How Does Baclofen Work?
Origins
Baclofen has been around since the early 1960’s. Originally, it was tested as an epilepsy drug, but researchers found that it was not an effective treatment. However, they noticed that patients taking baclofen were relieved of a side effect—muscle spasticity.
By 1974 it was being sold as a treatment for muscle spasticity, and three years later it was approved by the FDA [1]. Since then, research has shown that baclofen is not habit-forming and can be taken indefinitely at a low dose.
Development
It wasn’t until 2004, though, that the use of baclofen as an off-brand way to reduce alcohol cravings was explored by a French-American doctor, Olivier Ameisen.
Dr. Ameisen had struggled against alcohol for many years, until he read studies about the effectiveness of baclofen in reducing animal drug consumption. He quit his other medications, prescribed himself baclofen, and slowly increased his dosage until he became indifferent to alcohol.
He could fully function again, without craving alcohol [2]. He wrote an article, then a book, trying to spread the word. His experience laid the foundation for LifeBac to emerge, and we hope to spread the success of baclofen to anyone who might benefit from it.
What Alcohol Does
In order to understand baclofen, you first have to understand what alcohol does to the brain. One of these effects has to do with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and dopamine—neurotransmitters that tell nerves in the brain what to do.
Put simply, the process goes something like this:
GABA stops neurons(nerve cells) from firing—dopamine inhibits some neurons from firing and encourages some others [3].
Consumed alcohol acts like GABA and causes the release of dopamine.
The created effect is temporary anxiety relief (from alcohol acting as GABA) and pleasure (from dopamine) [4].
That combination builds a system of positive reinforcement within the reward center of the brain: drinking ➔ initial relaxation and pleasure ➔ stronger desire to drink
That positive reinforcement loop can lead to the overuse of alcohol, especially as tolerance increases.
What Baclofen Does
Those are the bare-bones of alcohol dependence, now where does baclofen come in? The truth is, it’s hard to say. Baclofen also acts a lot like GABA—it appears to send the same message to neurons, telling them not to fire (hence why it helps with muscle spasticity) [5]. Unlike alcohol, though, baclofen doesn’t create a positive reinforcement loop, it undoes the loop.
How can baclofen have similar neural effects to alcohol yet help people become indifferent to drinking? Baclofen studies provide some useful insights.
There have been several baclofen studies using fMRI on alcohol-dependent individuals. These studies measure if baclofen changes their brains’ reactions to images of alcohol and drinking. In those studies, tests reveal that baclofen does reduce the brain’s reaction to drinking-related stimuli. It changes how people see drinking and suppresses cravings for alcohol at the level of the brain [6,7].
In another study, 100 people who were both alcohol dependent and resistant to other treatments—e.g. medications, hospitalizations, rehab centers, Alcoholics Anonymous, and psychotherapies—were evaluated over two years. Out of those individuals, 92% reported a decreased motivation to drink after taking baclofen and 62% returned to safer drinking levels [8].
While some of the “how” is still in question, we know that baclofen allows people to see alcohol in a new way—with an indifference that lets them have more control.
Baclofen and LifeBac
As with many medications, the effective dosage will vary from person to person. At LifeBac, we are here to help you find your Effective Dose and figure out how to combat the habits that promote unhealthy drinking. With baclofen and the support of the LifeBac community, we will help you work to find an effortless balance in your relationship with alcohol.
References