Baclofen Prescribing Guide for Doctors-English Version

[StuckinLA]

Baclofen Prescribing Guide for Doctors-English Version

Oh, and they probably call it a last resort in a CYA kind of way, since it hasn't been through any major randomized trials yet...

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Baclofen Prescribing Guide for Doctors-English Version

Yeah. It still frustrates me though. Not because I think it should be a first line of defense, but because it seems like it'll just delay any really proactive research. If it's just for the drunks who are going to die then why bother really looking into it??? When it is, based on everything I've read and heard about, very safe. If lousy for the purpose...(imho)

I guess I don't really know what the French Society for Alcoholism is or does. What does that correlate to in the US? (Or even GB?)
And where was it published? Did I miss it? I'll look again...

[Otter]

Baclofen Prescribing Guide for Doctors-English Version

Ne/Neva Eva;1341855 wrote: Yeah. It still frustrates me though. Not because I think it should be a first line of defense, but because it seems like it'll just delay any really proactive research. If it's just for the drunks who are going to die then why bother really looking into it??? When it is, based on everything I've read and heard about, very safe. If lousy for the purpose...(imho)

I guess I don't really know what the French Society for Alcoholism is or does. What does that correlate to in the US? (Or even GB?)
And where was it published? Did I miss it? I'll look again...

Hi, Ne

I rushed this translation just to get in on the board. I am having a French professor look it over and will publish a better version in due course. I don't know who the authors are or what the society is or what its US equivalent is. Maybe the National Association for Addictive Medicine, but maybe in France this agency has more of a governmental role. I Don't know. All I can say is that from my perspective it is absolutely correct in its description of how Baclofen works for a huge number of people who used it, particularly, more serious cases. I think it is a very useful and important paper.

[Otter]

Baclofen Prescribing Guide for Doctors-English Version

MusiciansMallet;1341806 wrote: Well, after all it is just a translation & it does link to the original French document. And for what it's worth, in the same area at the end, it notates the translator (a Mr. David Harris, apparently? Good luck googling that name unless you're a search engine expert). I did a quick search trying to find any sort of information/background on baclofenuk.com (the hosting website) which identifies itself as the "baclofen UK world forum" but couldn't find much, although only did a quick search since i'm short on time.

Either way, it is the UK-based.. so, for presentation to a doctor; a lot of the specifics under the "off label prescribing" & other areas about specific prescribing protocol may only apply to the UK & not necessarily prescribing guidelines w/in the US & the FDA.. I would keep that in mind & advise your doctor this if you do present it to him or her.

,

Unless you have a doctor who is prepared to prescribe off label then nothing you give him will make a difference but, if he is, then the paper will give some concise guidance on its use and symptoms. I cannot undertand why the doctors named don't list all their credentials. Don Quixote posted the originals.

[DonQuixote]

Baclofen Prescribing Guide for Doctors-English Version

Hello @all

I am German; my English isn’t that good, sorry for that.

The paper has nothing to do with the French Alcohological Society. As anywhere else, Baclofen in France is only accepted as an “off-label-therapy”. To the authors of the guide:

Prof. Jaury is leader of the randomized and placebo controlled clinical study with 320 patients that has started some weeks ago. High dosed Baclofen-Therapy against alcoholism over a period of one year. Results will be published in 2014. He published also this Study,together with Dr. Renaud de Beaurepaire (abstract only, for full text just ask me) in the very prestigious journal “Alcohol and Alcoholism”

Dr. Renaul de Beaurepaire is mentioned in Oliver Ameisen’s book as the first Baclofen-prescribing doctor in France. They published together in early 2010 the results of their study in “Annales M?dico-Psychologiques” (in French only). A 3-month trial of Baclofen for the treatment of alcohol dependence. 88% of the patients had either totally stopped drinking, or had significantly decreased their alcohol intake. Efficacious doses were highly variable from patient to patient, ranging from15 mg/day to 300 mg/day (average 145 mg/day). Total of patients: 100

Dr. Annie Rapp and Dr. Pascal Gache are French doctors / therapist that gave medical treatment with Baclofen to some hundred alcoholics.

All the authors mentioned in the guide-paper are part of the French “Baclofen-Network” AUBES. There is a public forum with 3700 members, they organize medical colloquiums, work on public relations and they have a access restricted forum (for medicals only) with nearly three hundred participants, as far as I know.

