Alcoholism and a sudden interest in baclofen

"In the depths of a desperate struggle with alcoholism, I found a medicine, baclofen, that both freed me of all cravings for alcohol and resolved the underlying disorder, overwhelming anxiety, that made me vulnerable to addiction." So writes French cardiologist Dr. Olivier Ameisen in his new book, "The End of My Addiction." An excerpt of the book appears today on abcnews.com and is not surprisingly -- with that kind of claim -- prompting interest in the drug, speculation about its potential and, of course, Google searches hither and yon. Ameisen's statement is certainly provocative -- bordering on incendiary -- for the almost magic-like quality it seems to suggest for baclofen, a drug of which few people are aware. The medication itself is a muscle relaxer, often used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis symptoms, according to drugs.com . And it does show some promise ... A relatively small, but human, study published in the Dec. 8, 2007, issue of The Lancet ... (link)