Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

[PhoenixRising]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

Had a bottle of wine last night. Didn't really even get the buzz, just got really sleepy and went to bed at 8:00. I go up to 80mg today, so I doubt I will drink as staying awake will be a challenge..

Cowgal, I hope you feel better. Hang in there. ((hugs))

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone.

[Larisa]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

LOL, Beatle! I don't know if bac high counts, either. Tiptronic is the only other person I've found who gets a buzz off this stuff (of sorts). Then again, he's the only other one I know who went over 200 mg. It makes me fllooooooaaaatyyyy...

Cowgal, that sounds awful. This economy blows. Hang in there!

[PhoenixRising]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

Larisa;760938 wrote: LOL, Beatle! I don't know if bac high counts, either. Tiptronic is the only other person I've found who gets a buzz off this stuff (of sorts). Then again, he's the only other one I know who went over 200 mg. It makes me fllooooooaaaatyyyy...

Cowgal, that sounds awful. This economy blows. Hang in there!

Bac definitely makes me woozy! I'm at 80mg (first day of 80mg) and I am sleepy but AF. Tomorrow will be rough as I almost always have a bottle of wine on Friday night.

Have a great night, all!

-P.

[PhoenixRising]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

How are you feeling today, Cowgal? :l

[cowgal]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

much better!!

Turns out that besides being extremely tired, trying still to get used to these horrid hours, I was coming down w/ a stomach virus, vomited the entire way home at 8AM, my POOR car, but slept it off and felt WAY better today, work Sat, Sun and Monday night, off Tues and Wed, then work Thanksgiving and the day after making KILLER bucks!!!!

off to bed, have an awesome night everyone!!!!:h:l:h

MA

[hopefulspouse]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

thanks and quick question

Thanks everyone for your support. I have been reading through the threads at least an hour every day trying to learn as much as I can and transfer some of that hope and knowledge to my husband. I can't thank everyone enough for all of their informative posts. Just know that you all have a very strong cheerleader out there for whatever it's worth
As a sidenote, and I apologize if I missed any posts on this, but I noticed that on December 22nd a second book is getting published by Dr. A called "Heal Thyself". It just says originally published as "The End of My Addiction". I am unsure if it is the same exact book or if we can expect any new info in it. Anyone know? Why the same book with another title published a year later?
Here is an excerpt from Amazon...."Heal Thyself (originally published as The End of My Addiction) is both a memoir of Ameisen’s struggle and a call to action. In the past year, a growing number of researchers and doctors have been inspired by Ameisen and begun prescribing baclofen and lobbying for wide-scale studies into how the drug works. Last spring, no less an authority than the leading medical journal Alcohol and Alcoholism endorsed the book. Hailing Dr. Ameisen as “a remarkable medical researcher,” it summed up its assessment strongly and directly: “This book is to be recommended.”"

[hopefulspouse]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

Zenstyle....I also have End of My Addiction....ordered it in September as soon as a friend told me about it and read it in 2 days!
I just realized that Heal Thyself is in paperback. Seems to coincide I think with how long it usually takes for a hardcover to be available in paperback. So just guessing but perhaps that is the main reason for release but still vague on why the name would be changed. It is good to see the endorsement by the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism is included in the synopsis.
BTW-was able to line up an appointment for hubby for next week with a doctor who seems genuinely interested in learning more about baclofen as a treatment for alcoholism, even asked if she could borrow my book! I actually had a few tears of relief after speaking with her yesterday. Fingers crossed. My husband is looking forward to the appointment but is currently drinking around the clock. I am praying that he can rally enough to make it to the appointment and make it worthwhile. I just have to pray on it, at this point I have really done all that I can do.

[beatle]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

I liaise with the publishing world and you all have sussed it out -- exactly. I can't speak for Dr. A's book, but it seems that this is a "remake" in conjunction with a paperback release. In the meantime, there might be some new studies, or more likely endorsements, that support the book -- and, of course, a title change in response to the marketing gurus' advice -- which in this case is very welcome! We should all rejoice.

