At Jeff's recent visit to his neurologist, she was going thru his prior prescriptions and asked if he needed baclofen for his muscle spasms.
"No, I haven't used baclofen in two years, since my first angioplasty. My night time spasms are gone." he answered.
Oh, she replied. That's interesting.
The relief of painful myoclonic jerks and muscle spasms has been a huge blessing for Jeff. He sleeps thru the night, whereas prior to his angioplasty, he thrashed and spasmed during the night. He took magnesium (Natural Calm) and baclofen, and still had difficulty with spasms and myoclonic jerks.
What changed?
Quote:
Specifically, anoxia is a condition in which there is an absence of oxygen supply to an organ's tissues although there is adequate blood flow to the tissue. Hypoxia is a condition in which there is a decrease of oxygen to the tissue in spite of adequate blood flow to the tissue. Anoxia and hypoxia, however, are often used interchangeably--without regard to their specific meanings--to describe a condition that occurs in an organ when there is a diminished supply of oxygen to the organ's tissues.
Anoxia and hypoxia may be caused by a number of events, such as smoke or carbon monoxide inhalation, high altitude exposure, strangulation, anesthetic accidents, or poisoning. In severe cases of anoxia and hypoxia, from any cause, the patient is often stuperous or comatose (in a state of unconsciousness) for periods ranging from hours to days, weeks, or months. Seizures, myoclonic jerks (muscle spasms or twitches), and neck stiffness may occur.
http://www.neuroskills.com/anoxia.shtmlQuote:
Subcortical
Subcortical myoclonus may be the result of the person experiencing abnormally low levels of oxygen in the brain (hypoxia) or a metabolic process, such as kidney or liver failure. The structures in the brain involved in this form of myoclonus include the thalamus and the brainstem. Myoclonus, which may arise when the thalamus is damaged by a lack of blood supply or oxygen (infarct), often causes involuntary, jerking or flapping movements (asterixis) in the arm.
http://www.wemove.org/myo/myo_pc.html
This is not placebo-- Jeff is asleep. He couldn't control his spasms before, he didn't wish them away. Since he was the first treated, there was no "suggestability" potential for what he would expect after treatment. He had no idea what to expect after angioplasty. Relief of spasms, relief of heat intolerence, relief of fatigue...all happened within days, and continue, two years later.
cheer
_________________
Husband dx RRMS 3/07
dx dual jugular vein stenosis (CCSVI) 4/09
dual stents placed 5/09
CCSVI in MS 
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