Best regards, DonQuixote

Edit: All of the authors are Professors or Doctors. They didn’t mention this fact in the paper, because everyone in the “Baclofen-scene” knows them, even the wider public. In France there are hundreds of newspaper articles and dozens of television and radio broadcasts about Baclofen-therapy, where the authors of the Baclofen-guide are often the figurehead.

[MusiciansMallet]

Baclofen Prescribing Guide for Doctors-English Version

DonQuixote;1341980 wrote: Hello @all

I am German; my English isn?t that good, sorry for that.

The paper has nothing to do with the French Alcohological Society. As anywhere else, Baclofen in France is only accepted as an ?off-label-therapy?. To the authors of the guide:

Prof. Jaury is leader of the randomized and placebo controlled clinical study with 320 patients that has started some weeks ago. High dosed Baclofen-Therapy against alcoholism over a period of one year. Results will be published in 2014. He published also this Study,together with Dr. Renaud de Beaurepaire (abstract only, for full text just ask me) in the very prestigious journal ?Alcohol and Alcoholism?

Dr. Renaul de Beaurepaire is mentioned in Oliver Ameisen?s book as the first Baclofen-prescribing doctor in France. They published together in early 2010 the results of their study in ?Annales M?dico-Psychologiques? (in French only). A 3-month trial of Baclofen for the treatment of alcohol dependence. 88% of the patients had either totally stopped drinking, or had significantly decreased their alcohol intake. Efficacious doses were highly variable from patient to patient, ranging from15 mg/day to 300 mg/day (average 145 mg/day). Total of patients: 100

Dr. Annie Rapp and Dr. Pascal Gache are French doctors / therapist that gave medical treatment with Baclofen to some hundred alcoholics.

All the authors mentioned in the guide-paper are part of the French ?Baclofen-Network? AUBES. There is a public forum with 3700 members, they organize medical colloquiums, work on public relations and they have a access restricted forum (for medicals only) with nearly three hundred participants, as far as I know.

Best regards, DonQuixote
DON- Dank! Ihre Englisch war gut. Es tut mir leid f?r mein schlechtes Deutsch ! Anyway, I hear some good things about baclofen use in Germany (I have family in Berlin & stuttgart.. but particularly in Ost-Berlin (East Berlin) I have a cousin who is prescribed high doses of Baclofen!)... Thanks for your contribution.

Otter wrote: Unless you have a doctor who is prepared to prescribe off label then nothing you give him will make a difference but, if he is, then the paper will give some concise guidance on its use and symptoms

This is what I was basically getting at. However, there are some doctors (in my experience at least), that will prescribe it after some probing & some pain on your part (i.e., constant relapsing.. constant asking... constant consequences of drinking, or in my case, issues w/ other GABAergic drugs)- unfortunately there aren't a bunch of pharmaceutical reps peddling baclofen like they are every other drug that costs an arm & a leg these days (here in the U.S. at least).. like suboxone (which i take) for opioid addiction/maintenance. Funny, if i lived in most parts of Western Europe, the generic buprenorphine (which is available there, not here) would cost me $4 max. Now? Costs me ~$130 & raising every 2-3 months. F*cking ridiculous!

Anyway, I digress.. sorry to get off topic!

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Baclofen Prescribing Guide for Doctors-English Version

Otter;1341896 wrote: Hi, Ne

I rushed this translation just to get in on the board. I am having a French professor look it over and will publish a better version in due course. I don't know who the authors are or what the society is or what its US equivalent is. Maybe the National Association for Addictive Medicine, but maybe in France this agency has more of a governmental role. I Don't know. All I can say is that from my perspective it is absolutely correct in its description of how Baclofen works for a huge number of people who used it, particularly, more serious cases. I think it is a very useful and important paper.
I think the translation is done very well. And Thank You very much for the effort, for getting it done quickly, and most importantly, for putting it where everyone can find it!!!

It IS useful and important. I am very grateful that it's been written. I think a year ago it would have completely thrilled me! Now...I'm both more impatient and less impressed. The stuff works. What the hell is the hang up???

But, as you've noted here and elsewhere, it is profound that some doctors have come together to create this publicly for general consumption.

