Odd new side effect

[skullbabyland]

Hi all... this morning I've been experiencing a weird effect that may or may not be baclofen-related. I've been making SO many changes over the past 4 to 6 months that it's hard to tell. Nutrition, exercise, supplements, etc. in addition to meds. So I really have no idea. That said, what's going on is that this morning I was woken up by the feeling of ants crawling across my hands. I sleepily shooed it off, then a few minutes later, another. I realized there was no ant, it was just a weird sensation in my hands. This went on 5 or 6 times- I could have sworn it was an insect crawling on me. I felt it on my legs too, a little.

I keep getting these sensations in different parts of my body. Mostly my hands, but a bit on my legs, and my back or shoulders a bit too. It seems to have calmed for now but this morning it was really irritating...

Anyone else experience something like this? I should probably go get blood tests done (I should be doing them just in general, from time to time) who knows it could be too much/too little magnesium or some such (no idea, just using that as a random example).

I've been on bac for almost a year and have been at a steady low-ish dose of 80mg for a couple months, and I also checked that my bac refill hadn't switched brands (it hadn't).

Strange. Not alarming per se just odd.

[neophyte]

Odd new side effect

I dont know Skull, but I'm bumping this post up for you, hopefully TerryK or one of the more knowledgeable guys can chime in.

all the best.

[Samandkatharine]

Odd new side effect

Hi Skull,

Get some bloodwork. I'm a regular at labcorp!

Everyone is magnesium deficient. Get some magnesium oil or mag. Chloride flakes from Amazon, and soak yourself in it. Your skin will soak it up. I get heart palpitations on occasion from high cortisol and it stops them. Oral magnesium glycinate is the best oral form.

Get yourself checked tho. :h

Sam

[Mandiekinz]

Odd new side effect

Yes, SnK is right! I have paresthesia with major numbness/pins and needles and itch like hell pretty much all the time. It's more prominent at night. I wake up several times in the night itching. And sweating. Then itching even more...

It get's worse when I'm not taking my magnesium at night. When I get really good at taking my magnesium through out the day and at night ritually, it pretty much vanishes.

Seems like the ants crawling (crawling sensation) is a form of paresthesia.

"Laboratory tests for magnesium are often misleading in evaluating your need for magnesium, because blood magnesium levels fluctuate, depending upon where you are in the cycle of stress responses and magnesium depletion. Your symptoms are a better guide. Muscle tension, spasm and twitching are the most characteristic symptoms of magnesium depletion, followed by palpitation and breathlessness. Irritability, fatigue, trouble falling asleep and hypersensitivity to loud noises are also common. The presence of migraine or tension headache, unexplained chest pain, strange sensations of the skin (like insects crawling) and abdominal pain or constipation are further indications of magnesium deficiency. If you are suffer from any of these symptoms, or if you are being treated for heart disease or high blood pressure, you may need a magnesium supplement."

Magnesium: The Stress Reliever: from an ongoing series by Leo Galland MD, FACN


I've been wondering if there is a correlation to baclofen and magnesium deficiency...

[Samandkatharine]

Odd new side effect

Magnesium testing is easy to do on your own. LEF.org has bloodwork you can order and take to your lab of choice.

AL depletes your body of vitamins and magnesium. Restoring them is critical. Mandie, baclofen does not take magnesium from the body. Stress, lack of sleep from the SE of baclofen may raise cortisol which will deplete the body of magnesium.

Sam

[skullbabyland]

Odd new side effect

Thanks everyone, for the responses- particularly yours, Mandie. I think I need to get blood tested ASAP, I'm going to book an appointment with an endocrinologist Monday.

Lately I've experienced a bunch of symptoms in that quote- namely-

-muscle spasm (not painful)
-heart palpitations (at night, pretty constant)
-irritability
-fatigue
-definite trouble falling asleep/staying asleep
-hypersensitivity to noises
-abdominal pain/constipation
-itchy skin
-formication (sensation of ants crawling on skin)

These were all quite noticeable over the last couple weeks, well before I posted my original post. Something's definitely going on.

The weird thing is, I HAVE been supplementing with magnesium, every day. Maybe it's the wrong kind or something else is going on. I've been making so many changes to my body with diet, exercise, supplementation, medications/not drinking, it's hard to know... I will make an appt. with a doc ASAP.

Thanks again.

[Mandiekinz]

Odd new side effect

Magnesium citrate is the best one to use as it is difficult for your body to absorb it in any other form. What kind have you been using?

[Mandiekinz]

Odd new side effect

Also if you're taking too much calcium, it may interfere with your magnesium supplements

[skullbabyland]

Odd new side effect

OK, thanks you guys. I am not sure what kind of magnesium I am taking but I will look and post later about it... I'm going to book blood tests as well and get a closer look at what's going on.

[skullbabyland]

Odd new side effect

Thanks again Sam, Palladium, and Mandie for your helpful comments.

As for Magnesium, I started taking 2 pills per day- 1 at morning and 1 at night, when I take my melatonin. Each pill is 272mg and it is "Bio-Absorbable Reacted Magnesium". It also says on the back that it's "Magnesium- Citrate, buffered amino acid chelate" which sounds like it's the good kind that is well absorbed by the body. The brand I got is "Bio-Recovery".

I've also upped my fruit and veggie intake. I do still get the formication sensations (ants crawling) but less so than a few days ago when I originally posted. I'm going to be getting blood testing for everything next week...

[Xadrian]

Odd new side effect

skullbabyland;1637842 wrote: I do still get the formication sensations (ants crawling) but less so than a few days ago when I originally posted. I'm going to be getting blood testing for everything next week...

I just re-read the instructions of my current brand of baclofen and it says as a possible "less common" side effect (translated from Dutch):

"itchy feeling, like ants are walking over the skin"

So, it appears to be possible side effect of baclofen.

[skullbabyland]

Odd new side effect

Xadrian;1637948 wrote: I just re-read the instructions of my current brand of baclofen and it says as a possible "less common" side effect (translated from Dutch):

"itchy feeling, like ants are walking over the skin"

So, it appears to be possible side effect of baclofen.

Interesting. Good to know, thanks for posting Xadrian.

[Yourfriend6116]

Odd new side effect

My dosing schedule says the same thing about ants. I'm so glad I read this cause I've had it happen 3 specific times and thought it was a bug or something (once on my shoulder and twice on my hands). It never happened while increasing doses, but has started since I began going down.

[skullbabyland]

Odd new side effect

I guess I should read my bac information closer, sheesh... DUH Skull. I'm sure mine says the same and I just missed it...

Been getting the ants thing more so lately... all morning. I still have yet to schedule the blood tests- I will do that today just to get a bigger, more detailed picture. But it sounds like it's likely a bac side effect. i've been mulling over recently lowering my dose to a maintenance dose... I'll write more about it in my Progress thread.