[*Georgia*]

hi
i am Georgia and I am 14 with left hemi , last February i had an operation to lengthen my Achilles tendon, and it worked but because of my new way of walking (apparently )my hamstring began to become tight and cause me lots of pain . i was given cocodomol by my consultant and i am still using them now when they are needed ,which is fairly often . in November still in pain I was offered botox which i had never had before but he thought was worth giving a try but he wasn't sure that it would work . it did work , and for about 6 weeks i was in no pain at all ,(except after walking a "long" way) ,but then as it wore off the pain came back and yesterday I saw my consultant again . He told me that it was too soon to do more botox , and he suggested that i try Baclofen for now , I've never heard it it but I am wiling to give it a try , he told me that it can be used to reduce muscle spasticity , as well as or instead of botox . He has ordered some botox for me for a months time and when I go in I will decide if I want/need it . it can be taken as well as pain relief tablets , although it does have side effects of making you sleepy ,which I am worried about as I am currently in year 10 at school , which is an important time . as i have never heard of Baclofen before or anyone who has used it , I just wondered if anyone else is or has used it and if it has worked for them ? also if the effects wear off after time ? i am interested in any other people who have taken it . thanks and sorry if I have written too much !
thanks Georgia x

[muffin]

hi georgia,
sorry you have not had a reply for so long. My little girls takes baclofen which helps make her muscles less stiff. The dose has needed to be increased as she has got older and heavier. It doesn't seem to make her sleepy, wish it did!!! Unlike botox it doesn't just work on one muscle group, so she had some problems a while ago as though it was helpign her legs be less stiff, it was making her too floppy in her tummy. However, we reduced the dose down and this has helped. I guess it is up to you, might be worth discussing with your consultant whether you could try it and then come off it if it didn't help or you felt it was making you sleepy.
hope this helps
muffinx

[*Georgia*]

muffin, on 26 February 2012 - 07:57 PM, said:

hi georgia,
sorry you have not had a reply for so long. My little girls takes baclofen which helps make her muscles less stiff. The dose has needed to be increased as she has got older and heavier. It doesn't seem to make her sleepy, wish it did!!! Unlike botox it doesn't just work on one muscle group, so she had some problems a while ago as though it was helpign her legs be less stiff, it was making her too floppy in her tummy. However, we reduced the dose down and this has helped. I guess it is up to you, might be worth discussing with your consultant whether you could try it and then come off it if it didn't help or you felt it was making you sleepy.
hope this helps
muffinx

hi muffinx
thanks for the reply , I am now not taking the Baclofen as often because I am having the same problem as your daughter that although it is making my leg less still my arm is floppy and weak . as I had never heard of anyone else who had taken Baclofen before has helped a lot knowing that somebody else is taking it too. I now take Baclofen only when i am going to be using my leg a lot like days out or sometimes PE lessons .
Georgia