I did pursue the botox injections but after the EMG and this other thing using about a 3 or 4 inch fine needle into my neck, arm, shoulder and believe it or not through the bottom of my chin into my tongue, they determined it was more motor related and botox would not help. They mentioned Gabapentin and Skelaxin but after Neurontin, Flexiril and about 5 others I ended up believing the Valium does the best. I did go back to Fentynil patches but only 25 mcg/hr and I use 10/325 Vicodin and 5 mg of valium at night. This seems to give me good sleep and I function fine at work although I would like to use nothing but that doesn't seem to be in the cards, unfortunately.

Minnie, you should just mention to your doctor that you know other people that have had significant relief with the Valium/Vicodin combination just before bedtime and he should do it. My spasms started out with the jaw literally locking with a big lump like a fist where it locks. Now I just get a constant firing like twitches that gets ooos and ahhhhs from all the doctors when I just ask them to lay their hand on my neck. It is definitely fibrosis from the radiation. I have now had neurological tests done and in the end they attribute it to radiation but have no known treatment. I opted for a good night's sleep. If I don't get that, the twitches are a series of many muscles many times per second. My wife says it looks like Parkinson's when I am sitting at the computer. The term now I've learned is "fasciculation". That is just so much more sexy than muscle twitch! It's nothing close to the infamous "Sabrina's butt dance" if you remember that one (Lhermitte's).

I am so sorry I forgot to mention the Kansas Jayhawks won the National basketball Championship on my 52nd birthday, April 7. Happy belated birthday to me, happy belated birthday to me...happy belated birthday to me-ee...happy belated birthday to me!

Thinking of all of you but especially Gary and Minnie right now!

Ed