Hello folks, so, to get straight to the point, I'm in my forties, and suffer from spasticity,mostly in my right leg.
I live in Japan and the best neuroscience here can offer me is Baclofen and Klonopin (as much as I want).
Now, I quite enjoy the Baclofen buzz, and Klonopin can be enjoyable, but everyday? For the rest of my life? No chance.
That doctors don't want to cure you, just want to keep you sick, keep returning for a top up on sub standard medication was not a philosophy that I fully subscribed to. I do now.
I told my doctor I was willing to try anything, nothing was off the table. No, he replied, Klonopin, take it or leave it.
Back in my university days, I dabbled in Piracetam and Hydergine. I always remembered how nice the world looked on Piracetam, planned to try it again sooner or later. Never did get around to it, though.
Idly Googling drugs for anti spasticity benefits, I first looked up Hydergine, then Piracetam and finally Modafinil. Sparse information out there, but a few isolated reports of beneficial effects, especially Modafinil for MS fatigue and spasticity.
So, out comes the credit card, and back comes Piracetam, Aniracetam, Sulbutiamine and Modafinil.
I live in Japan, so it's no joke dabbling in drugs. They come down on anyone like a ton of bricks. I wasn't that worried though, after all, I am a spastic.
Alcohol in small amounts eases my spasticity, as do tranquilizers and Baclofen.
What I suppose these substances have in common is that they are GABA agonists, amongst other things. I've come to the conclusion that the spasticity is in my brain. I've had numerous MRI scans and the doctors can find nothing physically wrong with me.
Piracetam, being a cyclic derivative of GABA certainly hits some spot in my brain as far as my spasticity is concerned. At 800mg it gave me such a relief in my spasticity. People noticing just how well I was walking. And, it killed the fatigue that accompanied the spasticity. That fatigue has been haunting me for nigh on ten years. Gone.
Stack the Piracetam with Sulbutiamine and it's more of the same. Bags of energy, little to no fatigue, and such a pronounced improvement in my gait. Magical.
I take 4g, twice a day now, with 800mg of Aniracetam.
Next, adding aniracetam to the stack is fantastic. Can walk fast, my balance is great. Handleable tiredness. Being tired is OK, the fatigue penetrates right to the core of my very being.
I haven't started taking any Modafinil yet. Plan to. Watch this space.
For me, at any rate, the Racetam class of drugs are so far shaping up as a godsend. I'm planning on working my way through the lot. Noopept is next on the list. I even plan on road testing the eye-wateringly priced Colouracetam.
It truly is medicine to me. Clonus is an uncontrolled shaking of the legs. A lot of spastics suffer from clonus. My clonus is now down by about 80%.
Also, as I drift off to sleep (or not), that's when the leg spasms start. The only thing that will stop them is a Benzodiazophine. After trying all of them I settled on the rather low octane Etizolam. I still pop one before bed, but the spasms are much more tolerable after some Piracetam. Much less frequent, less severe.
Anyway, this could be important stuff to somebody. I'd really like to hear from anyone else in the same situation as me.
My decade dealing with the Japanese health service has taught me one thing above all others – That being you can get anything prescribed, especially if you suffer a chronic disease.
Next month, I'll pop down to my doctor and get him to prescribe some Piracetam and Sulbutiamine.
Incidentally, some of my packages were opened by Japanese customs, then promptly resealed and sent straight to my mailbox. Nice.
