Jaw Spasms

[bobsink]

Any ideas for alleviating jaw spasms my wife is having. Just started 10 mgs of Baclofen for this which I think that takes a while to build up in her system. Attacks are sudden and painful, sometimes biting tongue/cheeks. We try to get a plastic spoon betw her teeth to keep from biting but it's really awful to watch her in pain.

 

[lgelb]

I'm sorry to hear. If baclofen doesn't do the job, you might ask about crossing over to tizanidine. How long has she been on it and how often does she take it?

Instead of a plastic spoon, I would use something more forgiving -- sponge, cloth, foam -- to avoid injury. You could also try low heat (one of those soft little microwaveable heat packs, maybe held in place with something like a sock) so you control the temp) for her jaw in between attacks and try to see if there are any position changes that could help. A muscle relaxant like cyclobenzaprine might be worth considering as well, adjusting the dosing between it and the antispasmodic. There are also specialized forms of massage therapy that might help -- your clinic or the AMTA directory may have resources.

 

[bobsink]

Just started Baclofen yesterday so time will tell. Good idea on alternate options for lock jaw as well as heat pack. Thank you so much for your thoughts. Will talk to clinic after evaluating Baclofen.