Drug holidays should only be in an inpatient setting with gradual withdrawal over 2 to 4 weeks. The initial screening or “test” dose is typically 50 μg. The patient is then observed for 4 to 8 hours to assess efficacy. The screening dose that provides a positive response during the first 24 hours is doubled and administered via an implantable pump with an intrathecal catheter. The pump’s reservoir is filled regularly by percutaneous injections. The pump is programmed to deliver precise, automated dosing via continuous or bolus dosing.
While it may be prescribed for children as young as 12 years for selected conditions, precautions do apply. If you think you’ve taken too much of this drug, call your doctor or local poison control center. If your symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away. It isn’t known exactly how baclofen works to treat painful muscle spasms. It’s thought that baclofen blocks the signals from your nervous system that tell your muscles to spasm.
Enhancing Healthcare Team Outcomes
- Baclofen may cause allergic reactions, which can be serious.
- The risk of drowsiness and dizziness may be increased if you drink alcohol while using baclofen.
- Baclofen is used to help relax certain muscles in your body.
- The FDA requires a box warning for intrathecal baclofen.
- Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals.
However, the drug subsequently demonstrated reduced efficacy compared to standard therapy. Baclofen regained widespread consideration in 1971 after it was found to effectively treat muscle spasticity in patients with various neurological disorders. It is not known if or how baclofen could affect pregnancy or harm an unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you are or plan to become pregnant. Your healthcare provider will advise you if you should use baclofen while you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant. If you use baclofen on a regular basis during pregnancy, your baby may have withdrawal symptoms that can be life-threatening.
Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco. Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines. However, clinical efficacy in this regard is still unclear. Give your care team a list of all medications you use.
Don’t drive, use machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how it affects you. Also, don’t drink alcohol or take other medications that may make you feel drowsy while using baclofen. The risk of drowsiness and dizziness may be increased if you drink alcohol while using baclofen. It is best to limit the amount of alcohol that you drink. Tell your healthcare provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.
Don’t take this drug again if you’ve ever had an allergic reaction to it. Since some baclofen may be kept in a refrigerator, take special precautions to keep it away from children who also use the refrigerator. Patients with a history of stroke have demonstrated poor tolerability to baclofen, and its use has not significantly benefited this patient population. There are other drugs available to treat your condition. Talk to your doctor about other drug options that may work for you.
What are the most common side effects of baclofen?
Do not stop taking baclofen without talking to your doctor, especially if you have taken large doses for a long time. Abruptly stopping this medication can cause seizures, fever, confusion, muscle stiffness, or hallucinations. Your doctor probably will want to decrease your dose gradually. It works by relaxing your muscles, which reduces muscle stiffness. It belongs to a group of medications called muscle relaxants. This may not be a complete list of medicines that can interact with baclofen.
The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive. Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of baclofen oral liquid and granules in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related kidney, liver, or heart problems, which may require caution for patients receiving this medicine. Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of baclofen oral liquid and granules in children younger than 12 years of age. Baclofen was initially designed in 1960 as a treatment for epilepsy.
Baclofen may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
- The dose may then be increased or decreased minutely for all patients to achieve the optimal, patient-specific daily dose.
- Send a note of thanks to Mayo Clinic researchers who are revolutionizing healthcare and improving patient outcomes.
- If your symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away.
- Healthcare providers who prescribe baclofen should provide the patient with information on the safe usage of this medication.
- It is not known if or how baclofen could affect pregnancy or harm an unborn baby.
- Special caution is advised for patients with spinal cord injuries at the level of T6 or higher or a history of baclofen withdrawal symptoms.
This medication may affect your coordination, reaction time, or judgment. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you. Sit up or stand slowly to reduce the risk of dizzy or fainting spells. Drinking alcohol with this medication can increase the risk of these side effects. This medicine may be used for other purposes; ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you have questions.
Routes of administration
This medicine will add to the effects of alcohol and other CNS depressants (medicines that slow down the nervous system, possibly causing drowsiness). Check with your doctor before taking any of the above while you are using baclofen. Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur.
Your healthcare provider can tell you how to stop baclofen to reduce the risk of withdrawal reactions. Call your healthcare provider right away or go to the nearest emergency room if you have any of the following is baclofen addictive serious symptoms. This list may not describe all possible interactions.
This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter OTC) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements. The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of baclofen tablets in the pediatric population.
What should I watch for while using this medication?
For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully. Use an oral syringe (measuring device) to accurately measure and take your dose of baclofen solution. Ask your pharmacist for an oral syringe if one is not included with your medication. Baclofen comes as a tablet and a solution (liquid) to take by mouth.
This medicine is available only with your doctor’s prescription.
