Baclofen - HELP, Perhaps Needed

[Guest]

!

[Guitarista]

Baclofen - HELP, Perhaps Needed

Hi Dave. Hang in there mate. Someone who knows about this stuff will be along soon i'm sure. See a doc if you're worried right now. Welcome.

[Beaches]

Baclofen - HELP, Perhaps Needed

Welcome and it sounds to me like you are titrating up just fine. I didn't experience the feelings that you are right now. I know that if I drink when taking Baclofen that I feel strange and even feel anxious and angry.

Like it was said before there will be people along shortly that know a lot more than I do about baclofen.

[Cinders]

Baclofen - HELP, Perhaps Needed

Dave,

I haven't seen anyone post that particular reaction. It sounds as if it is one of those things like Ritalin, which is a speed, actually calms down hyperactive children? I am not sure, though, I am just a layperson.

If there is any way you could get a doctor on board, I would do it. Of course I believe that wholeheartedly for everyone.

Hopefully, someone with more experience can jump in and give you better information.

Cindi

[brightlite]

Baclofen - HELP, Perhaps Needed

Dave,

It does sound like you have the same reaction to someone that is hyperactive. For most of us, Bac causes us extreme fatigue. It may be causing the opposite reaction in you. I am only newly on Bac, but with many of the others, the side effects subside when they have adjusted to their new dosage. You may need time to adjust to your dosage. Keep us posted.

[louise]

Baclofen - HELP, Perhaps Needed

It sounds like you have a new side effect not mentioned before, which you might want to list in the "adverse reactions" thread. Under possible side effects "excitement" is listed. It sounds like Beaches may be having a bit of what you are, with feeling angry. It sounds like you titrated up a bit quickly - maybe backing down a bit and staying at that level until you don't have any side effects you can't handle easily would help. You also don't say how much you are drinking. Some people do get angry drinking and it does seem that bac and booze together tend to act like more booze for most of us. Don't know that this helps much, but good luck and keep us posted.

[billyb]

Baclofen - HELP, Perhaps Needed

Hi Dave,

My first thought is to speak to a doctor if at all possible.

Not medical advice, as bernard likes to say, but if a consultation with a doctor isn't possible, you might consider immediately reducing your dose to 2/3 or so of what it is right now. Hopefully that will make your symptoms subside.

I'd be hesitant to reduce it any further than that right now, since there are dangers associated with withdrawal. If your symptoms don't subside at the smaller dose, though, then you can gradually taper down over a few days until they disappear.

The reaction you describe appears to be quite rare for baclofen. The only thing resembling it in the descriptions of known side effects are rare occurrences of "excitability."

Here are some questions:
-Do you feel the aggression and excitability in conjunction with alcohol only, or does it also happen when you haven't yet had a drink?
-How much are you drinking, and when are you drinking it?
-Have your drinking habits changed since you started baclofen?

Here's some pure conjecture that might (or might not) help you figure out what's going on:
-Perhaps the baclofen multiplies the effects of alcohol, and makes you into an aggressive drinker where you hadn't experienced this before?
-Maybe the baclofen multiplies the alcohol, and the next day leaves you with a bigger hangover and/or more withdrawal symptoms than usual, increasing anxiety, irritability, etc?

I wonder if slower titration might be more appropriate. So that after you reduce your dose to the level where you no longer have side effects, you may want to increase very slowly, at something like 5mg a day every three days. Yes, it will take you a lot longer than most people to get to the switch-off point, but it might give your body a better chance to get acclimated to baclofen.

[AMELIA]

Baclofen - HELP, Perhaps Needed

Hi Dave,

I have been on Bac for a couple of months now. There were times when I had upped my dose that I felt like I was 'coming up' on a drug. A kind of light headed euphoria. Quite enjoyable I must say. I just cranked up the radio and boogied away while I was working!!

I have not experienced any anger.......could the Bac be accentuating something you were already feeling? Or you could be having a slight allergic reaction maybe?

I did experience huge mood swings and terrible anger while taking Topamax. My life circumstances were very stressful at the time though. I literally felt like I had hot anger flowing through my veins when I was on that...like a pressure cooker waiting to blow....NOT good.

[Guest]

Baclofen - HELP, Perhaps Needed

Thanks for the information. Still sort of bouncing off the walls.

A little further information - yes, I probably am hyperactive. Was diagnosed a few years ago as having adult attention disorder (that was in the US). Dr. here in Berlin said there was no such thing - just a fancy new name for the same old same old. No treatment given.

My drinking has remained pretty constant, about 6 to 10 beers a day, more or less spread out over the day - not much at all at night but, during the day... Which isn't good. A few years ago I was pretty heavy into Vodka but quit that on my own. Was AL free for a few months before going back to beer.

And, before you say that is just a drop in the bucket and nothing to worry about - the beer that I get here is around 5+% AL and sized more like a 16 oz beer than what I would normally call a beer in the US. (I am an American but have lived here for a number of years.)

No change in consumption before or after the Bac.

Definantly no fatigue! I can still sleep at night with no problems. Do wake a bit earlier in the morning than previously, usually. Did sleep late Sat. and Sunday mornings, however.

Anyone familiar with a Dr. in Germany that is knowledgeable on Bac.?

Thanks again -

Dave