Those with a history of substance abuse or mental health disorders may be at a higher risk of developing a baclofen addiction. You should seek a treatment if you or someone you are close to, is struggling with baclofen abuse. You should take some steps forward in order to lead a healthy and drug free life. If you are abusing baclofen with other drugs like opioids or alcohol, you should seek treatment for the underlying cause of your addiction with the help of therapy, group counseling, relapse prevention and aftercare. Baclofen is a prescription medication primarily used as a muscle relaxant and antispasmodic. It’s often prescribed under the brand names Gablogen or Lioresal to treat muscle stiffness and spasms, especially in people with conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS) or spinal cord injuries.
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The medication can be administered as a pill, topical cream, or injected directly into the cerebral spinal fluid by way of a pump implanted beneath the skin. When used exactly as prescribed by a physician, it is safe and effective and has a fairly low abuse potential, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.1 Brand names for baclofen include Gablofen and Lioresal. Pharmacologic adjuncts for the treatment of baclofen withdrawalsyndrome. Treatment with baclofen is usually long-term, so keep taking these tablets unless your doctor tells you otherwise. Suddenly stopping treatment can cause problems, so your doctor is likely to want you to reduce your dose gradually if this is necessary.
Warning Signs of Baclofen Addiction
- All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional.
- In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about Baclofen—what it is, how it works, its potential for addiction, side effects, and how to treat misuse and addiction.
- The patient developed an altered mental state that required readmission and, ultimately, another stay within the intensive care unit.
Our team takes pride in creating a safe environment where people can feel confident and comfortable. The programs we offer are designed to help people discover the keys to beating the cycle of addiction and staying in recovery. Which one is better for a person depends on the individual’s home environment, work, family commitments, and other personal factors. Inpatient or residential treatment involves staying in the facility 24/7 for a specific number of weeks or months. As any physician will tell you, baclofen is definitely not a “self-prescribing” or “self-medicating” type of drug.
How can the misuse of Baclofen be prevented?
Don’t wait— reach out today to take the first step toward taking control of your life. Baclofen belongs to the class of organic compounds known as gamma amino acids and derivatives. These are amino acids having a (-NH2) group attached to the gamma carbon atom. It is a gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA) derivative used as a skeletal muscle relaxant.
Baclofen as a treatment for alcohol use disorders (AUD)
The inability to make smart choices when intoxicated can make it easier to use another drug or consume more than usual. Once detox is complete, a high-quality treatment program helps address the underlying causes of addiction. A variety of therapies help to develop the skills needed to cope with cravings, stress and other relapse triggers. Treatment also helps repair the damage to their lives, find purpose and meaning in sobriety and learn to relax and have a good time without drugs.
According to the results of one study, participants who used baclofen successfully reduced their use of cocaine over time. Although baclofen can be beneficial in some addiction treatment programs, some people can become addicted to it and may abuse the drug. Yes, and it is important to understand how to identify baclofen abuse and its dangers. Why haven’t there been more clinical trials on baclofen addiction treatment? For example, France’s Bacloville study, one of the world’s largest baclofen/alcohol addiction studies, cost around $1.4 million dollars for a year-long trial involving 320 patients. This equals about $4,375 spent for each patient, a not-inconsiderable sum for a simple clinical trial.
- Illicit baclofen may be obtained through various channels, such as illegal online pharmacies, street dealers, or forged prescriptions.
- There are some healthcare providers that may use baclofen as a long-term treatment.
- If you’re abusing alcohol and baclofen, addiction treatment will begin with medical detox.
- These patient success stories greatly reflect the same results that Dr. Ameisen had when he began his baclofen journey.
- Dependence, on the other hand, refers to the physical reliance on the drug to function normally.
Studies over the last decade have shown evidence that baclofen may be a treatment option for those suffering from AUD, though exactly how it works is unclear. Living with addiction, mental health issues, or overwhelming fears can feel isolating — even when no one else notices. Our expert team offers confidential, compassionate support that meets you where you are. If you feel sick after taking Baclofen Tablets, you may find it helps to take them with food or a milk drink.
And as one expert speculates, baclofen has already been proven effective in a number of high-profile trials, making further tests seem unnecessary to some funding sources. For some, it also eases anxiety or sleep issues which are common struggles in the first weeks or months of sobriety. It doesn’t relieve pain in the way narcotics do, and it doesn’t interact with opioid receptors. All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional. Illicit baclofen may be obtained through various channels, such as illegal online pharmacies, street dealers, or forged prescriptions. Addiction is a progressive disease; it will only get worse the longer it goes untreated.
Since 1960, Baclofen is used as a oral formulation in order to treat spasticity and improvement in spasms in around 70% to 96% of patients. In patients with spasticity of spinal origin unresponsive to maximal doses of oral antispasmodics, the intrathecal route of administration has been found to be very effective. The good news for baclofen is that, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), reports of baclofen addiction are relatively rare. However, there are reports of patients who abused baclofen by taking more than the prescribed dosage, which resulted in cravings for even more of the drug at dangerous levels. Their results differed considerably from those of their French counterparts, and they concluded that, with both high and low doses of the drug, baclofen was not proven to be effective in treating alcohol dependence.
It’s a physical reliance on a drug and is characterized by withdrawal symptoms that occur when use suddenly stops. Baclofen may have a low risk of addiction, but it is still possible to develop a dependency. If you or someone you care about is struggling with Baclofen can baclofen be abused addiction, it is crucial to seek out help at a prescription drug detox center in Los Angeles as soon as possible. Resurgence Behavioral Health provides comprehensive treatment plans designed to meet your needs. When using baclofen, someone could feel similar effects as narcotics but only if they take a high dose of it.
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