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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2002 >> Baclofen
        
(Message started by: barbee on Nov 21^st, 2002, 11:52pm)

Title: Baclofen
Post by barbee on Nov 21^st, 2002, 11:52pm

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I can find so little on Baclofen....has anyone tried it, or know anything abot it? My Neuro has just prescribed it, because I've tried just about everyting else. I know it's for spasticity, and MS, and of course, there's a list of nasty side effects. Any info? Damn the Beast!!!

Title: Re: Baclofen
Post by Laurie on Nov 22^nd, 2002, 6:49am

Hi, barbee,

I found this info at a neurology site:

Baclofen, a drug used primarily to alleviate spastcity in conditions such as multiple sclerosis, was reported by Hering-Hanit and Gadoth in 2001 to have eliminated cluster-headache episodes within a week or two in 13 of 16 patients given 15 to 30 mg daily in 3 divided doses. Three of these patients subsequently had another cluster period, and all three again had their periods eliminated by baclofen. Blinded-controlled studies are needed to confirm these striking results

Hering-Hanit R, Gadoth N. The use of baclofen in cluster headache. Curr Pain Headache Rep 2001;5:79-82.

Laurie

Title: Re: Baclofen
Post by clavers on Nov 22^nd, 2002, 8:20am

I read about the study in 2001 and asked my neuro to let me try it. Since he was pretty much out of ideas he agreed. I have been on 30 mg of baclofen for about a year. It initially gave me about two months of remission. I was very glad since I'm chronic. Then the CH came back. It lasted for about a month and then another remission. That was the way it went through most of the year, a month on and a month off. Once again I was very happy with this since any remission at all seems a miracle. Then in the fall the CH came back and there were no more remissions. The baclofen seems to have stopped working whatever magic it once worked. I still take it but it does not seem to be doing much good. As for side effects, it makes you drowsy at odd times during the day, but I have not noticed any other problems. Try it, maybe it will work for you.

Title: Re: Baclofen
Post by Bob P on Nov 22^nd, 2002, 9:24am

From the OUCH Research Library:

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.