Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

[Larisa]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

drinking sucks

I'm so hoping my next bac shipment arrives today! I was feeling great at 60 mg, but I left it too late to order again in time and had to titrate back down to 30. I spent the weekend drunk. I've developed an allergy to wine, so now my eyes are horribly red and swollen and peeling all around the outsides all the time. My face is red and blotchy, and I've thrown up 9 or 10 times this morning (even though there's nothing left to throw up).

What's really sad is that the same thing happened last weekend...and the one before...and the one before. This behavior keeps being repeated by someone with a 4.0 GPA from college, a Master's Degree, and a law degree in the top 25% of her class at a highly ranked school. Oh, and who scored in the top 1% on the LSAT! And apparently still has NO BRAIN.

I'm so tired of living like this! I can't wait to be AL-free like so many of you are. Thank you for sharing your hope.

[juliej15]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

Larisa -

Don't loose hope...like you I am fairly educated, top of my class etc. I constantly tell myself (and my shrink) that I am too smart for this. I am discovering that like most diseases this one has nothing to do with your GPA. You wouldn't beat yourself up for having cancer or diabetes. Keep with the Bac....you will get there!!

JulieJ

[Larisa]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

Thanks, Julie and Zen!! My bac cleared customs on the 8th, so it should be here soon!

And if I never see a toilet bowl up close and personal, it'll be too soon. Bleah.

[louise]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

In addition to smart, you also seem to have a sense of humor Larissa. Hope it gets there soon and that you can keep a reserve. I swear sometimes all my smarts did for me was to come up with better rationalizations, excuses, etc.

[brightlite]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

There seems to be many smart people here. Sometimes I think too much....that's part of my problem. You know... analyze things to death. Stop the Madness!

Larisa, it's good to hear that you were doing well at 60mg. Hope your Bac arrives soon.

[toughintexas]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

So glad everyone seems to be on the right track here! Ok, here's my weekend "I've started my bac story".....lol.....
Friday....tell hubby to make sure he brings the bac home, and to only get one bottle of red wine and one bottle of white wine on his way home, no more....I take 5mg's, he takes 10mg Friday night, we each had our bottle of wine from like 6pm to 11pm. Sat., he takes 3 10mg's, I take my 5mg's, he is euphoric and going banannas he feels so good, not doing much for me. He goes to town to get burgers, and comes home with 3 bottles of each type of wine, cuz he doesn't want to have to go back to town again over the weekend. I nearly killed him! He just wasn't thinking, plus he felt so good. To back up, hubby has never drank to problematic extent, unless getting him to the sack was an issue...he quit about a yr. ago for nearly 8 mos., just put it down, BUT, he was a Rph in Europe back in the day, and was married to an Italian, and he drank wine like we drink iced tea here in E. Texas....lol....so he had a better tolerance than I. Sat. we were watching the TB horse races, a good friend had a horse in a big race in upstate NY, so I was betting online, he's wound up cuz he feels so good, we're swimming in betw. bets and races, and about 3pm, out comes the corks outta the bottle. This went on til midnight, we had about 1 3/4 bottles each. I freaking nearly died yesterday! I wasn't vomiting or having cramps, I just felt like I was having an out of body experience, couldn't function, felt like I had some weird flu, awful. Yesterday, he kept upping my dose, he'd taken 10mg about 4 times to start off with. By evening, I was semi-normal, went to bed, took the ambien so I could sleep, and slept like a rock. Woke up and was still tired, but felt much better, took my morning dose of bac, went back to sleep til NOON. When I got up this time, I felt sooooo much better! I mean a world of difference. Yesterday, we each just had 2 glasses over about 4 hrs. Today, I have had the am dose, 10mg, a dose at 3pm, a dose at 5pm since its the "witching" hour, and will take 10mg again at bedtime. It's 6pm here, and I just saw the last bottle of white wine in the refrig. and was pretty indifferent, I made sweet wild orange Tazo tea this morning, had stocked up on San Pellingrino, and gatorade, and just poured more tea. I actually kinda thumbed my nose at the wine bottle. I plan on not having any tonight, we'll see, if so, I know it won't be but a glass or so, and hopefully, I won't cave at all. I feel so much better, I hate to ruin it again, seriously! So I guess on day 3, I'm 10-10-10-10. I seem to do better on 4 doses. I love this stuff, sure wish I'd known about it sooner! We need to all do the happy dance over this!

[Zman]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

Congrats Texas! I guess you are one of the lucky ones who only needs low dose.

Larissa, I too graduated magna from a top ten law school, and summa from an Ivy League. I think intelligence may actually play a part in addiction. I remember reading that somewhere...ill try to find a link.

I'm at 120 still. Feeling pretty zonked out at work so I think I need to stay at this level for a few more days. No off-switch still...

