welcome you to BT only sorry you had the need to find us.

Best wishes,
Linda

shelley2
01-16-2008, 04:07 AM
Thankyou Linda. I will do this. This is so unfair. I dont understand why I suffered so much. I cant find anyone who suffered like me. What dosage did you drop from- was it the 10mg three times a day ...wow... and were you on any other medication when you stopped. if you were on any other medication which was similar to a muscle relaxant it could be the reason why you didnt suffer any withdrawal.

suede
01-16-2008, 12:48 PM
Shelley,
I stopped taking it I had gone from 30mg a day to 20 and then just stopped.

I was on other pain meds but nothing for muscle relaxants.

Knock on wood I have been fortunate in stopping meds, though I have no doubt that statement will bit me in the long run!!

Good luck and look forward to catching up with you on the CP forum..

Linda

GILBERTO
01-16-2008, 03:43 PM
Shelly-2
I have been on Baclofen for over 1 year-20mg 4 times a day, I have Cervical Dystonia or Spasmotic Torticollis. 80mg is the max that you are supposed to take per day as I understand it. I have gone off of it briefly, while adjusting pain meds but have suffered no ill effects. I have taken it in conjunction with Darvocet for pain. My only reaction to meds was to Fentanyl when the Darvocet became ineffective. Your case must be unusual because of such a strong reaction to such a small dose. I can't offer much more than moral support. I know how helpless you can feel when a reaction takes over.
Regards,
Gil Oakes

shelley2
01-18-2008, 12:46 PM
thankyou for your support and input. I am getting better but its so slow. Ive noticed in the last few days that the nausea and feeling of inner rotation is starting to subside so at least i will feel better. I also have a torticollis but it is static rather than a moving one.x

joy
01-18-2008, 02:16 PM
Wow Shelly. I must have missed this as I usually see the word Baclofen and wonder if it worked well for whoever used it. I am so sorry it caused all that damage for you. For me it has been just the opposite and has allowed me to move easier etc. all the things you would hope that a medicine would do. I can still offer support tho as I know how difficult things must be for you.

It truly is amazing how medicines can effect each of us. We are all different and it certainly is not going to work that what one medicine can do for one is what it will do for another.

I have seen a program where young people today (always most likley) take any medications they can find at home and have a party taking anything and everything that the rest of the group brings. How dreadful to think of some of the consequences that surley fall to them.

I will now have to make sure that I offer a word of caution when I say how much it has helped me. I am glad that the doctors were finally in agreement with you. It is awful when they don't believe us about our own bodies.

katecamp
01-18-2008, 08:00 PM
HI Shelly

I just read your story; I wish I could offer anything of use to you other than my deep sympathy. I am no expert, I haven’t figured out what’s wrong with me YET!!! All I can say is hang in there and keep pushing. If the doctor you’re seeing isn’t “getting you” get someone else. Remember, they work for us. Don’t be afraid to ask, maybe something else snuck in while you were struggling and hasn’t been discovered yet.

One thing for sure, you came to the right place for caring people to hear your story.

I wish you the best of luck
Kate

shelley2
01-20-2008, 03:50 AM
Thankyou for your replies. I have read up alot about what has happened to me and I think I will make some recovery but could possibly go through things like tooth decay, hair loss, premature menopuase but gradually my well being will also improve as time goes on. In some ways I feel better as each month passes but then I notice a new symptom emerge and wonder if I will ever be symptom free. It also levaes me exposed to catching infections easily so am trying to take care of myself as best as I can. Thankyou for all your support.

gizmogirl
01-20-2008, 05:19 PM
wow. how unfortunate - you have a rare reaction (have you proven that it is the bacloen this time by taking it and seeing all the se's go away? I'd hate to see you miss a dx ).
In my case, Baclofen literally saved my life, because it stopped spasms that were kicking off meningitis like inflammation and pain attacks, after which I would get a days plus concussed before the cycle began again. Sounds like you want to get into that thread in chronic pain and see how much others thr might know. Of course, everyone is proably dian to get an update from yuo. I pray you have found relief.