DonQuixote;1341980 wrote:
The paper has nothing to do with the French Alcohological Society. As anywhere else, Baclofen in France is only accepted as an ?off-label-therapy?. To the authors of the guide:

Prof. Jaury is leader of the randomized and placebo controlled clinical study with 320 patients that has started some weeks ago. High dosed Baclofen-Therapy against alcoholism over a period of one year. Results will be published in 2014. He published also this Study,together with Dr. Renaud de Beaurepaire (abstract only, for full text just ask me) in the very prestigious journal ?Alcohol and Alcoholism?

Dr. Renaul de Beaurepaire is mentioned in Oliver Ameisen?s book as the first Baclofen-prescribing doctor in France. They published together in early 2010 the results of their study in ?Annales M?dico-Psychologiques? (in French only). A 3-month trial of Baclofen for the treatment of alcohol dependence. 88% of the patients had either totally stopped drinking, or had significantly decreased their alcohol intake. Efficacious doses were highly variable from patient to patient, ranging from15 mg/day to 300 mg/day (average 145 mg/day). Total of patients: 100

Dr. Annie Rapp and Dr. Pascal Gache are French doctors / therapist that gave medical treatment with Baclofen to some hundred alcoholics.

All the authors mentioned in the guide-paper are part of the French ?Baclofen-Network? AUBES. There is a public forum with 3700 members, they organize medical colloquiums, work on public relations and they have a access restricted forum (for medicals only) with nearly three hundred participants, as far as I know.

Best regards, DonQuixote

Edit: All of the authors are Professors or Doctors. They didn?t mention this fact in the paper, because everyone in the ?Baclofen-scene? knows them, even the wider public. In France there are hundreds of newspaper articles and dozens of television and radio broadcasts about Baclofen-therapy, where the authors of the Baclofen-guide are often the figurehead.

Thanks, Don! And thank you, too, for bringing this to us. It is greatly appreciated and I've been remiss by not responding on the thread you started. I'll do that now.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Baclofen Prescribing Guide for Doctors-English Version

By the way, the site remodel looks good, Otter!
Popped back in to print out the paper. Therapist in an hour!

Cheers!

[Sticky]

Baclofen Prescribing Guide for Doctors-English Version

Hi Otter

Thanks so much for translating this. You've done a great job and it's an interesting read.

Cheers
Sticky

[AmyC]

Baclofen Prescribing Guide for Doctors-English Version

Hi Otter. Thanks for the translation. I really appreciate it.

[COSGringo]

Baclofen Prescribing Guide for Doctors-English Version

Yes, thank you. I may give it to my counselor I see tomorrow although he's not into meds. At the end of the day though anything that works he's for. He's not an MD. I see him every few months. He just lost his house to our wildfires but he's still working.

[Otter]

Baclofen Prescribing Guide for Doctors-English Version

Here is the prescribing guide on a free web site:

Prescribing Guide for Baclofen in the Treatment of Alcoholism-Don

Where you can print it off or download it more easily.

Here is a public policy statement from ASAM about alcoholism:

Definition of Addiction

[DonQuixote]

Baclofen Prescribing Guide for Doctors-English Version

And here is a direct download-link without need of registration:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/59463672/Prescribing-Guide-for-Baclofen-in-the-Treatment-of-Alcoholism-Don.pdf

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Baclofen Prescribing Guide for Doctors-English Version

bump. And for those who can't get to the link, the recommendation is this:
Day 1 through 5: 5mg in the morning, 5mg in the evening.
Day 6-10: 5mg spread evenly throughout the day. (8am, 1pm, 6pm, before bed)
Day 11-15: 10mg in the morning, 5mg at 1pm and 6pm and 10mg before bed.

Increase by 10mg every 5 days, spread evenly throughout the day.
Do not go faster than 10mg every 5 days, even if the medication is well tolerated.

[Otter]

Baclofen Prescribing Guide for Doctors-English Version

DonQuixote;1342866 wrote: And here is a direct download-link without need of registration:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/59463672/Prescribing-Guide-for-Baclofen-in-the-Treatment-of-Alcoholism-Don.pdf

This is the better site to see this on as the Baclofen UK site is acting up. We had a Shanghai domain name scammer messing about with it. Or you can see it here: Prescribing Guide for Baclofen in the Treatment of Alcoholism-Don