published journal article on BFS

[JGB]

I found the below article on a MEDLINE search this morning. I was curious about carbamazepine therapy.

question: is a brief (say 2-week treatment) with such drugs effective? Or does the BFS return when the drug is stopped?

thanks
JGB

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Neurology, Vol 41, Issue 7 1021-1024, Copyright © 1991 by American Academy of Neurology


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ARTICLES


Cramp-fasciculation syndrome: a treatable hyperexcitable peripheral nerve disorder
AJ Tahmoush, RJ Alonso, GP Tahmoush and TD Heiman-Patterson
Department of Neurology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107.

We report nine patients with muscle aching, cramps, stiffness, exercise intolerance, and peripheral nerve hyperexcitability. Neurologic examination showed calf fasciculations in seven, quadriceps myokymia in two, and deltoid myokymia in one patient. Two patients had mild increase in serum creatine kinase. Muscle biopsy showed either no abnormality (three patients) or mild neurogenic changes (four patients). Fasciculations were the only abnormality on routine electrodiagnostic studies. Supramaximal stimulation of the median, ulnar, peroneal, and posterior tibial nerves at frequencies of 0.5, 1, 2, and 5 Hz produced showers of electrical potentials following the M response in at least one nerve. In three patients, the fasciculations and evoked electrical potentials were abolished by regional application of curare but not nerve block. Carbamazepine therapy caused moderate-to- marked reduction of symptoms and nerve hyperexcitability. We designate this hyperexcitable peripheral nerve disorder as the "cramp- fasciculation syndrome."

[jasonh_22]

You'd have to stay on the drug for it to keep working...its not a cure, just a treatment.

I've taken Trileptal (part of the Carbamazepine family)...and it didn't work at all for me. Maybe you'll have better luck.

[LadyChester]

I took Tegretol for over a year. It definitely helped the fasics but the side-effects were horrible. Mental fogginess, uncredible fatigue, forgetfulness, etc., etc.

[Heater]

The reported side effects of Tegretol are exactly why I didn't fill my prescription given by neuro. I figured the side effects sounded a lot worse than my bfs symptoms. Now that I have no anxiety over you know what I find the whole thing quite tolerable now.

[unlucky_guy00]

Trileptal is new, and has less side effects than Tegetrol.