Medications & Therapies for Brown Sequard Syndrome
Medications
**The information here does not take the place of medical advice. Please consult your doctor before taking, stopping or changing medications.
A survey group of 55 people with BSS were asked what medications and types of therapies they've tried and found useful, beneficial or caused issues. There are many different types of therapies and medications. Listed are only the ones mentioned by BSS patients.
Here are their answers.
MEDICATIONS FOR SPASMS
This is a list of medications and natural remedies BSS users said helped alleviate spams.
Baclofen A muscle relaxant used to treat muscle stiffness and spasms.
Baclofen Pump A surgically placed pump that delivers baclofen directly into the spinal fluid.
Tizanidine A muscle relaxant used to treat muscle spasms and tightness.
Flexeril/ Cyclobenzaprine A muscle relaxant used to treat muscle spasms.
Dantrolene A skeletal muscle relaxant.
Cannabis Used for alleviation of spasms and pain.
Botox Injections Botulinum toxin injection used to reduce spasticity.
Trigger Point Injections
The majority of users said they successfully used baclofen to treat their spasms. The side effects mentioned were- fogginess, tiredness and weight gain.
Natural Remedies for Spasms
Massage
Wearing Socks
Hot and Cold Packs
Stretching
TENS Unit A transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation machine. It sends electrical impulses to targeted muscles.
Exercise
Acupunture
Rollers
NMES Stimulation Sends electrical impulses to the nerves.
Peppermint Oil
NERVE PAIN MEDICATIONS
Gabapentin/Neurontin anticonvulsant medication used treat seizures and nerve pain.
The majority of comments mentioned Gabapentin and side effects associated with taking it.
Side Effects mentioned-
"Made my weak side weaker and increased nerve pain. Caused insomnia, anorexia and depression"
" helped but made me crazy"
" keeps it to a dull roar"
" It makes me excessively tired and a foggy memory"
"lessens leg ache, helping me be more active as well as fall asleep without focusing on leg achiness"
"helps with burning and sleep, causes issues with word retrieval and memory"
"helped the most but only like 30%"
"Some relief. Some lethargy"
" Sometimes it worked sometimes it didn't. I never had any side effects from it other than the occasional memory slips and urinary slowness"
"help some, made me very forgetful"
"lessened the degree of neuropathy pain but has not made it go away. The main side effect is my short term memory and lack of being able to bring the correct words to my speech."
"it caused a general sense of dullness to all my senses. It took the nerve pain down a notch or two but never took it away. It made my brain feel foggy so I stopped taking it."
"helps me sleep"
"stopped due to feeling 'out of it' "
"helped"
"hated the side effects"
Lyrica an anticonvulsant medication used to treat seizures and nerve pain.
Comments stated using Lyrica-
"I am slowly being weaned off and I am finding the neuralgia is worse"
"I don’t need added side effect problems to go along with the problems and pain I already have"
"The only thing i think that ever helped me was lyrica"
"Sleepiness and cognitive disruptions foremost"
"Lyrica worked well with pain but it effected my moods so I stopped"
"memory loss...helped with pain but not worth my brain"
"lessened the degree of Neoropathy pain but have not made it go away."
" hated, made me cranky, burning felt uncontrolled"
Zonisamide a sulfur anti-convulsant
Only one user mentioned this medication. "Helps control the constant pain, but I still have some break through pain. Kills appetite."
Trileptal -Oxcarbazepine anticonvulsant.
One user mentioned using this medication. "foggy thoughts"
Lidocaine Patch topical anesthetic adhesive pa
ALTERNATIVE PAIN RELIEVERS
The following is a list of alternative pain relievers mentioned by BSSers in the survey.
Alpha Lipoic Acid antioxidant found in studies to help with nerve pain.
Several BSSers mentioned taking ALA. but only two made comments.
"helped more than any nerve medication I've tried"
"helped me the most. I take 600mgs/day (OTC). It's helped me regain heat sensation in my foot on my "lack of sensation" side and has stopped the frostbite feeling on the opposite foot."
Magnesium a mineral supplement that is reported to help with pain.
B Vitamins Supports nerve cell function.
D Vitamins Fat soluble vitamin.
Tumeric/ Curcumin A plant root shown in studies to alleviate nerve pain and inflammation.
Massage
Wearing Socks or Compression Socks Members of the BSS board state how wearing socks helps alleviate nerve pain and the icy sensation in their feet.
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CANNABIS Respondents who rated cannabis highly were asked to tell how it helped them specifically. Here are their responses.
"Spasticity, spasms, insomnia, anxiety, lack of appetite, nerve pain relief"
"Nerve pain and spasms"
" It alleviates spasticity so I can exercise and walk and I get some secondary pain relief"
"It helps calm down nerves tremendously, but I've found that it also physically impairs me more. I stumble more, can't walk straight, heart beats very fast, etc.. So I only use if I'm at HOME laying or sitting down."
"Neuropathy, clonus, depression, appetite stimulator"
"Helps with hypersensitivity"
"Pain, muscle spasms, sleep."
"Neuropathy"
PHYSICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
All respondants stated that both physical therapy and occupational therapy were benefical.
Other therapies our Facebook members tried although not mentioned in the survery-
Dry Needling
Cycling
Meditation
Herbal Remedies
Stem Cell Therapy
Rolfing
Hyperbaric Chamber