About Baclofen for Bipolar Disorder

Baclofen is a prescription medication which has been shown to be very effective in treating multiple sclerosis, alcohol withdrawal disorder and spinal cord ailments. Baclofen has also undergone testing to determine whether it is an effective therapeutic drug for psychiatric patients with conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

History

• Baclofen was originally formulated in the 1920s to treat epilepsy, but was found to be ineffective.

Function

• Baclofen treats spastic activity. Spastic activity is uncontrolled movement of the muscles, such as muscle spasms.

Warning

• Periods of delirium have been associated with withdrawal from Baclofen (see Resources).

Misconceptions

• Baclofen is not commonly used for bipolar disorder. There are few recent studies directly related to Baclofen's effect on psychiatric diseases such as bipolar disorder (see Resources).

Considerations

• The studies that are published regarding Baclofen's effect on bipolar disorder are outdated and their findings conflict; scientists and doctors disagree on whether it has any positive effect on bipolar disorder patients.