Disclaimer: The content in this blog is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for medical advice from a healthcare provider. It is not meant for the diagnosis or treatment of any illness or medical condition. In non-emergency situations, Discovery Institute is available to guide recovery, well-being, and assistance.
What is Baclofen?
Baclofen is a prescribed medication for people who need pain relief from muscle spasms. Although it is still not exactly known how baclofen is believed to be able to treat painful muscle spasms by interacting with your central nervous system’s GABA receptors and blocking the signals that your nervous system sends out to your muscles to spasm. Baclofen can also improve muscle movement.
Because of the relaxing effects that baclofen has on muscles, baclofen is considered a muscle relaxer. If you need it to be, you can also use baclofen as one of a combination of medications for combination therapy. People with conditions such as multiple sclerosis and spinal injury and disease are primary candidates for the use of baclofen.
Baclofen can come in the form of an oral tablet, oral solution, oral powder for suspension, or spinal injection. The peak concentration of baclofen in the bloodstream occurs 1-3 hours after taking the medication orally. The half-life of baclofen is 3-4 hours in the plasma, and the total shelf life of baclofen after its date of manufacture is 3 years. Only a healthcare provider can give you the spinal injection form of baclofen.
Baclofen is a generic medication. Some brand name versions of baclofen include Gablofen, Lioresal, and Kemstro. Lioresal is the most well-known brand name version of baclofen.
Many people wonder if baclofen is addictive and if is there such a thing as a baclofen withdrawal. To find out the answer to this question, you must first learn about the different ways that people use and misuse baclofen and the effects that such use and misuse causes.
Baclofen Side Effects
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Muscle weakness
- Confusion
- Upset stomach
More dangerous and severe side effects of baclofen include seizures and difficulty breathing.
Using Baclofen to Treat Addiction
Baclofen was created to treat epilepsy but was only minimally successful. It was not until 2009 when a cardiologist named Olivier Amiesen published a memoir that talked about how he was able to recover from alcoholism by taking baclofen that researchers started to look into the ways that baclofen could help treat addiction.
There have been many reports and claims of baclofen helping with addiction treatment since that time. Although baclofen use for addiction treatment has become prominent in the medical field, because there is still not enough research to prove that baclofen can help treat addiction, it is still considered an off-label addiction treatment medication.
Baclofen is used as an off-label addiction treatment medication because its chemical makeup mimics gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a bodily chemical that calms your mood. As a result, baclofen has a calming effect that causes dopamine levels to increase in the body.
By increasing the body’s dopamine levels, baclofen helps people feel better when dealing with cravings. The feel-good effects of baclofen can lessen cravings for other substances altogether. As a result, baclofen helps people suffering from addiction manage their withdrawal symptoms.
Baclofen is great for helping people manage their withdrawals and dependence on substances such as alcohol, opioids, cocaine, and tobacco. Clinical research trials have particularly shown promise in baclofen treating opioid addiction.
