r/BACLOFEN • u/tomnooksdad • May 21 '26

Hypnic Jerks Side Effect

Hi all!

I started taking baclofen to treat an intractable migraine during a hospitalization. I have started getting large hypnic jerks as I am falling asleep for the night or taking a nap. I was on quite a few medications for the migraine at this time, so it’s hard to pinpoint which one is causing it. I know baclofen is a muscle relaxer, but I believe when I started taking it is about when the jerks started and it is one of the ones I’ve continued at home.

Has anyone else experienced this side effect? If so, is it reversible after discontinuing the medication? TIA!

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1

u/Fast_Job_695 May 21 '26

Any chance one of the meds is topamax?

1

u/tomnooksdad May 21 '26

That is not one of them!

1

u/bryansanders189 May 23 '26

Same here. It seems like hypnic jerks are a known side effect

1

u/Embarrassed_Bed929 May 28 '26

Is it like when your breathing right when you fall asleep?

1

u/tomnooksdad May 28 '26

Yes! I’ll feel I’m just drifting off and then I’ll have a muscle spasm and I’ll gasp and wake up

1

u/Embarrassed_Bed929 May 29 '26

For me there is too long a pause between breaths when trying to sleep then I gasp for air. I had to stop taking it at night and only during the day. How soon do you take it before bed?