Hopeful, I'm very happy to hear about your progress and the real hope you now have. Your husband is more than fortunate... he is blessed. I'm sure many of us here would have had a better life if we had someone like you to help us. You are a hero. (heroine is a no-no word on this site;-)

[cowgal]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

agree

I agree w/ Zen and Beatle, Hopeful, you are a loving spouse to try so to help your husband...............that is sweet!! I wish you all the luck, and go armed w/ the book, the article, the website etc, keep us posted as to what happens!!

Good to see you Zen, how are you? Beatle, always great to see you too...................enjoying my day as I go into work tonight, Sun, Mon night....................can't wait to get used to this, just hope I do!?!

lots of love,:h:h:l

MA

[hopefulspouse]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

:thanks:
Thanks everyone for all the support and kind words.....And Beatle I laughed out loud with the heroine reference. And I needed the laugh!
I will be sure to post after the appointment this week. I hope everyone's week gets off to a great start.:l

[brightlite]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

That's interesting about Dr. A's book. Do you think that he may have received some flack for the title "The End of My Addiction" so now the less controversial "Heal Thyself", kind of puts the responsibilities in the hands of the reader. Just a thought.

[billyb]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

I was thinking about the change in marketing strategy for the paperback, and I'm not so enthusiastic about it. The old cover was clinical and medical, the new cover and name are more spiritual, self-help oriented.

To my mind, this just reinforces the problem we've been long complaining about - that this isn't being taken seriously by the medical community, and it is now left to us to help ourselves. While the older cover was pretty cheesy (c'mon - white lab coats and a clipboard? what is this, the 1950s?), at least it showed an attempt to be taken seriously by the medical community, and it put forth an implicit argument that baclofen is a real cure and something that we need to pay attention to. The new cover is all about faith and self-healing and spiritual fulfillment, not about real medical results.

I can just imagine bringing the new book to my doctor, and him thinking "oh jeez, another one of those new-age self-help programs - I can't believe my patient actually fell for this...."

I'm not saying self-help and spiritual fulfillment aren't important. I'm just saying that's not the way to convince the medical establishment, and the new marketing strategy doesn't help our case.

[cowgal]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

haven't seen it

Is it really different from the old cover? Am I missing something?? sorry.....................I loved the book, was awe inspiring to me, for sure..............

XOXO:l

MA

[hopefulspouse]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

Book Cover

Attached is a picture of the new book cover. Hope it comes thru for you all, but if not you can view at barnesandnoble.com
Interesting point of view billyb. Didn't really think of it before but you have a point.
I just ordered two more copies of the hardcover original. One for a doctor, and one just in case. I prefer not to lend mine to anyone....it's a keeper. Attached files [img]/converted_files/1099857=5409-attachment.jpg[/img]

[billyb]

Consolidated Baclofen Progress Thread

CG, please don't misunderstand me - the book itself is terrific, and I was also very personally inspired by it.

Perhaps I'm reading too much into the new cover, but the title is taken directly from the bible, and the description on the cover calls his experience a "personal miracle." The photo is of a very dreamy-looking outstretched hand with two pills in it (outstretched hands connoting agapic charity and divine love, grace and spiritual uplift, etc)

To me this implies that the book recounts a personal, quasi-religious journey of discovery, and that the medicine, while maybe important, is also largely secondary.

Please don't get me wrong - I found the book enormously inspiring as well. I simply think the new marketing strategy downplays the importance of the medicine, and is apt to mislead people into thinking this is primarily a self-help manual about self-discovery and "personal miracles." Yes, that may be one aspect of it, but the book is also very importantly the description of a terrifically exciting medical discovery. I think that second part of it is crucial to communicate, or else there will continue to be lots of trouble in getting baclofen accepted by the medical community.

I'm afraid that doctors and skeptics will too easily dismiss the medical discovery by simply judging the book by its cover. Modern medicine doesn't give much credence to "person miracles."

(I'm a cultural critic by trade, and I'm often accused of reading too much into things like this, so feel free to tell me I'm wrong - I'm used to it!)