Combining Baclofen with Omeprazole May Further Reduce GERD Symptoms

A recent study suggests that co-administering the muscle relaxant, baclofen, with the proton pump inhibitor (PPI), omeprazole, may be more effective than PPI monotherapy in reducing heartburn and regurgitation in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

GERD patients who participated in the double-blind, placebo-controlled study received omeprazole 20 mg/d with either twice-daily baclofen sustained release 10 mg or placebo for 2 weeks. Throughout their treatment, subjects were asked to report any presence of heartburn, acid regurgitation, chest pain, or hoarseness.

Although the researchers found no significant differences between the 2 groups on chest pain and hoarseness at the conclusion of the study, they noted reductions in heartburn and regurgitation in the baclofen group. Additionally, none of the patients had to withdraw from the study due to adverse drug reactions, which indicates that baclofen’s side effects are not a limiting factor for GERD patients.

“Given the insufficient response in some patients to PPI monotherapy, the results of the present study suggest that a combination of SR baclofen and omeprazole may be a more effective treatment for heartburn and regurgitation than omeprazole alone,” the authors wrote.

Since the most common reaction reported in the baclofen group was drowsiness, the researchers suggested that the drug might be a useful adjunct therapy to PPIs in GERD patients with nighttime heartburn.