I noticed blue mentioned baclofen does not make you sleepy so it can be taken during the day. My doc has me taking it at bedtime. Did I read that correct Blue, or anyone else who takes baclofen. Does it not have a drowsy effect? I have never tried it other than at bedtime and I do an ambien so I wouldn't know how it effects me. I have only taken it for about 2mos. Just wondering how it effects other people?

Peace and pain free days to us all!

Glojer

hi glojer,
you read right. i take it during the day. sometimes i take it at night too. i do not notice a difference in how the ambien and benadryl work in conjunction with the baclofen.
gosh, it is so nice to talk about "easy stuff". i am still dancing for us all. for healing.
luv, hugs and peace,
blue

Hi blue,

Your dancing is becoming legendary. Yes I know what you mean about talking about 'easy stuff'. Doc official said today braveman is in remission, funny how that word has such a wonderful sound.

I have not noticed that slack soft muscle reaction with baclofen like I did with Tizanidine (which I think is the same as Zanaflex?). I do however notice a difference in the tightness and pain in my muscles if I don't take it. That's why I was curious about daytime use. As I read up on it again I noticed that it can be prescribed to take at intervals during the day. I take 10mgs seems like that is a middle of the road dose.

Thanks for the info.

Peace and pain free days!

Glojer

now i shall have to dance a most magical dance. remission. yes it is a lovely word. a beatiful word. a glorious word. such a tiny word meaning so very much to ears hungry to hear it. braveman must have a dance of purple scarves with tiny mirrors on them to dance light into those dark recesses of yesterday. such a delight, this word remission!
now, back to the baclofen, giggle. i really do notice the lack of tightness when i take it, without the mushy floating useless blob feeling like i get with vallium. i also take 10mg of baclofen.
let me know if you notice a difference during the day. i just feel like it is easier to move. like i have been oiled, giggle.
peace,
blue

I like that, "like I have been oiled." I am going to try taking it during the day, but will wait until I have a day at home in case I want to take a nap. I could not take vallium it made me very 'goofy....spacey' the next morning.

Sorry to take so long to respond, have been on the run and will be for the next few days again. I have really missed talking with everyone. Makes it that much sweeter when I can get here.

We have hopefully found the cause of bravemans last problem from the chemo. Thanks for the beautiful dancing I love purple and with mirrors no less! We are hoping your dancing is going to make this last problem (the skin rash from some virus that was laying dormant in him that the chemo woke up) go totally away without digging deeper.

Love and pain free days,

Glojer

I take Baclofen 4 times a day, 20mg's each time pretty faithfully. It does now and again cause tiredness (could be something else) but nothing I can't shake off in a few moments. It is supposed to have a "tired" side effect but doesn't work that way for everyone. I found it to be the only muscle relaxant (well it works on your Spinal cord and is for MS and CP) that doesn't make me tired if you will.

It is also something that takes a few weeks to build into your system if you use it in the same manner that I do (according to their pamphlet). I noticed a difference right away but did have a few problems for the first few days with weird side effects but they passed very quickly.

Barbie

Thanks Kissa, that gives me more reason to try it during the day. Hopefully will get to do that this week. Maybe taking it before exercise class would be a good idea, I would definitly not get tired then!

I appreciate the info, even though the doc says take it at bedtime since I don't feel the sleepy effects from it I think it might do more good during the day when I am tight and sore. I will check it out.

Glojer

Hi Glojer,

It is so nice to write you and not have that cloud of not knowing hanging over you and Braveman's head. What a wonderful world.

I take Baclofen. When my back went out it was a wonderful medication. As KIssa said it does build up in your system. According to many doctors I have talked with Baclofen is considered the best muscle relaxer since it works on the tightness and heaviness for a while. Some of the others just make you forget about it.

I take it at night when I can't sleep and it does help. I can also take it during the day and not feel too tired. I react strongly to muscle relaxers so it could be very different for you when it comes to how they affect you. I hope it helps you out. You really do not get that mushy, creepy feeling from it.

Take care. I feel so happy writing you right now. :D

Peace and love, Hangin

Thank You Hangin, yes isn't it nice to talk about the simple things again. Like how meds effect us or our fibro.....hee!...hee! Never thought I would say that. I haven't yet had the chance to try baclofen during the day, the days I was home I got so wrapped up in doing normal things (and I couldn't figure out what to do first) that I forgot to try the baclofen during the day. I will put that on my calendar for next week, go to doc with braveman tomorrow and my brother finally has the movers over the weekend and may need my help. So if I am on standby I better be alert...giggle!

I hope you and swingman are doing better. How has his lupus been lately, we have had such changing weather here in Mo. I have been up and down the pain scale. How is you back doing? Back problems can be the most frustrating but hang in there and take care of yourself.

Glojer

I gave the baclofen a try during the day yesterday and I liked it. I couldn't really feel a great difference just a more relaxed muscle tone. Not that uptight my muscles are trying to wringout like a dishrag kind of feeling I normally have. I'm going to give it a try for a few more days. Of course I then don't have it for the extra relaxation at night and that is why my doc wants me to take it at night.


Glojer

hi glojer,
you can still take it at night with your sleep meds. i only take it when i feel like i am in the wringer too. that is the nice thing about it. you have more choices.
glad it helped you. have fun helping with the move. i did that yesterday with brother for our dear neighbor.
peace,
bluelakelady

The doc had prescribed the baclofen (10mgs.) at night and that is the way I have been taking it. You know I like taking it during the day, it really has seemed to help but I notice a difference in my sleep so I took one last night and then again this morning before exercise class. I will do this again another couple days and if I still feel an improvement I am going to call the doc and ask if he will prescribe for 2/10mgs a day. Right now I only get 30pills and I notice a difference in my quality of sleep if I don't use it at night. If the doc won't do that I will just play the sometime days and sometime night game until I can get to my gp and see what she can do.

Glojer

I just started taking Baclofen like 2 days ago, I have chronic myofascial pain in my neck and face from severe spasms in my neck muscles.

I was prescribed 10mg 3x per day. However, when I get any new medicine that is multiple times per day I always start at 1 per day and then work my way up as long as there are no side effects.

The first time I took it was at night and it amazingly took my spasms away, and also made me really sleepy. Next day I took 2, one in afternoon and one at night, and it seemed to lessen the spasms (yes they always return), and I wasn't so sleepy.

Today is day 3, and I woke up feeling really elated, I read somewhere that it can cause a 'false sense of well being', well false or not feeling good can be fun.

So today I'll probably go up to the 3x 10mg and see how it goes. I can say that it can and does relieve spasm, and hopefully over the long term does build up into more permanent relief. I can also say that it does not make me nearly as sleepy as most other muscle relaxers, especially Flexiril which I was taking previously, that stuff would make me constantly want to take a nap.

P.S. I read somewhere else on this board that someone who was taking 3x 20mg found better relief spreading it out over the day into 6x 10mg. After I am at 3x per day, I will try going to 6x per day at half the dose. Although I could see that being somewhat annoying having to take one like every two hours.

Hi Stan and welcome to the boards. Thank you for your information it is always helpful to get another point of view on how a med works.

So far I like taking it day and night, but I have only done that for about 3days and two nights. Not quite long enough for a true test. It does help and I don't get a sleepy feeling at all. I might have had that 'false sense of well being' you spoke about, I would call it a 'high' cause I really felt good. That is beginning to wear off cause I have been so busy and doing more with exercise and activities than usual. I most definitly agree though who cares, feeling good is great!

Glojer