Hi Sally, It seems like the term banding is used for the chest area. Here is a quetion and answer from the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada website. http://www.msanswers.ca/QuestionView.aspx?L=2&QID=258
Question: Are there any new drugs that would help severe chest banding? I have tried Baclofen and I am taking Gabapentin but as yet have no relief ever from banding. Answer: Banding is the sensation of a tight band around the chest. Although it can feel like tight muscles, it is usually due to inflammation/demyelination of a segment of the spinal cord. This results in "miss-messaging" and is interpreted as tightness when nothing is actually tight. Thus muscle relaxants don't work well, but drugs such as gabapentin , carbamazapine, or amitriptyline which alter nerve transmission can be helpful. Gabapentin must be tried up to doses of 3,600 mg per day in divided doses. If this did not work then the next choice would be amitriptyline starting at 10mg and increasing to 30-50 mg , usually at bedtime. I couldn't see the date the question and answer was posted so there may be more treatments available (if one can take them, that is). The person answering is a doctor, however, there is also a disclaimer from the MS Society of Canada at the bottom of the page re always consulting a physician for medical advice. Re: magnesium, my family doctor recommended it for the bad muscle cramps I was having in my legs. If I try to do certain exercises with my right leg, my left leg goes into horrible cramps. I must have a lot of mis-wiring! The cramping has lessened although it has not gone completely. Regards. Louise ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: tmic-list@eskimo.com Sent: Monday, February 12, 2007 4:09 PM Subject: Re: [TMIC] Re: banding "Spasticity is a condition in which certain muscles are continuously contracted. This contraction causes stiffness or tightness of the muscles . . ." Thanks for your response, Louise. That's how I understood spasticity. So what I feel in my legs, ankles, feet is definitely spasticity. From a logical standpoint, it seems that extra magnesium might help relax the 'contracting', but it doesn't seem to - at least not on an immediate basis - but maybe over time. The remaining question is whether or not what we think of as banding that occurs on the trunk area is essentially the same thing - i.e. caused from continuously contracted muscles. Sally
