1. < Neuropathy

Anyone have experience with Baclofen for back and neuropathy pain?

Posted by cwallen9 @cwallen9, Mar 26, 2020

My doctor put me on Baclofen to treat severe muscle tightness in my back. I have been on 5mg twice a day for about four days now, and my back and neuropathy pain seem to be getting worse, not better. I have severe neck and upper back pain and neuropathy pain in my feet, legs, hands, and arms. Has anyone had success or worse symptoms?

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artsyseven | @artsyseven | Sep 16, 2022

Pamela,What do you experience with the optic nerve damage. I have strange eye symptoms that is difficult to explain. Kind of like my eyes for a split second giggle so what I am trying to see is out of focus or sometimes as if my eyes act like an old fashion movie where the vision is choppy. It never lasts long but is very frustrating.

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1 reply
jt67 | @jt67 | Nov 7, 2022

I know when I tried quitting it my nerve pain intensified, started have all kinds of crazy sensations. I used to only take it once in a while, but went to 3 times a day because it seemed to help more than lyrica alone. I used to use it when I felt a migraine coming on, and it stopped it.
I thought it might be making things worse which is why I tried to quit it, but that only seemed to make things worse. So I'm not sure if it's helping or it's the reason I have worsening symptoms.

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pamelaz | @pamelaz | Nov 9, 2022
In reply to @artsyseven "Pamela,What do you experience with the optic nerve damage. I have strange eye symptoms that is..." + (show)
@artsyseven

Pamela,What do you experience with the optic nerve damage. I have strange eye symptoms that is difficult to explain. Kind of like my eyes for a split second giggle so what I am trying to see is out of focus or sometimes as if my eyes act like an old fashion movie where the vision is choppy. It never lasts long but is very frustrating.

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I have lost sight in my right eye. Not blind. My right side has little peripheral vision.

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1 reply
pamelaz | @pamelaz | Nov 9, 2022
In reply to @pamelaz "I have lost sight in my right eye. Not blind. My right side has little peripheral..." + (show)
@pamelaz

I have lost sight in my right eye. Not blind. My right side has little peripheral vision.

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I have to go to a Neuro Ophthalmologist. There are very few in this field.

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hladd | @hladd | Mar 25, 2023
In reply to @johnbishop "Hello @cwallen -- Have you told your doctor about the back pain and neuropathy pain getting..." + (show)
@johnbishop

Hello @cwallen -- Have you told your doctor about the back pain and neuropathy pain getting worse since starting Baclofen? I did find an article on the National Institutes of Health from 2017 that mentions it can also make back pain worse even though it's prescribed to reduce the pain.

Baclofen and Back Pain: A Paradoxical Phenomena -- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5461866/

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I have found that baclofen doesn't help with the nerve pain in the neck and spine but it does relieve that severe muscle cramping you get with the pain. For me the baclofen has been useful in that regard.

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John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Mar 25, 2023
In reply to @hladd "I have found that baclofen doesn't help with the nerve pain in the neck and spine..." + (show)
@hladd

I have found that baclofen doesn't help with the nerve pain in the neck and spine but it does relieve that severe muscle cramping you get with the pain. For me the baclofen has been useful in that regard.

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Welcome @hladd, Thanks for sharing your experience. Have you also been diagnosed with a form of neuropathy?

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bjk3 | @bjk3 | Mar 26, 2023
In reply to @hladd "I have found that baclofen doesn't help with the nerve pain in the neck and spine..." + (show)
@hladd

I have found that baclofen doesn't help with the nerve pain in the neck and spine but it does relieve that severe muscle cramping you get with the pain. For me the baclofen has been useful in that regard.

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I would "second" that. It definitely helps me with cramping of back muscles. It doesn't seem to negatively interact with other medications, either.

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cekkk | @cekkk | Dec 28, 2023

So I went to a neurologist 2 days ago thinking I had diabetic neuropathy, even though I noticed the symptoms were not all that similar to diabetic neuropathy. After his consultation with me he believed the problem originated in the spine even though I have no discomfort in the back. He prescribed Baclofen and I took my first pill yesterday at 1:00 p.m. when I picked it up at the pharmacy and another in the evening and one this morning. By george, I think it has relieved my discomfort in my hip and thigh. To be clear, it has eased it, not eliminated it. And of course, some of that might just be placebo effect. He didn't make an actual diagnosis as he set up a CT and an EMG, but he may be on to something that is actually fixable. That would be a first in my last few years of problems.

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