Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

[cowgal]

Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

WOW!!!

First off, sorry I didn't read Wantout's post more thoroughly, you guys probably think I am a crazy nut?!?!

Thirdman, you may have hit your switch already!!! That is a miracle to have a sixpack in the fridge and not want any!!! I am happy for you!!

MA

[tiptronic_ct]

Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

ThirdMan, thanks for a great post!

And I do think you've reached your switch already!

[Anna B]

Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

ThirdMan--I loved reading your story and could relate to all of it. Congratulations!

[billyb]

Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

It's great to hear your experience with baclofen, ThirdMan!

I agree with the others - if you're indifferent to alcohol, there's no reason to go to a higher dose. It sounds like you've probably hit your switch.

[ThirdMan]

Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

Thanks so much for all of your encouragement! I'll take your advice then and stick to roughly the same mg since it's doing its magic. I might notch it up to 80mg and stop there since it hasn't made me too tired yet. I just wanted to share my experience to hopefully encourage anyone else out there to give Bac a shot, particularly people with general anxiety disorder as well. And I will continue to check in and keep everyone posted on the results. Like many of you, I just wish the word on Baclofen would get out more. I can't say how lucky I was to stumble onto this forum because any doctors I've seen have been pretty clueless and I had a hard enough time finding one that would prescribe Naltrexone much less Baclofen. Thanks so much for the support!

[cowgal]

Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

please keep us posted!

Thirdman, you ARE encouraging, so please DO keep us posted on your success!!!

everyone else, keep on keepin' on as "they" say!!

lots of love,:l:h

MA

[Claremont]

Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

I have been drinking daily for many years now. For the past three years it has felt like more a habit as I have not binged as much as in the past - I guess I am at a better place in my life. However, I still drink 6 glasses of wine a day. Some of the previous posts have talked about Al being a constant companion. I really want to stop the daily habit and wake up in the middle of the night saying "tomorrow I will not drink". BUT tomorrow never comes. I very seldom get "drunk" but don't know what I will do without my constant companion and best friend. Whenever I think of some of the best times in my life - they are romanticized by wine. Whenever I think of some of the worst times in my life - there it is again. I don't even know what I will do instead of drinking. I like drinking. I'm just tired of not having a choice.

So, I am considering Bac. The few questions I have are: Do you guys think it is possible to teach a fitness class if I get the somnolence side effect? What the h(ll will I drink if I don't drink wine? My only drinks for the past number of years are coffee and wine. Last question - has anyone experienced weight loss like RJ did on Topo??

Looking forward to any responses.

[Claremont]

Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

Correction - somnolence

[cowgal]

Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

once used to it......

I am not even sleepy anymore, my body is so used to the bac, I go to the gym every day, lift weights, work out, and I have TONS of energy, was tired a little at first but a diet coke always would help......................now I don't really need caffeine, in fact when I drink coffee, I get really wired!!! You can try water instead of wine, you will feel better, and the baclofen helps me w/ sleeping so much!!

good luck w/ your decision..............I couldn't take Topamax and ended up giving it all away, I don't remember losing weight on it................oh, and I have lost weight w/ baclofen, too much as a matter of fact, losing my chest fat, if you know what I mean!?! :H:H:H

MA:l

[brightlite]

Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

Claremont,

Hello and welcome. I take a fast paced aerobic class 3 times a week. I don't want to discourage you from Bac, but it did affect my balance and coordination while I tapered up. I'm ok now as far as exercise goes because I'm back down to 30mg, however I am tapering back up slowly because the desire to binge came back and I need to get back to where I feel that drinking is more trouble than its worth.

Good luck to you.

[Anna B]

Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

Claremont;737215 wrote: I have been drinking daily for many years now. For the past three years it has felt like more a habit as I have not binged as much as in the past - I guess I am at a better place in my life. However, I still drink 6 glasses of wine a day. Some of the previous posts have talked about Al being a constant companion. I really want to stop the daily habit and wake up in the middle of the night saying "tomorrow I will not drink". BUT tomorrow never comes. I very seldom get "drunk" but don't know what I will do without my constant companion and best friend. Whenever I think of some of the best times in my life - they are romanticized by wine. Whenever I think of some of the worst times in my life - there it is again. I don't even know what I will do instead of drinking. I like drinking. I'm just tired of not having a choice.

So, I am considering Bac. The few questions I have are: Do you guys think it is possible to teach a fitness class if I get the insomnolence side effect? What the h(ll will I drink if I don't drink wine? My only drinks for the past number of years are coffee and wine. Last question - has anyone experienced weight loss like RJ did on Topo??

Looking forward to any responses.

Hi Claremont,
:welcome:

I know what you mean about wine being a 'constant companion and best friend.' I didn't just 'like wine' as you said, I LOVED wine (yeah, in an unhealthy way).