[toughintexas]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

I said that a few posts back, that I really thought part of our problem, was the fact that this AL problem is the only thing we can't achieve, handle, control, or manipulate, that anything we've ever set out to do, we've done, this not at all....I know I feel stupid about it, and stupid doing it, and I'm not stupid, but successful too. I too believe this has no boundaries for anyone, and I high level stress careers, or our amount of drive and expectations, and unwillingness to give ourselves a break, contributes! I'm going to keep titrating up, I'm not out of the woods yet, but feeling much more positive about this!

[cowgal]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

hope

I have paid out of the ASS for the desire to leave me....................hoping that Baclofen will...........only problem is getting it, wish I had a pharmacy like you Tex...................I will wait till Friday and hopefully talk my doc into it for back pain?!!!?! Can you send me some?? Just joking!!!!

interesting and informative thread, I am so sick of feeling like this...................will try ANYTHING, can't afford much now though.................love,

MA

[toughintexas]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

MA, its really cheap. I can send you some, just get your Doc to give you an Rx, tell him you heard its an old, tried and true, inexpense drug, and you are standing all day at work, and all that.....lol.....I really think, since we sent some Topa off to be analyzed that a member got, that the US version is stronger, probably why some of us have a lower dose tolerance. The overseas version doesn't have to have the same percentage of active ingred. as the US manufactured. You have to weigh how many you have to take, vs. the cost per Rx. Just some inside FYI....lol

[Cinders]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

MA,

If you have to, go to a new doctor and tell her/him that you are running out of your prescription for Baclofen. You take it for muscle spasms.

If you tell him you take 80 mgs/day, you should be safe for that amount at least.

TIT,

:welcome: to the Baclofen threads. I pray it works for you as well as it has worked for me. I haven't found it to be a silver bullet, I do at times have drinking thoughts, but I have been able to just brush them aside. Cindi, the relapse queen, is getting some serious AF time under her belt and ecstatic.

ps. I was really happy to hear you were given an "all clear" on the cancer, btw. Yay!!

Just wanted to post that I am starting to feel the tiredness from the Baclofen in the evenings pretty strongly. Waking up tired, too. Actually, I think this is a good thing. I believe I may be able to titrate down a bit. Today, instead of 40/40/40, I am gong to go to 30/30/40.

I know it seems counter intuitive to take the 40 in the evening (around 5:00) but that is still a huge trigger time for me with going to hotel restaurant and bars, but I am thinking if I can get down to 20/20/40 the cumulative effects will not be so bad.

I am so thankful I tried Baclofen and I am extremely grateful my psychiatrist was willing to try it. It has addressed several issues for me: drinking, panic attacks, generalized anxiety. I have not had to take a single Klonipen in weeks. I hate taking those pills, they make me a zombie.

Love,
Cindi

[Cinders]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

ps.

Has anyone heard from OliveOyl? He just disappeared after a withdrawn post.

I am concerned.

Cindi

[Andy R]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

Day 7 - Good things happening mood wise+ No craving (yay)

. There are a few things happening
Weird dreams and I am tending to talk loudly - which I think is because I am ,during this titration period ,slightly deaf.
Sleeping well but with the weird dreams....

All else is good and I am a full on convert to Baclofen - which I feel a bit premature saying - but after close to 25 years of fighting this thing - something positive is happening for the first time ever.

I know this pill is not a magic thing on its own and is not a 100% cure of and by itself - but it is pretty damn close -

[toughintexas]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

Cinders, thanks tons! I am a true believer in baclofen too! It's really kicked in today, I have the euphoric feeling finally that hubby has had....lol... I'm going to change up my dose a tad too, I haven't hit the off switch totally, but very close on a low dose, I took 10-10-10-10 yesterday, and I didn't pour a glass til about 8pm, I drank that one, poured another....AND ENDED UP POURING IT OUT WHEN I WENT TO BED.....what a miracle! So, today instead of the 10mg dose at the witching hour, I'm going to do 15mg, and see if I don't pour a single one, that's my goal, I've just been weaning off, so I wouldn't feel so deprived, I'm really seeing the "indifference" to it! Andy, good for you too! And everyone! Let's keep it up and keep posting our doseage's and dilemma's! I've have had trouble getting up in the am, but I've never been a morning person, this morning I made myself get up, and made coffee, and had a protein shake, and I was ok, so I'll just have to start making myself get up until that wears off. Love to you all!

[louise]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

So glad to hear this is working for you TIT and Andy!
Re: the success, high achieving - maybe we stress ourselves out with all that and (unintelligently) turn to alcohol to relax, and unfortunately have the wrong genes.
TIT I'm interested in your thought that your baclofen might be different than from overseas pharmacies. Is yours actually manufactured here?