Muscle spasms and walking

[greaterexp]

Is any one of you helped with walking by decreasing your muscle spasms with muscle relaxers? Muscle relaxers always make me drowsy, and though the tizanidine I use now doesn't make me drowsy for long, I am loathe to take it during the day. However, recently the muscle spasms that make it harder to walk are starting much earlier in the day. I know I'll just have to try it to find out if it helps, but I wonder what your experiences are.

[bxrmom]

I take 1mg (half of the 2mg tab) in the morning of Tizanidine along with 10mg baclofen to help with my spasms. At night I take the full 2mg tab of Tizanidine and 10mg baclofen. Tizanidine was added after the baclofin years ago (9 maybe) because my spasms were really getting painful. Not sure if you take baclofin or not but may want to talk to your neuro about it. Hope you can get the pain under control soon.

Jessie

[greaterexp in reply to bxrmom]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience. I was taking Baclofen, but wasn't getting much response and had nausea as a side effect. I don't have nausea with the tizanidine. That's a great idea to reduce the dose and see if it helps without getting the drowsiness.

[bxrmom in reply to greaterexp]

Your welcome. Hope that maybe decreasing the morning dose helps. My latest neuro also lowered my baclofen to 10mg and increased the frequency because of the increase of pain and the higher dose not working as it had.

[carolek572 CommunityAmbassador]

greaterexp I was taking baclofen 10 mg twice a day, but I noticed that my muscles were getting 'rubbery', so I backed away from taking so much and reduced it to taking it once a day, right before bed. It seems to work, and my neuro says that it is fine as long as it is working for me. I shudder to think that someday, this might not be the case.

[greaterexp in reply to carolek572]

I'm so glad it's working for you. I have rarely taken anything during the day so I wouldn't have to deal with side effects, and the good effects seemed to last into the next day. It's tricky finding the right med or combination and timing.

[Juleigh21]

I’ve been taking 600 mg of gabapentin at bedtime and I haven’t needed baclofen or tizanidine much anymore. Like everyone, I dread the day that I’ll need more. I hated doubling the gabapentin dose.

[Morllyn]

I posted this as a response to another question but would like to put it here also.

My PCP prescribed magnesium for my bones due to osteoporosis and osteopenia. The thing is one day I stated having muscle spasms right a while before I normally took my magnesium. I tried my baclophen but after an hour there was no change. It got time to take my magnesium so I took it. Within 15-20 minutes the muscle spasms stopped. I noted this but just in passing. I googled magnesium and muscle spasms (reputable sites only) and found information that led me to believe that magnesium may help calm muscle spasms. The next bout of muscle spasms that I had I decided to take a magnesium tablet (I take 500 mg, 1 time per day for bones so this was an extra 500 mg at the onset of the spasms). Within 15-20 minutes they stopped!

Now, to be fair, I drink a lot of water and or tea during the day and urinate a lot so maybe my spasms are from dehydration, I do not know. I do know that the extra magnesium has always stopped them.

Check with your doctor before trying this because I am definitely not a doctor and do not know what medications you may be on.

Anyway, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. 😁😂🤣

[greaterexp in reply to Morllyn]

Thank you! I've been taking magnesium for several years. My neurologist thinks I am simply progressing into SPMS. But there are several things to take into consideration with muscle spasms, so I'm glad you brought that up. Electrolytes, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus, and other things must be considered, rather than always assuming it's "just MS."

[erash in reply to Morllyn]

I want to restart taking magnesium but I have horse pills and am looking for something smaller, powder, liquid? Mine are mag glycinate. Any suggestions?

[Morllyn in reply to erash]

I looked on Amazon and saw magnesium powders, drops sprays and even creams. I didn’t look at the dosage on them though.

[Iona60 in reply to erash]

I am taking magnesium citrate in a powder form.

[erash in reply to Iona60]

do you have a brand to recommend?

[greaterexp in reply to erash]

I can't remember why my doctor recommended the magnesium glycinate, rather than citrate, but it was partly because of absorbability. I only take 1 tablet (200 mg) daily. My son works at a compounding pharmacy and makes the creams, but I'm not sure about the absorbability of that either.

It's good to have you back, erash .

I don't know about this site's reputation, but there are some interesting thoughts here:

immunehealthscience.com/typ...

