Posted by Hugh on March 7, 2013, at 13:28:15
In reply to May I have my depression back, please?, posted by ChicagoKat on March 7, 2013, at 10:44:56
I hesitate to recommend baclofen, because it's a potentially dangerous medicine, but it helped me tremendously, but only for a week. I had to stop taking it because it started to cause terrible insomnia. But I'm hypersensitive to many meds, so most people probably wouldn't have this problem with it. It's a muscle relaxant. I was taking it for muscle spasms in my lower back, and was very surprised when it wiped out my depression and anxiety. Baclofen acts on the GABA-B receptor. Benzos act on the GABA-A receptor. An interesting book about baclofen is The End of My Addiction by Olivier Ameisen. He's a cardiologist who was a serious alcoholic for years and had tried numerous antidepressants and benzos, and hadn't been helped by them. Then he started taking baclofen, and when he got to a high enough dose, it wiped out the anxiety that was driving him to drink. Baclofen causes somnolence in the beginning, and until this side effect goes away, driving should be avoided. And stopping it suddenly can cause seizures.
poster:Hugh
thread:1039786
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20130222/msgs/1039793.html