Does Baclofen have to be in the body at all times to work, or is it okay to wait until the tightness starts occurring before taking it?

Here is My Question:
Does Baclofen have to be in the body at all times to work, or is it okay to wait until the tightness starts occurring before taking it?

Answer:
There is no evidence that Baclofen needs to be in the system at all times to be effective. Many people take baclofen just once a day or  only as needed to help manage stiffness and spasms that are problem at a particular time of time -- for instance, in the evening when trying to sleep--or during a particular period of time—for instance, during colder weather or after hip replacement surgery, both of which frequently increase spasticity and spasms.

It is useful to find out the dose you require to control you spasticity before using intermittent treatment. Some people respond to doses as low as 5 mg and others require 20 or 30 mg. Once you know your effective dose, you have a good starting point for intermittent treatment. 

As always, discuss any changes in your dosing with your doctor first, so they are away of this change in your management. Your doctor may have reasons unknown to me for advising you to take more regular doses of baclofen. Be aware that baclofen takes a certain amount of time to get into your system and this time varies from person to person. Lastly, some people get sleepy after taking baclofen, especially if only taking the medication intermittently. Sleepiness will be more of a problem if you are taking baclofen with other medications that can make people sleepy or impair driving (e.g., alcohol, marijuana, opiates, benzodiazepines in particular). You need to find out if you are one of these individuals and, if so, use caution when taking the medication by avoiding driving or other potentially hazardous activities. 

Revere P (Rip) Kinkel, MDProfessor of Clinical Neurosciences
Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Program
Clinical Neurosciences Director
University of California San Diego
#baclofen #multiplesclerosis