shelley2
01-20-2008, 10:28 PM
Thankyu Gizm, I have already been put back on Baclofen before and then tapered off and I did stabalise when I got put back on it and then once they started to ithdraw me I started suffering againBUT i think the docs handled it completely wrong. if they had reintroduced the drug and let me stabilise over a few weeks rather than a few days I think it would have been better for me. Its def the baclofen. Ive had all other tests done. The list of side effects of all drugs is so long but they dont tell you all of them. For example baclofen is also used for bulimia which is why Im now getting the reaction of constantly feeling hungry so have to watch my portions. sometimes i think about going on a small dosage ie half a mg but im so sensitive tot eh drug im scared it will make my intestinal muscles weaken again which could put me into more trouble.xx

Nana4&cntn
01-23-2008, 02:38 PM
Hi,

I am so sorry to hear how badly you responded to baclofen. I Take 10mg 3-4x daily. I have been thinking of asking my pain specialist to cut the doses. I take an entire pharmacy of meds, well, 15 scripts total. Something he tols me is to increase my vit D to 2000mg. this will help with spasms. It sounds like you might want to see a gastro doc. I have been fighting chronic pain since 1996 from an MVA, and several back surgeries. hope this helps. God bless and I will be praying for you.

shelley2
01-24-2008, 11:19 AM
thankyou for your reply. Im finding it hard to find someone who has only taken baclofen and wasnt swapped to another drug immedietly orcold turkeyed off without being on any other meds. you only suffer with withdrawal if its the only drug you were taking that interacts with the cns. For example. if I was taking diazepam at the same time as baclofen and came off the baclofen i may not have gone into withdrawal. its because I was only taking just the baclofen and nothing else that my brain couldnt cope with such a sudden change. i dont need to be a doc to work this out yet iv seem to have most of the medical profession baffled. thats because they dont want to admit that they made a big mistake.

A few symptoms have subsided in the last few days hopefully for good.xx

sammm
01-24-2008, 09:22 PM
been taking baclofin since 6/29 1 tablet a day, 1/2 in am 12/ in pm, ben working for me, no problems, i take it for spasticity in left hip, from stephanie smith

shelley2
01-25-2008, 10:29 AM
Thankyou for your input. Sloly but surely some of the symptoms are going. It will probably take another 6 months for a recovery from this but I cant complain..at least there is some recovery

Nana4&cntn
02-17-2008, 11:10 PM
Shelly,

I have reduced my baclofen by 10mgs daily, so far so good. In a weeks time I will be reducing another med lyrica. The i another month I reduce a neurileptic med I take by 1/4 of the dose. I am trying to reduce some of my meds. I am tired of being a pharnacist. I have more meds than any 5 people should be taking. I still function, not loopy, just a physical mess.
Shelly I hope things are going well for you. Keep in touch.
Kathy

gizmogirl
02-18-2008, 01:27 AM
Hang in there. We all know that severe muscle spasms alone can cause a cascade of problems, especially for someone who already had chronic problems and pain. Going off the baclofen could have caused your body to literally seize up, and you are trying to recover from the cascade of events that was started by the withdrawal from baclofen, even if technically you are not in immediate withdrawal anymore. I am glad to read that symptoms are starting to reduce; at least you are going in the right direction. If not, I would be tempted to say to ask your doctor if you should take something really mild like clonazepam, but I have heard that if you take it forever, you can get withdrawal symptoms from developing a tolerance, and it sounds like you have to be willing to consider going onto something indefinitely when you take something.
Maybe if you need to take a CNS again in the future for a short term crisis, you should have a plan in place such as not only tapering, but taking clonazepam while you taper and then tapering that too? I don't know, because I am not a doctor. But you have been through alot, and I just want you to know that if you have to take a CNS in the future, there are probably lots of ways to taper off.
Good luck and I am really glad that you are so strong emotionally to have gotton to a point where your side effects are lessening.