Muscle-relaxant baclofen now has a second claim: a cure to alcohol addiction. The drug has grown widely popular since a French cardiologist published a book a year ago that describes his personal recovery through high doses of baclofen. But Richmond addiction intervention specialist William J. Maher says he's wary about the report. "I am all for pharmaceutical intervention if it actually works and is appropriate," he says, adding that many drugs in the past 15 years have staked this claim. Maher, who has been counseling local patients with addictions for more than 20 years, adds that with the help of the 12-step group Alcoholics Anonymous and the prescription drug Antabuse, he personally recovered from alcohol addiction. "I would just be very cautious in saying it was a miracle." Maher encourages reading studies and pairing medication with therapy. For more information, go to interventionctr.com.
