Desire to drink more on Baclofen

[laurie65]

I have been taking Bac for 6 weeks now and am on 100mg a day. It took me ages to climb and have now managed to have few se's. To begin with I experienced terrible anxiety and scary breathlessness.
Now I feel pretty good on it and at some points in the afternoon feel positive and euphoric.
My concern however is that I seem to have a stronger desire to drink, and most certainly to smoke fags.
Last night I did something I've not done for a few years, I finished 16 uk units and proceeded to want more and topped up with an extra unit.
I also take 5/6 g of l-tyrosine. Coul this be cancelling the effect of the bac?
I started on L-t because I was feeling so utterly depressed on the bac and wanted to negate the loss of dopamine. I just came off the merina coil and stopped my hrt around about the time I stared the bac...might be relevant?
Could someone please advise or relate to my experience?
Feeling very worried
Thanks

[lizker]

Desire to drink more on Baclofen

Not sure I understand correctly but what I am gathering
is there is a possibility of drug interactions. You either drink or
do bac especially when you're taking high doses of amino acids.

[laurie65]

Desire to drink more on Baclofen

I think i get what you are saying Lizker.
But could you possibly explain further.
I started taking the amino's cause I felt so desperately depressed on the bac.
I just can't seem to get off the booze as yet, planning to try to go AF this weekend.
I may be being incredibly foolish here, but the amino's have helped my mood greatly, and I'm now starting to feel more ready to try and put down the alcohol.
We all have our own journeys after all.
I'm just doing the best i can right now. Could not bear the bac se's without the amino's. Starting to stabilize now tho. Next step AF.
Thanks for responding x

[lizker]

Desire to drink more on Baclofen

Iam not an expert but bac and alcohol are both depressants. Chronic
use throws the neurotransmitters balance off. Large quantities
or chronic use of tyrosine can inhibit the function of other amino
acids and can reduce dopa absorbtion. I don't think there are
are any studies on the interaction of all three taken at the same
time in those quantities I guess it's a common sense or judgement call.
How often do you drink?

[laurie65]

Desire to drink more on Baclofen

Daily, but trying hard to taper off. Been a daily boozer for the last 30 years. With the exception of two years sobriety and sobriety during three pregnancies. I know I can do. Just that the drive to drink is still stronger than the drive to stop.

[Gertrude Irene]

Desire to drink more on Baclofen

I'm new here

Hi...I haven't tried any of the products.
I am amazed that my credit card was not asked for yet.
What do I do now?:

[laurie65]

Desire to drink more on Baclofen

I'm sorry G.Irene. I don't understand your message?

[Hippyman]

Desire to drink more on Baclofen

laurie65;1466197 wrote: I have been taking Bac for 6 weeks now and am on 100mg a day. It took me ages to climb and have now managed to have few se's. To begin with I experienced terrible anxiety and scary breathlessness.
Now I feel pretty good on it and at some points in the afternoon feel positive and euphoric.
My concern however is that I seem to have a stronger desire to drink, and most certainly to smoke fags.
Last night I did something I've not done for a few years, I finished 16 uk units and proceeded to want more and topped up with an extra unit.
I also take 5/6 g of l-tyrosine. Coul this be cancelling the effect of the bac?
I started on L-t because I was feeling so utterly depressed on the bac and wanted to negate the loss of dopamine. I just came off the merina coil and stopped my hrt around about the time I stared the bac...might be relevant?
Could someone please advise or relate to my experience?
Feeling very worried
Thanks

I don't understand why you would post a thread saying baclofen made you want to drink more. If it's not helping you then stop taking it but don't try to discourage others from trying it. It could save their lives. It surely help to save mine! What baclofen did for me was give me the added strength to say no to alcohol. Point being, I still had to be the one to say NO!

[laurie65]

Desire to drink more on Baclofen

I don't understand your reaction Hippyman.
I was reaching out for identification. NOT CRITISISING BAC!
I feel very discouraged by this forum right now. I'm really struggling and have researched this site to death and took all the advice, trusted most I hvee read..and still do not doubt the wisdom on here.
i have posted genuine queries, and just need some compassionate feedback. My second post has not received not even one reply.
I need some help and advice. Not criticism. I'm struggling and doing the best I can.
Why are you being so nasty?

[Hippyman]

Desire to drink more on Baclofen

laurie65;1467328 wrote: I don't understand your reaction Hippyman.
I was reaching out for identification. NOT CRITISISING BAC!
I feel very discouraged by this forum right now. I'm really struggling and have researched this site to death and took all the advice, trusted most I hvee read..and still do not doubt the wisdom on here.
i have posted genuine queries, and just need some compassionate feedback. My second post has not received not even one reply.
I need some help and advice. Not criticism. I'm struggling and doing the best I can.
Why are you being so nasty?

