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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> Baclofen as preventive
        
(Message started by: Bob_Johnson on Dec 12^th, 2007, 12:59pm)

Title: Baclofen as preventive
Post by Bob_Johnson on Dec 12^th, 2007, 12:59pm

Seems to me that Baclofen had disappeared from messages and the medical sites I check. Search produced little of interest beyond this one trial report--and note its date. Suggests that this one has fallen off the screen for the docs.
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Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2001 Feb;5(1):79-82.
The use of baclofen in cluster headache.

Hering-Hanit R, Gadoth N.

Department of Neurology, Meir General Hospital, Sapir Medical Center, 59 Jabotinski Street, Kfar Saba 44288, Israel.

Cluster headache is a rare, clinically well-characterized disabling disorder that occurs in both episodic and chronic forms. The very painful short-lived unilateral headache attacks are associated with autonomic dysfunction. A large number of drugs such as ergotamines, steroids, methysergide, lithium carbonate, verapamil, valproate, capsaicin, leuprolide, clonidine, methylergovine maleate, methylphenidate, and melatonin are considered beneficial for prophylaxis. Nevertheless, this extremely painful condition is occasionally refractory to conventional treatment. The antispastic agent baclofen has been shown to possess an antinociceptive activity. Its efficacy in neuralgias, central pain following spinal lesions, painful strokes, migraine, and medication misuse chronic daily headache suggests that it may be useful for prevention of cluster headache attacks. Therefore, we treated 16 symptomatic patients with cluster headache with daily baclofen, 15 to 30 mg, in three divided doses for the cluster period and 2 weeks after. Within a week, 12 patients reported the cessation of attacks. One was substantially better and became attack free by the end of the following week. In the remaining three patients, the attacks worsened and corticosteroids were prescribed. One of these was also given verapamil. Three of the 16 patients had an additional cluster period, which cleared with a second course of baclofen. In this pilot study, baclofen seemed to be effective, safe, and well tolerated for cluster headache, and seemed to retain its efficacy on repeated clusters.

Publication Types:
Clinical Trial

PMID: 11252142 [PubMed]

Title: Re: Baclofen as preventive
Post by Guiseppi on Dec 12^th, 2007, 1:16pm

And here I thought it was just a Greek dessert!!!!

Another tool for arsenals that aren't currently effective?

Guisepppi