This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

Is there anything in the pipeline for this nasty symptom?

This is specific for "tremor", however looks very promising. And it is also neuroprotective.

Keppra (Levetiracetam) shows Promise Against Tremor

http://www.thisisms.com/article265.html

Search for the Keppra (Levetiracetam) on this site. There are many references and postings by Odd Duck (where did she go?)

I have really taken an interest in this medication (triggered by OddDuck) and articles like the following. http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/healthyf ... 2166.shtml 11 out of 11, small study, but pretty good results. I also note, the patient they talk with, is now off it. did she improve? or was it just symtom relief? If you look in all published articles on it, it is a neuroprotective. I also once came along an article that combined amantadine and Levetiracetam (for parkinsons I think).

I am seeing my neuro on monday, and have already started the process with my GP about the possibility of trialling this one myself.

I spoke to my neuro about Keppra, and he was pretty blaze about it. He was speaking about dosages as he was writting a script. Then as he handed it to me, i realised the script was for baclofen. My neuro said he would try to get some (keppra) as a sample pack or something from his contacts.

I spoke to my GP, and he said that he had a non ms patient on it for tremmors caused by another condition about 5 years ago (before it was available), and that its anti tremmor properties was no big secret. I have a script for it, and hopefully wont have any problems getting it filled. I will let all know how I go with it.

I tried baclofen, a little. You have to slowly build up your dosage, then lower it until you balance out the tremors with the fatigue. I noticed I felt a little more fatigued, so I backed off.

I'm taking Baclofen 3x daily and it is working great for me. I expected lots of bad side effects, but it is really doing a good job for me.

OK, I tried Kreppa for spasicity. You need to build up the dose over three weeks to reach the same dose as in the studies. I didnt find it made a big difference, so I tapered back off it. I was running out of pills in the pack, and it wasnt cheap.

I think I might give the baclofen another go.

How much are people on here?

CureOrBust wrote: I think I might give the baclofen another go.

How much are people on here?

Hi,
I was up to 10 mg three times a day. But I tapered down to 5 mg once a day. I know I don't do well with side effects so I was going for the lowest dosage. It helps me with the night-time spasms.

Hi Cure,

I take 10 mg Baclofen 3x daily. I started with 2x a day. It works pretty well for me.

Hi, I take 30mg of Baclofen 3x a day with no problem, other than it made me a little tired at first. I still sometimes have spasms when I sleep, that cause my muscles to suddenly straighten. I couldn't figure out what was waking me up during the night until recently. Sometimes after a day of lifting weights, my body would flex so violently that I swear I would lift three feet off the bed. I've done this for years before I was ever diagnosed with MS. My wife and I still sometimes get a laugh out of it.
This disease does do some strange things!
Terry.

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I don't think so. It's usually my back, legs and arms that quickly spasm and then release. I get into period of this spasticity when I wake up several times a night. On these nights, I will sometimes be having a dream or occasionally I will see unrecognizable shapes in my room. I one time saw an arm reaching out at me and I sucessfully grabbed it, only to realize it was my own! I think this happens when a spasm happens to occur when I am in a certain state of sleep. It may happen almost nightly for a week or so and then it goes away for a while, or should I say "remits"

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Avigen Completes Phase I Trial for AV650, an Oral Treatment for Neuromuscular Spasm and Spasticity; Phase I Study Includes Lack of Sedation Testing for AV650 07 December 2006

Avigen, Inc. today announced findings from a Phase I clinical trial for AV650 (tolperisone), an oral therapy intended for the treatment of disabling neuromuscular spasticity and spasm. AV650, a New Chemical Entity (NCE) in the U.S., was found to be well tolerated with no evidence of sedation in this trial.
The Phase I study enrolled 30 healthy adult volunteers at one center in the U.S. The double blind, placebo-controlled ascending dose study was designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics, in both fasted and fed individuals, of AV650. In this eight-day study, volunteers were randomised to receive either ascending doses of AV650 up to 450mg/day, or placebo. There were no dose-limiting or dose-related increases in adverse events. Reported adverse events were generally mild in intensity and similar to those previously reported for tolperisone. In addition, there were no drug-related laboratory abnormalities or clinically important changes in cardiovascular parameters. A unique aspect of this study was the assessment of sedation with AV650 utilising both the CALCAP and VAS. CALCAP is a battery of computerised measures designed to assess sedation and cognitive function, including reaction times, visual discrimination, short-term memory, and attention. The VAS measures a subject's subjective assessment of sedation. Together, the initial findings in this study indicated no significant difference from placebo.

Data from the clinical trial will be submitted for presentation at an upcoming medical meeting.

"We are pleased the results of this first study are consistent with the long-term safety experience with tolperisone and are encouraged with the initial assessment of non-sedation with AV650. Lack of sedation is an important differentiator for AV650, and we plan to continue to assess it in future trials," commented Avigen President and Chief Executive Officer, Kenneth Chahine, Ph.D, J.D. "We look forward to working with clinical investigators in the U.S. to explore further the safety and efficacy of AV650 as a potential non-sedative treatment option for patients with debilitating spasm and spasticity caused by neurological disorders."

AV650 is being developed in the North American market for the treatment of disabling neuromuscular spasticity and spasm under a license and supply agreement with Sanochemia Pharmazeutika AG. AV650 is an orally administered centrally acting small molecule marketed for the treatment of neuromuscular spasticity and spasm in Europe and Asia. Avigen's development program will build on the extensive ex-U.S. safety and efficacy experience with this compound.

About Neuromuscular Spasm and Spasticity

Chronic or recurrent muscle spasm is a sudden, violent, painful contraction of muscles typically associated with serious neurological disorders such as Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), multiple sclerosis, stroke, spinal cord injury, and cerebral palsy. These painful muscle spasms are often, but not always, associated with spasticity, an abnormality in muscle "tone." Spastic limbs become stiff and rigid because the muscles fail to relax, lacking normal regulation by the damaged nervous system. Both spasticity and sudden, painful muscle spasms can occur as complications of the neurological disorders mentioned above.

Source: PrimeNewswire (06/12/06)