I was shocked that someone would start a thread call...Desire to drink more on baclofen??? :upset: What are people to think about a title like that? Baclofen saved my life and it can save others too! Explain what you were trying to do. I am concerned new comers will see a thread like that and think baclofen will make them want to drink more. After all, that's what you titled it! I am trying to be of help. How exactly can I help you?

[laurie65]

Desire to drink more on Baclofen

Oh, I accept I made an error in my title.
But this is what I've experienced.
If I offended anyone then of course i am truly sorry, was not my intention.
But I just was looking to find out if anyone else had this experience.
I thought this was a site that could help it's members find identification.
I think I described what i need quite clearly.
i'm mixing bac and amino's just cause it seemed to help with the terrible depression i felt three weeks into my bac protocol.
I obviously don't want to cause further damage.
I can't seem to put the alcohol down just yet.
Yes I feel a failure, right now I feel like a super victim.
I read your message and promptly burst into tears. In tears now. It's not your fault. It's me I'm a rollercoaster of emotions right now.
I plan a taper ending to the drinking, and since my binge the other night I have mananged to come right down to 4 uk units a night.
My question (innocently) was has anyone else felt a stronger desire to drink in the early days of bac, and is taking 6g's of L-tyrosine not helping my situation.
best
Lorraine

[Hippyman]

Desire to drink more on Baclofen

laurie65;1467339 wrote: Oh, I accept I made an error in my title.
But this is what I've experienced.
If I offended anyone then of course i am truly sorry, was not my intention.
But I just was looking to find out if anyone else had this experience.
I thought this was a site that could help it's members find identification.
I think I described what i need quite clearly.
i'm mixing bac and amino's just cause it seemed to help with the terrible depression i felt three weeks into my bac protocol.
I obviously don't want to cause further damage.
I can't seem to put the alcohol down just yet.
Yes I feel a failure, right now I feel like a super victim.
I read your message and promptly burst into tears. In tears now. It's not your fault. It's me I'm a rollercoaster of emotions right now.
I plan a taper ending to the drinking, and since my binge the other night I have mananged to come right down to 4 uk units a night.
My question (innocently) was has anyone else felt a stronger desire to drink in the early days of bac, and is taking 6g's of L-tyrosine not helping my situation.
best
Lorraine

Tears can be really healing. Stay close and we can heal together. Make the decision to stop drinking and then take steps toward doing that. It's up to YOU! Have you read the MWO handbook? There are links at the bottom of my posts that will give you tools to help you quit. Maybe baclofen isn't for you. There are many ways to get sober and stay sober. Baclofen is the one that worked for me. You have to find what works for you.

[laurie65]

Desire to drink more on Baclofen

I know it's up to me....and that is very empowering actually.
I could write a thesis on addiction recovery...in fact I did for my finals in my psychotherapy degree! There's the irony.
I have tried many routes to sobriety..each one brief and hopeful, but I ultimately failed.
I've tried all the 'opathies and 'ologies known to man...homeopathy, reflexology, diet-opathy, etc, etc...the list is endless. AA, therapy.
For once in all my recovery journey's I feel that the bac is really helping, but I know sobriety is ultimately my choice and my choice alone.
After the horrendous se's I am suddenly finding a place of calm...despite my emotional rollercoaster.
I feel much more accepting of who I am and what i need to do.
This is a journey...destination unknown.
I actually love bac, and so was quite wounded that my thread title was taken out of the context I intended.
I plan to continue on the high dose amino's...I've seen no research to suggest this is a mistake.
I look forward to posting stories of my success with baclofen and amino's
xx

[joanna_d]

Desire to drink more on Baclofen

Laurie, i don't know about the L-t and cross effects, but i know i drank a HELL of a lot while going up to the switch.
it was a combination of issues for me, i can get into that later, i need to cool down right now, had a rather straining day.

for now, i just want to say that even while i drank all the way up baclofen still worked for me.
i switched 2 1/2 months ago.

(and boy, did i have se's, to later find out they weren't se's at all, but bac-booze hangovers. could very well be that your emotional rollercoaster is a result of bac combined with booze, at least partly)

more later. but i thought it would be good to let you know you're not the only one who's experienced this (and we both aren't). just keep going with bac, take care of yourself as good as you can, try to diminish drinking, but don't beat yourself up for doing it if you can't. as Ne once said to me: "this is what we do. we're alcoholics. we drink".

but it won't be long 'til it's bye bye booze.

:l

[laurie65]

Desire to drink more on Baclofen

Thank you so much Joanna.
I've being feeling pretty alone out here journeying up and drinking like a loser.
Then feeling (rightly or wrongly) punished for my thread!
I really appreciate your message.
xxx