Blog

I currently work for LifeBac, a company using medication and support to help people fix their relationships with alcohol. For some, aftercare includes seeing a therapist periodically and remaining involved in their 12-step program either as a client or as an alumnus. It’s essential to find an aftercare plan that works best for you. These side effects can make anyone more at risk of death and getting emergency medical help is advised as soon as possible. There have currently been no known street terms for the drug.

Firstly, being in a group setting can help to make individuals aware of the fact that they are far from alone. Physically being around others can help give individuals the emotional support they need. Also, group therapy enables people to freely talk about their experiences with people who truly understand and relate to them. Group therapy also gives recovering individuals an atmosphere in which they can develop healthy and supportive interpersonal relationships.

• Nonetheless, it is important to remember that many other factors also contribute to addiction.
• To avoid the unpleasant effects of withdrawal and to achieve the same results, people turn to baclofen abuse by taking it more often than needed or in larger doses.
• Fortunately, treatment for baclofen abuse is easier to access today.
• It doesn’t make you sick when you drink, and it doesn’t affect the taste of alcohol.
• The patient was given the drug in the pill form and eventually abused it, a behavior which the researchers attributed to the mood-elevating properties of the medication.
• When a person stops taking baclofen as directed suddenly, there is a risk of hallucinations, seizures, fever, and confusion.

Start the road to recovery

This medication works to relieve pain and it operates as muscle relaxers. Baclofen also helps to improve the overall movement of muscles as it combats spasms. But addiction treatment professionals are finding a is baclofen habit forming use for this drug on the rehab scene as well. Baclofen itself is not considered highly addictive when used as prescribed. However, it can lead to physical dependence with long-term use, and some individuals may develop a psychological addiction.

• If you misuse baclofen while also taking alcohol, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, or other muscle relaxants, it can cause you to experience weakness, dizziness, drowsiness, and imbalance.
• However, discussing its use with your physician before breastfeeding is important.
• If a person experiences itching, swelling of the throat or face, difficulty breathing, severe dizziness, or severe itching, it may be an allergic reaction.
• In some severe cases, overdose can lead to things like rhabdomyolysis, which is the breakdown of muscle tissue that can lead to kidney or heart damage.
• The stored drug in the brain can cause sedation long after the blood levels of the drug are within the normal range.
• For many people — especially when other treatments haven’t worked — baclofen is a life changing option, and it’s time we spread the word.

The risk of addiction is generally low when baclofen is taken under medical supervision, but it’s not zero. The more you drink, the more your brain motivates you to seek out alcohol — that’s what causes cravings. Baclofen is one of several medications used to help people overcome compulsive drinking that doesn’t create an aversion to alcohol. It doesn’t make you sick when you drink, and it doesn’t affect the taste of alcohol.

Although it has similar effects on the body and mind, which include mood or behavior psychoactive feelings. Narcotics can induce dizziness, and they are depressant to the central nervous system. Substances may include prescription drugs and illicit substances such as methamphetamine, and opioids can be used interchangeably with the term narcotics.

ACTIONS

Baclofen is a prescribed medication for people who need pain relief from muscle spasms. Fortunately, treatment for baclofen abuse is easier to access today. Professionals use a comprehensive approach to treat baclofen abuse and withdrawal, and they can treat co-occurring disorders at the same time. These are three important considerations in the treatment of baclofen misuse.

A Review of the Potential Mechanisms of Action of Baclofen in Alcohol Use Disorder

This way, they can protect themselves from unnecessary risks. If your dependence gets so bad that your behavior changes and you will do almost anything to obtain more baclofen, you are suffering from a baclofen addiction. It is important to notify a physician of any of the above side effects. There are some rarer side effects that are potentially dangerous. They include hallucinations, depression, and profound confusion. It is important to report those side effects to a doctor immediately.

Long-Term Residential Treatment

According to Ameisen, a deficit in brain GHB could cause dysphoria, itself promoting alcohol misuse. Baclofen could be able to compensate the deficit in GHB, thereby suppressing dysphoria and possible dependence (Table 1). Although these are only hypotheses, they exemplify the many ways by which a substance could work as a substitution. However, there are no solid theoretical bases supporting the hypothesis that baclofen is a substitution treatment in AUD. Baclofen is commonly used to manage muscle spasms, fatigue, and other problems in the neck.

Baclofen Misuse

Rather, it’s a medication that causes alcohol cravings to fade over time. When dealing with withdrawal, it is crucial to seek healthcare experts at a detox facility or addiction treatment center. When using baclofen, someone could feel similar effects as narcotics but only if they take a high dose of it.

Baclofen Addiction, Abuse, and Treatment

With our treatment programs, comfortable atmosphere, and understanding staff, Sana Lake offers people hope and healing. Before taking this drug, a person should notify the doctor of any underlying health conditions and any medications or supplements they are taking. They should also tell the doctor if they are pregnant or breastfeeding. Our outpatient care helps you to stay at home while rehabilitating daily. It is a perfect choice if you can’t take time away from your family, pet, education, career, and other functions.

When the drug is used for several months, it is not surprising that a patient may become psychologically dependent. When patients try to taper off Lioresal, the development of Baclofen withdrawal syndrome can be expected. Experienced practitioners point out that withdrawal develops more severely among those who have been administered with intrathecal Gablofen.