I've been on bac for awhile and I've had incredible success with it. Before I started on bac, I couldn't imagine ever feeling like I didn't WANT to drink and didn't know what i would do without it. When I had gotten sober in the past, it was always a horrible struggle and I felt like I was depriving myself and I had physical cravings, etc. With bac, it's just really easy to not drink. Most of the time, I could take it or leave it. And as far as what I'm doing now that I'm not drinking wine (or very much of it--I'm modding), I'm enjoying my life, getting work done, mending my relationship w/ my husband, making new friends, etc etc etc etc.

As far as exercising goes, I take a pilates mat class twice a week and I also run or do some other kind of cardio (i.e., the elliptical machine) on the other days. For the past 2 years, I've had a really hard time finding the motivation to exercise and gained weight even though my calories were mainly coming from alcohol. But since I've been on bac, I've felt physically better than ever and started exercising 6-7 days a week again and I'm losing the weight again. Weight loss or weight gain isn't a side effect of bac, unlike topa (look at webmd and all the websites listing side effects of bac). In my case, any weight loss is purely coming from less alcohol calories and more exercise. But from reading this board a lot, I've noticed people reporting all kinds of side effects, both common and rare, and it's hard to generalize that a side effect will or won't happen to you since our sample size is pretty small on this board. It's helpful to read the side effects of bac thread, but it's also worth taking the posts w/ a grain of salt and reading the webmd and other websites listing the common side effects of bac too.

And, no, I've never had a problem w/ balance or coordination when doing high-intensity exercise. My bac side effects are somnolence mainly (solved by lots of caffeine), occassional nausea (solved by remembering to eat food when I take bac and not skip meals--don't know why that works for me, but it does), and sometimes feeling kind of high/stoned at night if I take a p.r.n. dose (but don't want to 'solve' that one :H)

Hope this helps and please check in with us!

--Anna

[brightlite]

Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

Hi Anna and Claremont

I'm thinking my loss of balance/coordination isn't really a direct side effect, but an effect from the somnolence because I would still go to my class even though I felt extremely tired, hence the clumsyness. I just love that class though. Everyone handles it differently, as with Anna it wasn't a problem to exercise.

[Claremont]

Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

Brightlite, Anna, Cowgirl - thanks so much for your responses. OK - I don't just like wine - I love wine too! LOL. I look back over family albums from over the years and can't seem to find a picture of me without a glass in my hand. Funny though, when I ask my family if they think I have a problem, they say no (except for my sister but that's a different story).

I haven't had any physical cravings for wine because I've never gone without. So, yes, I am scared of life with no wine. I must keep reminding myself that I don't have to live without it - I can still have a glass or two. That has been my dream for years - to just be able to give or take. Why am I so scared?

My fear with the somnolence about teaching a fitness class is being able to remember the cues - step is pretty fast paced and you have to be on top of things. Last thing I need to do is make a complete fool of myslef in front of a room full of participants. I guess from what I have read, I will know right away if I am affected by any side affects and can taper back. Correct?

Do you have any suggestions about how many days to start taking the Bac before I have to teach a class - in order to test it out? Maybe I can schedule things that way.

I think that when I cut back I will disappear. No more wine calories to sustain me:H

:thanks: for the feedback.

[panda farts]

Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

I would just go about your normal routine but up your dosage really slowly and see how your body responds. When I was making my first moves into the larger doses my balance was about as off as it would be after drinking.. but as your body adjusts to it that will go away. I have absolutely no side effects at this point and I take 50@ 2pm 50@ 5pm & 50@8pm.. but it did take a while to have no side effects at that dosage.

don't worry about losing your comfortable friend in wine... it'll be replaced by indifference and a bottle of wine will hold as much attraction as a bottle of apple juice. (unless you really love apple juice .. then pick something else)

[NC]

Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

Panda,
NC here. I started on 15 mg with three doses of 5 mg each. At the end of the second day I upped it to 20 mg with an extra 5 mg dose later that evening. The next day after one 5 mg dose, I had extreme somnolance and jittery, unsteadiness. Cut back and am now on 5 mg three times a day for four or five days, then I will up it 5 mg every four or five days.
I know this will make it a long ordeal to reach a dosage that will prevent cravings, but I seem to be susceptible to side effects. I am willing to be patient. Any suggestions? I wish to take this deliberately, slowly, and hope thus to have a good final result.

By the way, I am a 59 year old male professional. 6 foot 5 inch height, weight 185 lbs. I have never gone to work under the influence but after work I am hopeless. I have found that since I have been on the low dose of bac, I start having a beer a hour or two after I normally did. I have read this effect on the threads.

Anyway, has anyone reached their goal of indifference over a prolonged period of time, like 2 or 3 months? I would appreciate your feedback. I am out of town for the next ten days and will only gradually increase my dose very slowly until I get back home. I work and cannot afford to be somnolent .

Thanks. I am encouraged by the success stories here. Your input is great.

NC