Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

[redcat]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

Craving
Could you share details on how you started to add Bac. in terms of dosage, days, and how long it took you to realize it is working for you?

[redcat]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

Craving
Could you share details with us on how you started to add Bac. in terms of dosage, days, and how long it took you to realize it is working for you?

[mh5706]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

I am trying to use baclofen (1 dose 20 MG) w/ one .25 of xanax, 3 X per day?then when I drink utilizing the Sinclair Method (taking 1 50 MG of Naltrexone)before I drink?since I just got back from rehab & am at my parent's house (I totaled my brand new luxury car drunk), drinking alcohol is not an option?but I am taking the xanax & baclofen?and my plan is to try and drink socially using naltrexone?rehabs, AA, Detox's..none of this has worked?I still have an awesome job, own a lot of real estate, and most importantly have my physical health?but I am at the end of my rope, I can't end up in rehab or trouble with the law

I am just looking for feedback..any thoughts on my strategy? I hope that the xanax & Baclofen will help me cope with my days/anxiety and the sinclair method will let me drink normally if & when I want to?this might be a pipe dream but if I am diligent with my medication I think I have a shot..thanks to everyone & best wishes

[neophyte]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

mh5706;1645020 wrote: I am trying to use baclofen (1 dose 20 MG) w/ one .25 of xanax, 3 X per day?then when I drink utilizing the Sinclair Method (taking 1 50 MG of Naltrexone)before I drink?since I just got back from rehab & am at my parent's house (I totaled my brand new luxury car drunk), drinking alcohol is not an option?but I am taking the xanax & baclofen?and my plan is to try and drink socially using naltrexone?rehabs, AA, Detox's..none of this has worked?I still have an awesome job, own a lot of real estate, and most importantly have my physical health?but I am at the end of my rope, I can't end up in rehab or trouble with the law

I am just looking for feedback..any thoughts on my strategy? I hope that the xanax & Baclofen will help me cope with my days/anxiety and the sinclair method will let me drink normally if & when I want to?this might be a pipe dream but if I am diligent with my medication I think I have a shot..thanks to everyone & best wishes

you might want to start your own thread and ask this so it gets more visibility

I don't like this strategy for a few reasons. you will get addicted to xanax which is much worse than alcohol to get addicted to, which will throw out any moderation plans you have. the sinclair method takes months to work and isnt really used the way you are looking for. also that dose of baclofen wont do anything, its far too low.

even if you do stay on naltrexone for months or you increase the baclofen, drinking itself isnt going to be "fun" anymore. those drugs strip away the high of alcohol.

it sounds like you are at the stage of alcoholism where you realise there is a problem but just want to slow down and go back to being a normal drinker. over the years many alcoholics realise that this just doesnt work and there needs to be some commitment to sobriety. complete abstinence or something close to it.

mixing meds like this for a diy strategy is a risky affair, but its good you came online to get an opinion at least. if you manage to find an open minded dr to baclofen, maybe run it past them

[StuckinLA]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

I respectfully disagree on almost all points, Neo. I myself wouldn't want to get hooked on Xanax, either, for sure. And I've mentioned this to mh elsewhere - though that's ultimately his (her?) call. I DO have experience using benzos in the morning to deal with withdrawal, for long-ish periods, and I DO NOT recommend it. It's a terrible cycle to get into.

But low-dose bac for cravings, combined with the Sinclair Method, may very well work for some. Mixing drugs willy-nilly isn't a good idea, but that isn't what mh is doing. And I take serious issue with your abstinence-only position. Especially for someone just starting to develop a problem with alcohol, a harm-reduction approach might be able to meet their goals quite nicely - slow the damage of alcohol and possibly even begin to moderate. That's what naltrexone is prescribed for, even in an abstinence model: reducing the likelihood of relapse and lowering the severity of relapses.

