Baclofen as an analgesic in chronic peripheral nerve disease.

Baclofen has shown analgesic properties in a number of animal studies but has failed as a conventional analgesic in the human postoperative dental pain model. In order to test baclofen's analgesic properties in more chronic pain conditions, we selected postherpetic neuralgia and diabetic neuropathy pain as possible trial diseases for baclofen analgesia. 15 patients with postherpetic neuralgia and 10 with diabetic neuropathy pain were treated with baclofen. In the spinal postherpetic neuralgia group and diabetic neuropathy group, there was little evidence of analgesic effect. 6 of 7 patients with facial postherpetic neuralgia had a good response to baclofen during the 3-week trial. Baclofen does not appear to be a conventional analgesic.