Spasticity Medications for Cerebral Palsy
You have a variety of medications for cerebral palsy, but depending on the severity, you can also choose to take a non-medicinal route. You should first speak to your doctor about it because he will be able to give you the most specific advice about this. In many cases, you don’t want to prescribe these drugs over a long period of time because of how they can be habit forming. You may find relief in it for therapy.
Baclofen
Considered a muscle relaxer, this is one of the medications for cerebral palsy that helps children who suffer from the particular type known as spasticity. This drug will block messages sent to the spinal cord as a way of limiting the spastic nerve impulses. In some cases, they’re given a small pump closer to the abdomen, which has proven more effective when it comes to administering Baclofen.
Side Effects
You have many side effects that you should be aware of with this type of thing such as:
- Drowsiness
- Constipation
- Low blood pressure
- Seizures
- Insomnia
- Confusion
Especially some of the people with CP, they will already experience seizures, which can make it even worse. You don’t want to combine this with other antidepressants because of how it can be dangerous. Before you begin taking this drug, you should first speak to your doctor.
Diazapam
The most common name that you will find for Diazapam is Valim. Many times, people have used this drug as a way for achieving total body relaxation. For someone who’s experiencing spastic CP, it can prove especially helpful for getting the body to respond better to the spasticity in the body. Some people have also used this as a way of treating acute alcohol withdrawal and anxiety. It produces a natural chemical within the body, and this drug has a calming effect on the body.
Side Effects
With this drug, you should be aware that it does come with its fair share of side effects like:
- Confusion
- Aggression
- Depression
- Shallow breathing
- Memory problems
- Restlessness
- Dizziness
Especially if you worry about addiction, Diazapam has many benefits because of how it treats muscle spasticity. If your child has depression or aggression, you may want to be careful, but otherwise, this makes for a good option.
Dantrolene
As a cerebral palsy medicine, this one carries many similarities to Diazapam and Baclofen, but it works on your child’s spasticity in different ways. Dantrolene will work on the nerve impulses within the muscles. That has especially proven beneficial for children with this birth disorder.
Side Effects
Like with many cerebral palsy medications, you do have some side effects like diarrhea, muscle weakness, drowsiness, dizziness and a general feeling of discomfort. You might also experience night blindness and loss of appetite. Nevertheless, it can help this birth injury.