Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

[Brave Hearted]

Hi looking for some advice I have sucessfully been taking Bac for the past three months and have reached the cut off point , which feel wonderful, is this what normal people feel like. But when I do have a drink all the normal craving kick in, so I have been doing my own research and am looking for some input on adding naltrexone with the bac. Where can I get more advice on dosage effects etc ??? I will be buying it off script the same as my bac. Is it correct that you only have to take the nalt when you know you will be drinking ??? so therfore can take a fairly moderate dose ( now I really only have a drink one day a week ) has anybody combined the two meds ???? would appreciate any information on this subject !

[Cinders]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

Bravehearted,

Hopefully Lenaleed or one of the other Sinclairers will respond.

I do understand you take Nal ONLY when you know you will be drinking. But that is the extent of my knowledge.

They have a website thesinclairmethod.com where they discuss these things. You might want to pop over there.

Unfortunately for me, if I do drink at all, I over drink, period. So moderation is simply not an option for me even with the Baclofen. Luckily, the Baclofen helps me to not drink.

Good luck and keep us posted on how it works.

Cindi

[Brave Hearted]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

thnaks for that cindi, like you the baclofen makes me not want to drink for which I am gratefull but I would like to be able to have the odd drink at social occasions without it effecting me and then not over drink, so thought if I took the nal would make that easier. God what a bllody game trying to balalnce all this but at last after many years there is stuff out there that actually works, I keep saying ' is this how normal people feel' ????? its great will have a look at the sinclair link as well.

Regards BH and best wishes and good luck to you x

[christyacc]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

with the nal, you take 50mgs an hour before drinking...that's all. just make sure you do so one hour before.

I am doing both. I started just following the sinclair method and taking nal, however, i have no patience and needed a little something more.....so I added Bac, and it's been fantastic. I'm not doing so great at this point, because I am waiting for an order to some, and have had to titrate down.....I can totally feel how the Bac works when I have enough and how it doesn't when I don't have enough.

[Lo0p]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

Here is a study they're currently doing on combining naltrexone with baclofen for alcoholism:
Combination of Naltrexone and Baclofen for Alcohol Dependence:A Pilot Study. - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov

They've designed it all wrong, of course. On both counts, proper nal protocol and proper bac protocol.

This never ceases to confound me: WHY WOULD YOU SPEND ALL THE MONEY AND TIME IT TAKES TO CONDUCT A RESEARCH STUDY WITHOUT SIMPLY READING THE STUDIES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE?

[Brave Hearted]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

thanks for all the information have just ordered sone Naltrexone form an online pharmacy, hoping this is the last part of my jig saw, I too knoe what does works for me and have had a couple of days in bed when i have got a bit carried away witht he bac does and taken to much to quickly, but working my way aorund it now for the first time ever feel liek their is light at the end of the tunnel and that I have an opportunity to go on and lead a normal life and not a drunk one !!! yippeee !!!!

[Claremont]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

I just ordered Dr. A's book and Dr. E's book. I am thinking of trying both as well. The nal looks to be much more expensive than the bac but compared to what I spend on wine - it's not that bad:-)

I won't be starting for a while - research freak (I started reading this board about 9 months ago!!).

Someone posted, sorry can't remember who, that we pour gallons of alcohol down our throats but are hesitant to take a little pill. Funny when you think about it. Anyway, that's me. Need to take the leap.


Please keep posting so I can continue my researching. LOL. I'll start posting when I finally decide which way to leap. All the best to all of you!

[viper1966]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

Alcohol is complex in that it effects more than one receptor.

What I use is 50mg of Naltrexone and 1000mg of Pharma GABA spread over the day at various intervals with 300mg at night.

I forgo Baclofen for what I feel is a more natural solution to the obvious shortage of GABA in my brain.

As of today I have not found a natural opioid antagonist so I stick with ReVia which by all indications is pretty benign.

My personal results,

-Weeks and Weeks without a drink
-No urges, needs or wants to have a drink
-Able to walk by the liquor store without a pang
-peaceful blissful sleep
-raging erections and sexual stamia
-more animated
-less need to get into confrontations
-clear thought process
-expunging of worthless associates
-better quality social experiences
-higher quality female companions
-look and feel great
-more willing to see therapist when a bit over whelmed

In my honest humble opinion you have to cover both the Opioid and GABA receptors to be successful.

