Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!clyde.concordia.ca!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!usc!snorkelwacker!mintaka!yale!bunker!hcap!hnews!371!33!Jean.Prophet From: Jean.Prophet@f33.n371.z1.fidonet.org (Jean Prophet) Newsgroups: misc.handicap Subject: Question Message-ID: <12852@bunker.UUCP> Date: 18 Jul 90 04:44:09 GMT Sender: news@bunker.UUCP Reply-To: Jean.Prophet@f33.n371.z1.fidonet.org Distribution: misc Organization: FidoNet node 1:371/33 - Byte Size Bits, LaBelle FL Lines: 61 Approved: wtm@bunker.UUCP Index Number: 9248 [This is from the Spinal Injury Conference] > I think that your both correct. I know when I'm on higher doses of > my > muscle relaxants that I generally feel more fatigued than if I am > able > to be on a lower dosage. I thank God that I changed doctors and > found > one that said I was on to high a dosage of valium. My speech was > slurred and you could have set a bomb off under my chair and I > probably wouldn't have flinched. The bad part was that it occurred It's good that you found a doctor that knew what to look for. Buddy's doctor told us (as far as the dosage of the medication) to take it as Buddy felt he NEEDED it. On days he's feeling really good, sometime he doesn't even take it (then the spazms take over again, unfortunately) on BAD days, we start out with a minimal dosage, then work up to where he is more comfortable. It seems to work the best if he takes it before going to bed at night. At that point, he seems to sleep a little better and doesn't wake up so stiff and spastic (but there are times when even taking it at night doesn't help the 'morning stiffness and spastic movements - and usually this is after a rather rigorous routine the day before). We tried NOT taking the 10 mg in the morning, but if he doesn't take it then, by noontime his legs don't seem to want to function (shaking, woobling etc). It seems to be a big vicious circle and Buddy gets so depressed over it sometimes ..... It makes ME feel bad when we feels this way - wish I could take some of that away from him and I feel so helpless at these times I don't know what to do !! It seems as though lately he's had a 'stiff neck' all the time - Probably it's time for another visit to the doctor (although I don't have too much faith that anything more can be done for him. Buddy doesn't WANT to go to the doctor and this is the biggest problem I have with him. I can't say as I blame him, seems like everytime he goes another surgery is predicted (or advised), Buddy will 'put it off', then end up having it done at a much later date and suffer, suffer, and suffer somemore. The last time we went to the doctors, Dr. J. told Buddy that 'scar tissue' was causing problems (same problems as the original injury) - seems as though the scar tissue is compressing the spinal cord (and all the other 'goodies' in his neck area). Looks like the situation is only going to get worse instead of better . > today after years of a lower drug level, I am still startled by a > noise much more than people that are around me. That IS a side effect that Buddy has felt too. Dr. J. also told Buddy that since the spinal cord is so damaged it's like it is 'immature' (like a baby's spinal cord) .... You know when you wake a baby up and it sort of 'shakes' ... the spinal cord can't seem to get the proper messages where they belong and so it gives a 'startled' shake to get things going. (I don't know if that made any sense to you, but I tried to explain it like the doctor explained it to us). Jean -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!371!33!Jean.Prophet Internet: Jean.Prophet@f33.n371.z1.fidonet.org