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A drug commonly used in the treatment of muscle spasms may
be a useful therapy in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux
disease (GERD), according to a report presented at Digestive
Diseases Week 2002 in San Francisco.
Baclofen
acts on the spinal cord nerves and decreases the number and
severity of muscle spasms caused by such diseases as cerebral
palsy, multiple sclerosis or spinal cord diseases.
Previous
research has shown baclofen to be effective in short-term
administration in reducing reflux episodes in patients with
GERD.
Italian
researchers studied the effects of one-month treatment with
baclofen in 14 patients with GERD. Researchers gave the patients
a questionnaire on various symptoms, including bitter taste,
belching, epigastric pain from not eating, after-meal epigastric
pain, nighttime epigastric pain, heartburn, regurgitation
and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). The intensity and frequency
of the patients' symptoms was rated 0 to 4.
Patients
were randomly assigned to receive baclofen or a placebo for
one month. The patients were tested for esophageal pH and
GERD symptoms at the end of treatment.
The average
number of reflux episodes was significantly lower after treatment
with baclofen, according to the study. Also, the amount of
time patients had a lower pH was significantly lower after
baclofen treatment and the intensity and frequency of symptoms
were also significantly improved. These effects were not seen
in the patients given a placebo.
Researchers
concluded that baclofen may be a useful therapy in the treatment
of GERD.
Source:
Medical Week staff,
week of June 23, 2002
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