Medtronic Baclofen Pump Implanted

My MS spasticity had increased and increasing the oral baclofen resulted in my entire body swelling and functionality almost at zero. I ended up in the hospital to reduce the swelling and was introduced to the baclofen pump. After discharge I tool my healthcare into my own hands and pursued the baclofen pump. After consulting with the Dr., Physician Assistant, and Medtronic Rep I made the decision to have the Medtronic ITB pump implanted.

Before the pump was implanted I needed to have a test dose to ensure that this form of medicine infusion would work. It was amazing how fast my spasms disappeared. I am a past Medtronic Employee which sped up my surgery date to four days after the test dose.

I am a different person now. My spasms are gone, but so is the tone in my legs. This means that I was using the spasms to help stand and transfer. I now need to do quite a bit of physical therapy to strengthen my muscles. I also have so much more energy. I used to wake up and see everything as hard work, which meant not much got done. Now I am accomplishing so much more and even taking on the little things that I never even would have touched before.

Here is a clip from the Medtronic website about their pump

"People who suffer from severe spasticity resulting from cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, stroke, traumatic brain injury, or spinal cord injury may be a candidate for ITB Therapy. If you have spasticity due to spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis you must first fail oral baclofen. If you have experienced a traumatic brain injury you must first wait 1 year after the injury to be considered for ITB Therapy. A screening test will help show if you will respond to the intrathecal baclofen. You should not receive ITB Therapy if you have an infection, are allergic to baclofen, or your body size is too small to hold the implantable pump."

For more information about the pump click here.

Oral multiple sclerosis drug shows promise

January 20, 2010 | 2:00 pm

A large study on a new oral medication for multiple sclerosis has yielded promising results both in terms of how well the drug works and its safety, according to a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

MS

The drug, Cladribine, is an existing chemotherapy medication that is used to treat hairy cell leukemia. It
would be the first tablet medication for MS and would only need to be taken for eight or 10 days a year. Currently, MS drug treatments include injections and intravenous infusions. The disease is a neurological condition that often beings in young adulthood and can lead to problems with muscle control, vision, hearing and memory.

The new study included 1,300 MS patients who were followed for nearly two years and had regular MRI scans to assess the progression of the disease. Patients were given either a short treatment of Cladribine or a placebo. Compared to the patients taking the placebo, patients on the medication were 55% less likely to have a relapse and 30% less likely to have a worsening of disability. The study was performed at Queen Mary, University of London.

The drug company MD Serono, an affiliate of Merck, has requested approval from the Food and Drug Administration to market the tablet. However it recently received a "refuse to file" letter from the FDA, which means the agency is requiring additional information or data. MD Serono said it is pursuing the matter with the FDA and hopes to re-submit its application.

The drug is of wide interest, note officials from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Cladribine "would represent a major treatment breakthrough -- hopefully the first of many successful oral therapies in the pipeline," Dr. John R. Richert, executive vice president of research and clinical programs for the National MS Society, said in a statement.

-- Shari Roan

Don't make excuses for not living healthy life

Regular aerobic workouts that are vigorous enough to raise the pulse and respiration rate will result in increased fitness, improved bowel and bladder control and has been shown to reduce depression, anger and fatigue.

Click here for the entire article.