Naltrexone and Baclofen are two very different drugs and you need to cover what they do together, one will not replace the other.

[craving]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

viper1966;806104 wrote:
In my honest humble opinion you have to cover both the Opioid and GABA receptors to be successful.

Naltrexone and Baclofen are two very different drugs and you need to cover what they do together, one will not replace the other.

There is a 12 % margin where people do not respond to opioid antagonists - in this case the biological addiction may be coming from another system (such as GABA - the one valium/librium and Baclofen act on).

I think the reality is that Alcoholism is a combination of opioid and GABA addiction. It could be that you are 80% opioid receptor addicted and only 20% GABA - then TSM would help you significantly.

I think Baclofen cures the part that Nal is leaving out. Strongly suggest to take advantage of both. Although I do not think it is useful to take them from the beginning together. Best to have 6-9 months only TSM and then to add into the therapy Baclofen if TSM did not bring the results

[I-want-to-be-sober]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

Lo0p;733989 wrote: Here is a study they're currently doing on combining naltrexone with baclofen for alcoholism:
Combination of Naltrexone and Baclofen for Alcohol Dependence:A Pilot Study. - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov

Dear Mr. xxx,

We presented early analyses of our findings at the Research Society on Alcoholism meeting last year. We have not yet published the data in a journal. Our primary finding, though preliminary in nature, was that the combination of naltrexone and baclofen was well tolerated. Our power was insufficient to truly assess whether the combination showed superior efficacy to either monotherapy but it was intriquing that those assigned to the combination had the best overall outcomes.

More work is needed.

Sincerely,

JC Garbutt, MD

[craving]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

I-want-to-be-sober;1069200 wrote: Dear Mr. xxx,

We presented early analyses of our findings at the Research Society on Alcoholism meeting last year. We have not yet published the data in a journal. Our primary finding, though preliminary in nature, was that the combination of naltrexone and baclofen was well tolerated. Our power was insufficient to truly assess whether the combination showed superior efficacy to either monotherapy but it was intriquing that those assigned to the combination had the best overall outcomes.

More work is needed.

Sincerely,

JC Garbutt, MD

the problem with this study in my opinion is that they take Naltrexone every day regardless if they drink or not. I prefer TSM which clearly limits Naltrexone usage to the days you are drinking. Other people I got to know on this board and including myself only took Naltrexone when drinking, and Baclofen each day.

It helped me ... 411 AF days and counting ...

[I-want-to-be-sober]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

I also think it makes more sense to just take opioid antagonists if one drinks or when craving is very intense and drinking likely. Some nalmefene studies follow(ed) this protocol if I remember correctly.

This clinical trial from Garbutt is small, but because of the - among other things - GABAb-agonist GHB + naltrexone combination study done by Addolorato and animal experiments it's likely that there exists a synergistic anti-craving effect when adding opioid antagonists to GABAb-agonists.

-Sober

[edostan]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

From what I understand, taking an opioid antagonist when you are not engaging in the behavior which you want to suppress is counterproductive. You'll unlearn all the behaviors which give you pleasure. Who would want to do that?

Take it before you drink, only!!

[I-want-to-be-sober]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

edostan;1069223 wrote: You'll unlearn all the behaviors which give you pleasure.It's not that bad. ;-) Naltrexone and nalmefene would be extremely dangerous drugs in this case, which in fact they are not.

edostan;1069223 wrote: Take it before you drink, only!!

/sign

[edostan]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

I-want-to-be-sober;1069227 wrote: It's not that bad. ;-) Naltrexone and nalmefene would be extremely dangerous drugs in this case, which in fact they are not.

Your reply is not logical. I didn't say that naltrexone is "extremely dangerous". I said that you will unlearn pleasurable behaviors, and that you should take it ONLY if you are going to drink. Take it one hour before drinking.

If you don't believe me listen to Dr. Sinclair himself.
http://m.podshow.com/media/77/episod...12-03-2006.mp3

Listen to what he says.

I'm not attacking you. I'm attacking the widespread misuse of and misinformation about this drug.

Take care.

Jeff