Common Baclofen Side Effects
Baclofen has been studied extensively in clinical trials. In these studies, side effects that occurred in a group of people taking the drug were documented and then compared to the side effects that occurred in a similar group of people taking a placebo (a "sugar pill" that does not contain any active ingredients).
Based on these studies, the most common side effects of
baclofen tablets included:
- Drowsiness -- in up to 63 percent of people
- Dizziness -- up to 15 percent
- Nausea -- up to 12 percent
- Confusion -- up to 11 percent
- Low blood pressure -- up to 9 percent
- Headaches -- up to 8 percent
- Insomnia -- up to 7 percent
- Constipation -- up to 6 percent
- Frequent urination -- up to 6 percent
- Fatigue -- up to 4 percent.
For the intrathecal injection form (a "
baclofen pump"), the most commonly reported side effects included:
- Low muscle tone (hypotonia) -- in up to 34 percent of people
- Drowsiness -- up to 18.7 percent
- Headaches -- up to 10.7 percent
- Seizures -- up to 10 percent
- Dizziness -- up to 8 percent
- Difficulty passing urine -- up to 8 percent
- Nausea -- up to 7.3 percent.
Other Uncommon Side Effects
Some side effects seen in clinical studies occurred so infrequently that it can be difficult to tell whether they are actually caused by the medication or something else. Some of these rare but possible baclofen side effects include but are not limited to:
- An unexplained pleasant feeling (euphoria)
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Vision changes
- Dry mouth
- Loss of appetite
- Taste changes
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Impotence (also known as erectile dysfunction, or ED)
- Inability to ejaculate
- Kidney stones
- Weight gain
- Excessive perspiration.
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