the baclofen is a treatment initially prescribed in neurology against muscle contractures. Doctors have found it to be also effective in cases of alcohol addiction. Several short-term trials have thus been carried out on its positive effects against alcoholism. The study by Dr Renaud de Beaurepaire of the Paul-Guiraud Hospital Group in Villejuif confirms the long-term beneficial action of this drug.
Constant improvement in patients
The study was carried out for two years on a cohort of 100 alcohol-dependent patients. Doctors gave them increasing doses of baclofen (no upper limit) and noted their alcohol consumption and craving for alcohol before treatment and then 3, 6.12 and 24 months later. The evaluations were based only on the declarations of the participating patients. The scoring criteria were based on the WHO alcohol recommendations for the risk of chronic damage.
As a result, “although all the patients were judged to be ‘high risk’ at baseline, approximately half of them were classified as ‘low risk’ at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. (…) The constant improvement over the two years was remarkable.The maximum average dose of baclofen taken was 147 mg / day. 92% of patients reported experiencing the cravings suppressing effect of baclofen. was found between the amount in grams of alcohol taken before treatment and the maximum dose of baclofen needed, and between the existence of a mental disorder and a weaker action of baclofen, “explains Dr Renaud de Beaurepaire.
Side effects to be deplored
However, it should be noted that the effectiveness of baclofen is hampered in the event of a mental disorder in the patient, taken in parallel with other psychotropic drugs, if the patient does not have a real desire to stop drinking or if the side effects experienced are considered intolerable.
The potentially observable side effects when taking baclofen are mainly drowsiness but also in some cases: dizziness, depression, hallucination, nausea or even hypotension, bedwetting, liver function disorders, etc. These effects are more frequent and severe in the elderly and in cases of psychiatric history or cerebrovascular disorder.
Remember that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends not to drink more than the equivalent of 3 glasses of wine per day for men and 2 glasses of wine per day for women. At least one day of zero alcohol consumption per week should also be observed.
