New Medication

[Allen5280]

Saw my primary care physician today. Fixin to start me on carbamazepine, an epilepsy medication. To help try and reduce my cannabis intake some. My current muscle relaxer, cyclobenzaprine hasn't been nearly as effective. I've been on it for years. Hopefully I can tolerate it cause it's supposed to help not only with spasms and muscle control but also my trigeminal neuralgia... so... here we go with another game of side effect roulette. She has taken that into account and starting me off with 1/2 the recommended doseage of 200mgs so only 100 2x a day. I'm hopeful because I've destroyed my second recliner in less than a years time from my spasticity. At least my current one still has the arm rests still attached but... it won't close up anymore and stuck in the reclined position. So hopefully by Christmas I can come up with a new on... and maybe the next will survive me. 😮‍💨

[Hest321]

I hope that works for you! I had to look that medicine up to find its brand name is Tegretol, a medicine they had me on years ago. I don’t remember any particular side effects, although it was a long time ago. I wish you the best and hope it helps!

[Morllyn]

I will keep good thoughts that the new medication will help.

Take care and find something to laugh, or at least smile, about.

I will keep you in my heart. I know that isn’t much but maybe it helps you to know that you are cared about.

[CynthiaS]

Thinking positive for you!! 🙂

[Jesmcd2 CommunityAmbassador]

I hope it works for you 🍔 🤗💕🌠

[carolek572 CommunityAmbassador]

Hope that it works for you, Allen5280

[falalalala]

I hope you do well with this one.

ᵃⁿᵈ ˢᵒ ᵈᵒᵉˢ ʸᵒᵘʳ ʳᵉᶜˡᶦⁿᵉʳ

[bxrmom]

Hope that helps you. I take 200mg of Carbamazepine at night for my leg spasms. I can only take it at night because it makes too sleepy during the day. I hope that it helps you. Keep us updated.

[DM0329]

I hope the new medication lessens your spasticity without any adverse side effects.

I hope you can get a new recliner for the Holidays too. There should be some good sales this time of year!

Hope you have a nice weekend, too! 😇🙏🙂🤞

[Raingrrl]

I hope the new med works for you!

[Sagesewer]

Wow I wish you good luck with the new Ned and getting a new recliner.

I also take carbamazepine for Trigeminal neuralgia. Which as you know is an extruciating hell in your mouth when it hits. I think you’ll be pleased with the results.

I’ve never taken it for spasticity though. I’m taking Baclofen. If I miss a dose which is 10mg every 6 hours either my legs or arms are in trouble.

Wishing the best,

Sage

[erash]

Tegretol (carbamepazine) was my trigeminal neuralgia savior

[alsorenson]

I have trigeminal neuralgia (TM) s well as progressive ms. I've been taking carbamazepine for 6 years for TM and it has been very effective. My Dr. weaned me off it about 4 years ago and i went over a year without recurrence. Since relapse I've been taking it again, but recently at a half dose level with zero recurrence. The pain and repetitive attacks from my TM was unlike anything I had previously experienced and significantly interfered with my daily routine . Carbamazepine has made all the difference. Of course everyone is different and react to medications differently.

Whatever you decide I hope it works for you. All the best.

[mhepler531]

Prayers that this one will be helpful with no side effects! ❤️

[ms23]

Another carbamazepine success story: it was the only medication that relieved my daughter’s bilateral facial pain (she also takes baclofen for spasticity and gabapentin for nerve pain, but those couldn’t touch her facial pain). Hoping you get great results! Just keep on top of your labs, particularly routine liver function tests. My daughter had to stop carbamazepine after a few years due to elevated liver enzymes, and nothing since then has alleviated her pain. Still working on a solution…

[lbenmaor]

I hope your new medicine works for you!

Leslie

[Elizt3]

thinking of you and hoping this new med helps with your symptoms.

[CatsandCars]

'Side effect roulette" - Very well put! I just love the anxiety produced when you look at the side effects of a new med and think nobody in their right mind would want to take this stuff, yet you feel desperate enough that you have no choice. Once in a while it winds up being tolerable and helpful. I know you've been through a lot, and I sure hope this is one of those times!

[AquaZumbaFan]

Wishing you only the best luck.. your spasticity sounds very intense.. I am so sorry that you are having to go through such a difficult time ..too bad the manufacturers of the recliners cannot cover that.

[twooldcrows]

hopes for the help of a new drug and a new recliner...take care and be safe ....love and happiness..

[Curlygoats]

Why do you need to reduce your cannabis intake? Do you not get benifits from it you don't get easily from other meds? Just wondering as cannabis is the main medicine I take for my MS. I have been told that it is causing issues but I do question the profession pill pushers.

[Allen5280 in reply to Curlygoats]

It is also my main medication and that will never change. However it's NOT covered by insurance (medicare/medicaid) and it's expensive. I literally have $.45 in my account and a dollar on hand till Friday. Its that way every month and I can't afford to fix my trailer and I go to bed hungry many nights. Meds have got to come first so... trying to control my pain has become like trying to tranquilize a wolly mammoth and it is one of my biggest expenses. I couldn't even dream of asking someone to do something with me cause I have no $$$$ and if something doesn't change quickly I'm gonna freeze this winter... I don't trust the pill pushers either... this was at my request... after destroying yet ANOTHER recliner... that I really don't have the funds to replace 😔

[Curlygoats in reply to Allen5280]

Hugs, money is always an issue . I am so sorry you are having a hard time and I hope things improve soon. I am glad you are doing what is right for you, and I get it. Have you applied for a grant from the MS Society? They help people all the time and they maybe able to help you.

[Allen5280]

Thanks everybody for your replies, sorry I can't get back to everyone but having to fire my therapist Friday sent me into a tailspin that has me kinda more toxic than usual... that and after starting carbamazepine yesterday... ughgg maybe I can work into it but have to find the strength it robbed even more from me and made me drunk like dizziness so I'm cutting them in half at bedtime so a quarter of the half dose I was prescribed it did help my face alot but not at the expense of the stuff I dropped and broke ... luckily it wasn't my hip lol but if I take them at bedtime I can sleep through it and maybe in a few days I will begin to adjust... baby steps for me

[MSbeGone]

Hello 👋, I hope Carbamezapine works for you as you need it to. I take it for my Trigeminal Neuralgia and it works for me for that. I was told that it can cause toxicity in your body so I am checked periodically by being blood tested. I used to get tired sometimes of giving blood but now I realize that sometimes it is needed in a more beneficial way to me than I have realized.