Does It Really Work For Alcoholics?

By Author: Steven Johnson
Total Articles: 494
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There's a sad fact when it comes to the world of medicine. Somehow rumors get started. A drug has been tried and found successful off-label. If it worked for this person, it will work for you. Except, of course, there's no guarantee the original story is true and, even if there is some truth in it, there's no guarantee the claimed improvement was the result of the drug. In fact and to be brutal about it, most of these myths and stories are dangerous nonsense and should be ignored. Which is why this article is about using a well-established drug off-label to treat alcoholism. This is the exception that proves the rule.

This particular drug was first developed as a treatment for epilepsy some ninety years ago. When you think about it, the survival of this drug over this period of time is a remarkable testament to its effectiveness. Except, of course, it was rapidly discovered to have little benefit for those with epilepsy and it was tried as a treatment for a variety of different problems off-label. In those days, doctors were more free to experiment on patients (usually with their informed consent). Quite quickly it was ...
... seen to have general value as a muscle relaxant and, in turn, it was applied to cases of spasticity where muscles remained tense. Notice the irony. Just as its primary use was discovered through the practical experimentation of doctors ninety years ago, modern doctors are experimenting to see whether the same drug may help alcoholics overcome their addiction.

In this case, the real pressure for research has come from Dr Olivier Ameisen who has written several books and articles documenting his own fight against alcoholism and the success of the drug in beating the addiction. As a result of his efforts to publicize his "cure", there have been some very small-scale trials but nothing that can be treated as real scientific evidence in support of his claims. Nevertheless, many people have tried the drug and there is an impressive amount of anecdotal evidence suggesting it is effective. The reason why it may work is that it affects the chemistry of the brain, relaxing muscles and, to some extent, relieving anxiety. There's a clear link between alcoholism and anxiety. Many drink to give themselves the courage to get through the day. The idea of giving up the support of alcohol increases the level of anxiety and so makes it more difficult to quit drinking. People need to be sober long enough to build enough self-confidence to continue without alcohol.

Such people seem to benefit from taking Baclofen. They report feeling more relaxed and less inclined to drink. The drug suppresses the craving for alcohol. This is more than a placebo effect which usually wears off quite quickly when dealing with addictions. It's also something more than just a treatment for withdrawal symptoms. But, before you buy Baclofen online for this purpose, you must decide whether to trust the stories. Even though there are no real risks of side effects if you only take this drug for a few months, this is not an FDA-approved use. There's no scientific evidence it works. Your choice.