[erash in reply to greaterexp]

Helpful site! I was recommended glycinate yrs ago by a holistic nutritionist due to absorbability and calming effect. Looks like citrate is pretty absorbable per that site. It probably doesn't matter if more absorbable if I don't take it b/c too big

and thanks for the welcome

[greaterexp in reply to erash]

It appears that some folks have issues with the laxative effect of the citrate, but everyone is different.

[erash in reply to greaterexp]

Good point. We use mag citrate as a laxative in medicine, right!

[Iona60 in reply to erash]

That is mainly why I use it. I generally just buy the generic brand.

[kris1973]

I take 10mg of baclofen 6x times a day (every 2 hours works best for me). I then take 2mg of tizanidine at dinner & at bedtime. Neither makes me drowsy. -Kris

[greaterexp in reply to kris1973]

Wow! We are all surely different in our responses, aren't we? I'm glad you don't have issues with the drowsiness!

[kris1973 in reply to greaterexp]

greaterexp The trial & error is still the hardest part for me. As soon as I think I’ve figured it out - my MS gets worse, my activity changes (like on our trip), or the dumb 3rd party insurer switches generic manufacturers monthly.

[greaterexp in reply to kris1973]

That’s so true!

[dailygrump40]

Glad to read all the success stories on this feed. I wasn't so lucky in my journey to control the spasms. 3600 mgs of Gabapentin stopped working after a while. Now I started on a low dose which got increased til the Dr I was with found a dose that worked. Then it got increased when it wasn't working anymore. Tizanidine got added at some point in time. Can't remember the details of it except it didn't help me. After several years? of doctoring the Baclofen pump got brought up. Then after the investigation period to make sure it was gonna help me. I went under the knife to have it implanted. Now I have very few spasms in my legs. It takes several appts to get the dosage set. But it was well worth it for me and since the pump is a "last resort" the decision to get one shouldn't be taken lightly.

[greaterexp in reply to dailygrump40]

I think we have a few folks who use the Baclofen pump with great results. I don't think I'm there yet, but it's good to know it's an option for a later time.

[dailygrump40]

I wish I could've waited a longer time til I needed one. But. Not in my cards.

[9-1950]

I have bren warned off muscle relaxers for same reason so the choice is yours. Be very careful if you take them though.

[Iona60]

In the past, I've taken both baclofen and tizanadine. I am having better luck now with CBD oil, without THC. My spasticity was at the point that the NP wanted me to try botox. I asked to try CBD oil first. One month after starting CBD, I had my third full Ocrevus infusion (one year point). Not sure which one is helping the most, but my spasticity is much better.

[greaterexp in reply to Iona60]

Hurrah for whatever is working!

[erash]

I stretch each day--unsure helps much. Yoga def. does. but honestly did not know I was having spasticity until an MS PT told me that's why I was having issues with walking etc.

[greaterexp in reply to erash]

Thanks for the reminder! I have stretching exercises from the PT, but don't remember to do them.

[southernsullivan]

I'm curious about taking muscle relaxants during the day to reduce spasticity in my legs - and ultimately improve my walking as well. Right now I take Baclofen at night to reduce the muscle cramps/spasms in my legs. I had been taking 20 mg before bed, but I've been able to reduce the amount to 5 mg (1/2 tablet) by taking magnesium glycinate and doing about 20 minutes of stretching before I go to bed.

During the day, though, the toes on my weak side curl up, making walking really difficult (it gets worse the more fatigued I get). Like you, I've hated taking any meds during the day that makes me even more tired. But just this week I started taking 10 mg of Baclofen in the mornings to see if it helps uncurl my toes...

[greaterexp in reply to southernsullivan]

I sure hope it helps! Let us know! It seems to sometimes take a while to find the magic combination.

[Good_enough]

I take baclofen at night along with colonapan.

I get leg spasms when I lie down. The combo also helps me sleep through the entire night. (Detrol keeps my bladder in control)

I used to try baclofen during the day but found that spasticity actually helped my walking abilities more, without the relaxer.

I think everyone should find their preferences through trial ✌

[Beckylp54]

Hi greaterexp

In the beginning of my MS I had terrible muscle spasms. I stretched ALL the time during the day. Almost had to get some kind of medication to deal with them. I do yoga and yoga really helps me with core strength and strengthing my legs etc. I still get bad spasms but have been able to tolerate them with taking 250 mg of magnesium every other day plus stretching and drinking plenty of water.

But IT'S a constent battle keeping them at bay.

Blessings❤becky