Issues with Addiction Treatment Using Baclofen

As mentioned above, baclofen for addiction treatment is still under research; it is not a sole treatment plan, but instead, a supporting medication. It is indeed true that baclofen can suppress alcohol and drug cravings, but many articles may make spurious and exaggerated claims. It can also help avoid relapse if used under proper medical guidance and in combination with complementary therapy and other types of addiction treatment programs. Only then, a recovering addict can gain full control of his life.

Patients will need immediate medical help if they have difficulty breathing or seizures. Some may also have hallucinations and suicidal ideation.

Other uncomfortable side effects that are not as fatal include:

So, it is important to get yourself admitted to an inpatient rehab, where doctors can watch you nonstop and provide assistance if you start to show any side effects.

Baclofen Usage Warnings

Even short-term use of baclofen can show mild to serious complications as the drug acts within a few hours of entering your body. The blood levels peak in 2-3 hours. Mild symptoms may include headache, dizziness, low blood pressure, nausea, and constipation. They do not require medical assistance. But you may also experience serious side effects of baclofen use, such as chest pain, severe mood changes, irritation, hallucinations, blood in urine, muscle cramps, double vision, ringing in the ears, seizures, etc.

Also, drug abuse or misuse may cause extreme situations like death. So, it is advised to use the drug as prescribed, in the right amounts. Never take more than recommended doses or use someone else’s prescription. It is alright to take baclofen without having a meal.

When using oral solutions, it is important that you measure with the device supplied with the medicine, rather than making a guess. You should not stop baclofen use if you start feeling relief from your symptoms before your doctor says so. For women, pregnancy and breastfeeding are two situations where the oral intake of baclofen can pass the drug’s content to the fetus or newborn.

Baclofen Intoxication

Baclofen mechanism of action involves producing relaxant effects on the CNS, central nervous system. Even when the drug is taken for combination therapy, along with other medicine, it can cause severe drowsiness. Hence, users who are on this medication are advised not to operate heavy machinery, drive, or participate in any dangerous activity.

Mixing baclofen and alcohol can also have severe side effects, especially if taking the drug recreationally or when you are an alcoholic. Having dangerous levels of the drug in your system may cause an overdose.

Special precautions must be taken to prevent an overdose. So, before starting the drug, tell your doctor if you have any pre-existing conditions, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Do not hide about which tablets you are taking currently – including prescription and nonprescription pills, antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, sedatives, supplements, and herbal products. If you are using other medications, look at the list of the ingredients carefully.

Baclofen overdose signs

If you spot these signs, immediately call 911, otherwise, when ignored, these can lead to respiratory depression, seizures, bradycardia, cardiovascular issues, hypothermia, coma, and hypotonia.

Baclofen Interactions with Alcohol

When alcohol and baclofen are used together, various neurotransmitters get activated and cause more intense pleasurable effects than when only one substance is taken. Dopamine found in the brain’s neurons travel through the reward pathways and increases its activity levels. As a result, the sensations of relaxation and happiness caused by addictive substances occur.

But dopamine is not alone in this innate reward system; there are also several neurons in the reward pathway producing GABA, which interacts with specialized proteins known as GABA receptors. The activation of these receptors further increases the dopamine release. Either alcohol or other drugs’ chronic use can induce this state, getting habituated to the presence of the drugs abused substances.

After a while, these two brain systems cannot function optimally further in the absence of drugs or alcohol. The lack of drugs and alcohol in such persons disrupts the newly achieved state of balance and causes uneasiness. This dysphoria serves as the basis for drug and alcohol cravings. So, in theory, baclofen acts similar to alcohol on the GABA receptors and helps reduce cravings in individuals with addiction.

Positive and Negative Reinforcements

Baclofen can induce both anti-craving and anti-reward effects. They are called positive and negative reinforcements, which are crucial in determining a person’s substance addiction. Positive reinforcements are rewards-related effects like a relaxed mood, happiness, or euphoria. Negative reinforcements refer to effects similar to withdrawal, such as anxiety, depression, or irritability, when the body has cravings.

How Long Do Baclofen Effects Last?

Baclofen half-life or the time taken for your body to eliminate the drug out of the system is relatively low when compared to other addictive drugs, about 2-4 hours. This is also one of the reasons for addicts taking baclofen several times in a day, with short gaps to achieve and maintain the desired high.

So, by this count, it will take around 20 hours for the drug to disappear from your body. Baclofen withdrawal symptoms are very severe. Hence, having this data helps in dealing with the withdrawal symptoms of baclofen addiction.

Besides, the drug’s effects and how long it stays in a person’s body varies with individuals. Some people can remove the drug quicker than others. Some of the factors that affect how long baclofen stays in your body are age, body mass, extended use, metabolism, drug dosage, etc.

Baclofen Addiction Symptoms

People who deliberately seek this sensation tend to abuse baclofen. Particularly when mixed with marijuana or alcohol, baclofen can produce a euphoric feeling, similar to when using opioids or amphetamines.

However, if they miss one dose, they crave for the drug, and even when they do, the body gets habituated to that dosage, and they need more. This is how they develop a tolerance for baclofen. Baclofen side effects include confusion, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, and insomnia.

Abusive intake of this drug – either in excess or with other drugs and alcohol – may lead to Baclofen addiction. Unfortunately, people who already have a substance use disorder, or those who are more sensitive and susceptible, face a high risk of developing an addiction. But once you realize that you have developed a tolerance and become dependent on baclofen, you should not shut down its use suddenly. Quitting baclofen altogether, without letting the body get used to the lack of the drug, leads to withdrawal.