Baclofen

• Relief from pain due to tension in muscles involving the nerves due to disorders of spinal cord such as damage to nerve fibers (multiple sclerosis), tumors (cancers) of the spinal cord, cysts of the spinal cord (syringomyelia), infection of spinal cord (transverse myelitis), movement disorders (motor neuron disease) or injury or compression of the spinal cord.
• Relief of pain and tension of the muscles (spasms) due to complications of the brain such as brain stroke, a genetic disorder affecting movement and muscle tone (cerebral palsy), infections of the layers of the brain (meningitis) or head injury.

When should one not use Baclofen

• Allergy to Baclofen or any other components of the medicine
• Stomach ulcers

Common side effects of this drug are:

• Drowsiness, feeling sleepy
• Feeling sick (nausea)
• Dry mouth
• Headache, light-headedness, fatigue, excessive weakness, unsteadiness, confusion, depression, mood changes, feeling unreal things (hallucinations)
• Low blood pressure (fainting)
• Stomach upset, vomiting, loose motions or constipation, sleeplessness
• Skin rashes, increased sweating, eye and vision problems
• Difficulty in passing urine

Other General Warnings

• Liver, kidney, lung or mental disorders
• Diabetes, brain stroke, seizures
• Difficulty in urination
• High blood pressure
• Parkinson’s disease (a brain disease causing tremors and unintentional movements)

How Does It Work?

Interactions with other medicines

• Muscle relaxants (Tizanidine)
• Medicines used to treat mood disorders and anti-depressants (Lithium, Amitryptiline, Temazepam), high blood pressure (Diltiazem), Parkinson's diseases (Levodopa, Carbidopa), pain killers
• Medicines which slow down the nervous system such as opiates for pain relief (Morphine, Fentanyl), anti-allergics (Promethazine), anti-seizure medications (Carbamazepine)

Interactions with food items

Overdose

Missed a Dose