Efficacy of baclofen in trigeminal neuralgia and some other painful conditions. A clinical trial.

Baclofen (beta-4-chlorophenyl-gamma-aminobutyric acid) shows analgesic properties in rats and resembles carbamazepine and phenytoin in its effects on the spinal trigeminal nucleus of cats. We have, therefore, conducted a clinical trial in 25 subjects, 16 suffering from trigeminal neuralgia, and 9 patients were affected by different painful conditions such as postherpetic neuralgia, tabes dorsalis, postarachnoid radiculitis. 5 of the former groups were refractory to or unable to tolerate carbamazepine. Baclofen has significantly exhibited analgesic efficacy: all groups, as a whole, were improved by 68.61%. These results substantiate that baclofen is useful in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia and other painful conditions.