Most patients have some side effects when starting baclofen, especially in the first couple of weeks, but they are manageable. Some lucky patients have no side effects at all, especially if they only need a low dose of baclofen to suppress their cravings. We’ll give practical examples of how to do this in a later section. This explains the major strategies for dealing with baclofen side effects – keeping the baclofen at the same dose until the side effect disappears or lowering the dose back to the previous level which was ok, waiting longer there, then raising the dose again but more slowly this time. When the brain is given more time to adjust, the side effects go away and the baclofen dose can be further increased. Side effects generally occur when the dose is raised too fast for that patient. The key to keeping side effects from baclofen to a minimum is increasing the dose slowly enough that the patient’s brain has enough time to adjust to the change in dose. They always go away completely if the baclofen is stopped. They can be bizarre and unpleasant but are benign and never permanent. Patients should know that baclofen has been widely used for 40 years and its side effects are very well known. It’s important to discuss baclofen side effects with patients when starting treatment. Section 1: Understanding why baclofen’s side effects occur: They generally just need reassurance, strategies and symptomatic treatment. My experience is that most patients will get some side effects with baclofen but get through them because they can feel beneficial effects and really want to stop alcohol. Keep in mind that all are reversible and that the risks of baclofen treatment and its side effects are well and truly outweighed by substantial health risks of alcoholism. It’s easy to get spooked by a list of baclofen side effects. The list of potential side effects from baclofen treatment is long and contains a surprisingly variety, from tinnitus to diarrhoea.
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