Baclofen head muscle tension

[emc]

Hi everybody,
first of all sorry if i write in English, but i don't know German language and just need some advice about a special subject related with Baclofen.

I'm on Baclofen from about 6 months and i confirm that works! and great!
Actually i'm on 135mg after really slow titrating and after being 2 months and half on 165 (my supposed switch dose).
Sometimes still small "fights" between habitude and cravings but i will talk about this later.

The special question i want to ask to the forum its related to an uncommon (possible) side effect of Baclofen.
When i mount on 185mg (for "consolidating" what i consider my switch) i felt really bad SE,
Kind of intossication effects. Blood pressure exploded (too high / too low), pain in the kidneys and other stuff.
Everyhthing went ok coming back to my "normal dose" 165mg.

Everything apart one terrible effect of rigid head that is still present from 1 month and half.
The sensation its little bit hard to explain but it's something like to have a really "tight helmet", constantly 24/24.
The pain is not really big, but its constant and affects a lot the concentration, the humor... the well being that i've found (re-found) with my baclo-therapy.
It's not at all a migraine, sure its not. It seems to be muscle-related or occipital nerve...

I've tried to lower Bac at 120mg from 165mg, quite fast, but the disturb did not disappear.
I've tried painkillers that did completely nothing (1g paracetamol or 50mg diclofenac).
I've made EEG and all's ok with "phisiologic" impulses.
Right now i'm trying Tizinadine but it does not seems to help.

Someone have ever had this kind of headache?
If yes, how did you manage to let it go away?

Thanks for help.
I will present myself more in details little later.

PS: i'm a user both on MWO and on French forum too, but cannot find any answer...

[Papfl]

Hi emc,

just a short question in between: how long have you been on lower dose (120 mg / 135 mg)? We know, that SE can last for at least six weeks once they appear (have a look ). Did you already stay a six-weeks-period on low dose 135 mg? Maybe 165 mg was still a little bit too high, if rigid head didn't disappear after one and a half month.

Papfl

[emc]

hey Papfl,
thanks for quick answr

No, i did'nt.
i went to 165mg really slowly in 3 months, without pratically any SE.
Then made a 20 days titrating up to 185 (consolidation) then back again down because of this strange headache.
2 weeks on 165 and obliged to lower again the dose to see if this headache passes.
Kind of a week at 120mg and then little up again cause i saw a kind of little craving re-appearing (drinking faster then i use to).
Now 135mg and i'll stay there.

I don't have this kind of indifference that i don't drink at all, but i went from 200/250 gr alc/day to the actual 30/40.
I even don't know if it's the "real indifference" but its already a big result for me, apart this muscle tension in the head!
Really really invalidant!

I know well that bac does not like the yo-yo, but i was planning to stay around 150mg for at least six months (as adviced for full security) and then start to lower, slowly, obviously.

I will try to stay on the actual 135mg for 6 weeks, if no signs of craving appears, and continue to search all the other possible ways like the electrostimulation TENS that seems to be useful and/or acupuncture and/or physiotherapeutic massage... hope soemthing will work!!!

If someone experienced this kind of headache pls post some advice

emc

[Papfl]

[emc]

sure i will Papfl!

Thanks for now and i hope that someone else will answer more.

emc

[WilloTse]

Hi emc,
welcome here!

I've quitted my high-dose baclofene-therapy (gon' up to 175 mg/d) end of April '13. SE at + 100 mg/d went creepy. Worst were splitseconds of seeing myself torture my family und strange misfeelings in both my hands.
After quitting baclofene, SE stayed for about six weeks. Hallucination went short after quitting, misfeelings lasted almost two month.

If you suffer from some SE, reduce in small steps 'til SE let off.

Please keep us informed

Willo

[GoldenTulip]

some times after my hopeful, georgeous feelings with baclofen exactly this was my turning-point.
If its all in my head, I will have to rearrange the basics, not to cure or spin around with Effects or side-effects.("Nebenwirkungen").
Heel the need, and no more craving will be.
Quit coffein, quit anger and shame, and wheat, too.
Without those basics, getting rid off alcohol ist quite useless.
Undermine the structure, not the effects.
My 2 cent,
Conny

[emc]

hi everybody,
back here after many months for a quick update...
Everything is going generally ok and Baclofen continue to make its good job!
I'm actually on 70mg/day (titratin down) and the alcohol is far from me as addiction from already ~10 months (i'm not abstinent, still drink occasionally).

About the only SE i have (this tension headache) i report that is going better than months ago but is not completely gone... I notice that appears and is harder when i'm little more stressed/anxious together with a poor sleep (bad or not too much). Its really like to have a tight "helmet" on the head.
Annoying but ok, it's completely affordable for the good of being Alc free.

As i also know the French forum and the US too, i think it would be great if we will arrive all together to "join the power" to make something more for Baclo!
I'm working (trying to work) on some statistics data about the "indifference in the long-term" because if it seems undoubt that Baclofen works, i can even see a lot of relapses...
Join together the data of different country/language forums would be really great.
I will continue to post some update from time to time and news about this statistic project...

PS: someone know who is behind this "Mr Baclo" blog ( baclofen-selbstversuch.blog.de )? Is he/she still indifferent?
I don't like to see that the last update is on 2011...

[DonQuixote]

Hi emc

Great to hear about your success with baclofen. There have been several polls in French, German and English forums. See or or or . Unfortunately they are not comparable, because their design is quite different.

I wish you all the best. DonQuixote