Though mh's "end of the rope" does lead one to suspect abstinence would be for the best - as that's the only way to ensure not getting into legal trouble or ending up back in rehab. Sorry to talk about you in the 3rd person, mh. I admit to using your post more to share my point of view than to help you, but I've replied to you elsewhere already - I just get really frustrated with abstinence-only recovery, even though that's the path I have tended to pursue as of late. Please let me know if there's more I can do.

[skullbabyland]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

StuckinLA;1645082 wrote: I respectfully disagree on almost all points, Neo. I myself wouldn't want to get hooked on Xanax, either, for sure. And I've mentioned this to mh elsewhere - though that's ultimately his (her?) call. I DO have experience using benzos in the morning to deal with withdrawal, for long-ish periods, and I DO NOT recommend it. It's a terrible cycle to get into.

But low-dose bac for cravings, combined with the Sinclair Method, may very well work for some. Mixing drugs willy-nilly isn't a good idea, but that isn't what mh is doing. And I take serious issue with your abstinence-only position. Especially for someone just starting to develop a problem with alcohol, a harm-reduction approach might be able to meet their goals quite nicely - slow the damage of alcohol and possibly even begin to moderate. That's what naltrexone is prescribed for, even in an abstinence model: reducing the likelihood of relapse and lowering the severity of relapses.

Though mh's "end of the rope" does lead one to suspect abstinence would be for the best - as that's the only way to ensure not getting into legal trouble or ending up back in rehab. Sorry to talk about you in the 3rd person, mh. I admit to using your post more to share my point of view than to help you, but I've replied to you elsewhere already - I just get really frustrated with abstinence-only recovery, even though that's the path I have tended to pursue as of late. Please let me know if there's more I can do.

Stuck- I agree with your point about low-dose bac combined with Sinclair Method does work well for some. I myself used it with some success before changing to a different protocol.

That said, I thought it was worth pointing out that there's some of Neo's points that, to me, sound correct. I don't think he's advocating quite the abstinence-only stance that you're asserting. He's not being hyperbolic in his statements. He says "many alcoholics realize" (not "all"), "some commitment" (not "total"), and "complete abstinence or something like it" (not just "complete abstinence"). He's saying that for many, a stronger commitment is required. He also says to run it by a bac-friendly doctor for more advice.

Yep, a harm-reduction model may work good for many, particularly early or mid-stage alcoholics, but mh mentions AA, rehabs, etc not working, and being end of the rope, so I think Neo's assertions have validity. My point is not to quibble with you, I just thought these points were worth bringing up.

The most important point of Neo's, IMO and which you sound like you agree with- is that taking Xanax that regularly (3x day) is a pretty dangerous thing to do, and will likely get one addicted and in significantly worse shape than before.

For whatever my two cents are worth, I'd say that bac and nal are both good tools, xanax is a dangerous one, and some careful thought/more reading and research should be applied to this regimen.

[StuckinLA]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

No, you're right. Thanks Skull, and sorry Neo. I shouldn't be advancing a harm-reduction agenda here.

EDIT: Oh, hey, but speaking of not wanting to be abstinent (me), do you guys remember which thread it was that Spirit JUST posted about reversing the increase of brain receptors thought to be responsible for withdrawal? It was like yesterday but I can't remember where it was. Thanks.

[spiritwolf333]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

StuckinLA;1647177 wrote: No, you're right. Thanks Skull, and sorry Neo. I shouldn't be advancing a harm-reduction agenda here.

EDIT: Oh, hey, but speaking of not wanting to be abstinent (me), do you guys remember which thread it was that Spirit JUST posted about reversing the increase of brain receptors thought to be responsible for withdrawal? It was like yesterday but I can't remember where it was. Thanks.

Damn Stuck, this reply is going to reveal me as a thread creeper:

The link to the article is: Intranasal oxytocin blocks alcohol with... [Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2013] - PubMed - NCBI

And it was on my Changing World-Meds thread.

[StuckinLA]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined !

Thanks, Spirit!