Baclofen in the Treatment of Neuralgia
Authors: LINDA A. HERSHEY
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1984)

Editorials1 June 1984Baclofen in the Treatment of NeuralgiaLINDA A. HERSHEY, M.D., PH.D.LINDA A. HERSHEY, M.D., PH.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-100-6-905 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptFromm and associates (1) have recently reported on the effectiveness of baclofen in treating patients with trigeminal neuralgia (tic douloureux). This study provides evidence of an important new therapy in a difficult clinical problem, and also shows several important principles of clinical pharmacology. (For further details see the abstract reprinted in the "From Other Pages" section this month.)Carbamazepine, the current drug of choice for treating patients with trigeminal neuralgia, produces organ toxicity in 6% to 14% (rash, neutropenia, abnormal liver function tests) and tolerance in another 19% to 30% (2, 3). Phenytoin is less effective than carbamazepine in the...References1. FROMMTERRENCECHATTHA GCA. Baclofen in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia: double-blind study and long-term follow-up. Ann Neurol. 1984;15:240-4. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. KILLIANFROMM JG. Carbamazepine in the treatment of neuralgia. Arch Neurol. 1968;19:129-36. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. TAYLORBRAUERESPIR JSM. Long-term treatment of trigeminal neuralgia with carbamazepine. Postgrad Med J. 1981;57:16-8. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. TERRENCEPOTTERFROMM CDG. IS baclofen an analgesic? Clin Neuropharmacol. 1983;6:241-5. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. RULLQUIBRERAGONZALEZ-MlLLANLOZANO CASTANEDA JRHO. Symptomatic treatment of peripheral diabetic neuropathy with carbamazepine (Tegretol): double-blind crossover trial. Diabetologia. 1969;5:215-8. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. GERSONJONESLUSCOMBE GRD. Studies on the concomitant use of carbamazepine and clomipramine for the relief of post-herpetic neuralgia. Postgrad Med J. 1977;53:104-9. MedlineGoogle Scholar7. ELLENBERG M. Treatment of diabetic neuropathy with diphenylhydantoin. NY State J Med. 1968;68:2653-5. MedlineGoogle Scholar8. AGNEWGOLDBERG DV. A brief trial of phenytoin therapy for thalamic pain. Bull Los Angeles Neurol Soc. 1976;41:9-12. MedlineGoogle Scholar9. FROMMTERRENCECHATTHAGLASS GCAJ. Baclofen in trigeminal neuralgia: its effect on the spinal trigeminal nucleus: a pilot study. Arch Neurol. 1980;37:768-71. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. BOTNEYFIELDS MH. Amitriptylin potentiates morphine analgesia by a direct action on the central nervous system. Ann Neurol. 1983;13:160-4. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar11. PURDYJULIENFAIRHURSTTERRY RRAM. Effect of carbamazepine on the in vitro uptake and release of norepinephrine in adrenergic nerves of rabbit aorta and in whole brain synaptosomes. Epilepsia. 1977;18:251-7. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar12. CROWLEYRODRIGUEZ-SIERRAKOMISARUK WJB. Monoaminergic mediation of the antinociceptive effect of vaginal stimulation in rats. Brain Res. 1977;137:67-84. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar13. POTASHNER S. Baclofen: effects on amino acid release and metabolism in slices of guinea pig cerebral cortex. J Neurochem. 1979;32:103-9. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: University Hospitals of Cleveland Cleveland, Ohio PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByTrigeminal NeuralgiaTrigeminal NeuralgiaBaclofen withdrawal and neuropsychiatric symptoms: A case report and review of other case literature 1 June 1984Volume 100, Issue 6Page: 905-906KeywordsAbnormal liver function testsAdverse reactionsClinical pharmacologyDrug therapyNeutropeniaRashesToxicity Issue Published: 1 June 1984 PDF DownloadLoading ...