Consolidated Baclofen Information Thread

[FallonsMom]

Consolidated Baclofen Information Thread

I'm @ 30 mg now and my drinking has went down over 50% besides the one day binge on Sunday I was doing damn good more Al free nights then I had in months that is including tonight and yesterday. No real side effects that I can tell yet just a lil sleepy here and there. no real side effects except I get a lil sleepy for awhile but it goes away. Ohh and my head fills real heavy for like 30 minutes

[Chi]

Consolidated Baclofen Information Thread

Henrietta;820271 wrote: I?m one of those lurkers ?an avid reader but infrequent poster to this site. Up until now I?ve haven?t felt I had too much to contribute. But today marks my one month AF on Baclofen. And no one is more surprised than I am.

A little history. My goal has always been abstinence. I?m one of those who has finally concluded after 25 years that I can?t have any kind of relationship with this stuff (pretty flat learning curve, huh?). AA and the mainstream rehab approaches have just not worked with me. I?ve always been keenly aware that the issue was my brain chemistry and not my character or my relationship to a higher power.

I searched for some alternatives and found a non-12-step specialist. He prescribed Naltrexone. Though I didn?t know it at the time he prescribed it exactly opposite to what is recommended by the Sinclair Method. Needless to say it didn?t work really well, and after the first few weeks I was getting diminishing returns. When I found MWO, I was filled with hope again. I started the Topamax regime with supplements: that definitely didn?t work. Then I rediscovered Naltrexone again under the Sinclair Method by reading the threads. I had much better results than before, but at a certain level I seemed to plateau out. I still consumed alcohol albeit a fraction of what I once did, but the cravings were still a constant companion throughout my day.

Enter Baclofen. I had become somewhat jaded at this point. After my first Naltrexone disappointment I realized that for whatever reason most in the medical community tend not to take a leadership role in treating addiction. So using this thread as a guide I read everything I could beforehand. Thanks to all of you here and the collective wealth of your experience. I did my research. I tirated up very slowly, and avoided antihistamines, and most importantly prepared myself for the dreaded side-effects. I did have them, but more on that later.

On February 11 the switch happened. A few weeks beforehand I impatiently posted here asking what ?the switch? was like and how would I know it when it happened. At 130 mg per day I got my answer. The best way I can explain it, at least what popped in my mind, was comparing alcohol to a lemon scone! Like a lemon scone, at 130 mg I knew what alcohol was, I knew that I liked it a lot, but it suddenly occupied the same relevance in my brain where I store the knowledge of such things. I was indifferent. Alcohol suddenly intruded into my conscious to the exact same extent that lemon scones did each day: not at all. Excuse the silliness, but its true.

I wanted to wait a while to write, because as I said, I have been very disappointed before. I have had to tirate down pretty quickly from the 130 mg. I?m 5?4? and 110 lbs, and 130 mg did take its toll. I had tingling extremities and issues with sleep. I definitely had the experience at night where my body was dead asleep and my mind was conscious on some level. It was terrifying. Had I not read about that sensation here I would have quit. But then I put it in perspective: accept it or face the alternative. For me, and I don?t think I?m being dramatic, it had become a question of life and death. I am very happy I stayed with it.

I am down to 80 mg a day. A couple days I have thought about it, once after skiing, which for years was a matter of routine to follow up with a drink. I still have a lot of work. Strangely though, I?ve picked up the supplements again, and I swear they are working much better with me. I also realize I need to get into some therapy. I won?t simplify it. This is a very complex monster with many heads. While I don?t believe Baclofen is a magic pill, I know I would not be in this position ?the first position of strength I?ve had in years. I know I have a realistic shot.

Just saw this post for the first time.

Thanks for sharing..... it gives me hope. I also want to say that I fully believe that anyone who has been drinking huge amounts for decades, it IS a life and death situation so I fully know what you mean Henrietta. People shouldn't kid themselves.

[eileen]

Consolidated Baclofen Information Thread

I really admire those who are doing the baclofen program (Ameisen). My husband's psychiatrist won't go more than the 30 mg. a day which is now still working successfully with him. I would like to call Dr. Levin at this point; but my spouse wants to wait until his next psy. appt. (in July). He's alcohol free now (since April 7) but I'm afraid from past experience it won't last... but we're thinking optimistiically.
For anyone's info.. I have sent for 200 10 mg of baclofen from 4RX and was very happy with the response/price. The total cost was a bit over $90.00 and expiration date is Apr. 2011. I noticed pkg. came from Bombay India. I obtained it without a prescription; and will use it when we know his dr. will definitely not increase his baclofen, or if he begins drinking. It has worked better than anything else; and so far he is alcohol free with only a bit of tiredness/lack of energy.

[tiptronic_ct]

Consolidated Baclofen Information Thread

Bump

[Lo0p]

Consolidated Baclofen Information Thread

-'n grind
:nutso:

[Cinders]

Consolidated Baclofen Information Thread

Hi there.

Well, I am trying very hard to get from 80 mg/day to 100 mg/day but it is very difficult.

I am determined, though.

My drinking is unchanged, although, I weaned myself down and am white knuckling it again. I just can't keep drinking.

Love,
Cindi

[eileen]

Consolidated Baclofen Information Thread

Is it possible to titrate up too slowly? My husband is still doing great - has gone to 40 mg after a bit of lethargy finally passed. I think it was because he hadn't been eating much. Now he's on 40 mg a day, eating better and more energetic. Trouble his dr. didn't want him to go beyond 30mg, so we're going ahead; but very slowly with the increasing. Baclofen has been different from all the other meds he has tried, in that he just doesn't seem to want to drink. He's worried about what his doctor will say at next visit. Surely he won't be too upset, if he sees how well he is doing. Alcohol free since April 1 when he first started baclofen. We won't run out of doctors presc. because I've ordered baclofen online.
We're all so proud of him and the success he's been having with baclofen!

[beatle]

Consolidated Baclofen Information Thread

bump -- especially for people coming to this site for real and objective information about baclofen. It's all here and it's all real. Get the facts first.

[beatle]

Consolidated Baclofen Information Thread

eileen;874350 wrote: Is it possible to titrate up too slowly? My husband is still doing great - has gone to 40 mg after a bit of lethargy finally passed. I think it was because he hadn't been eating much. Now he's on 40 mg a day, eating better and more energetic. Trouble his dr. didn't want him to go beyond 30mg, so we're going ahead; but very slowly with the increasing. Baclofen has been different from all the other meds he has tried, in that he just doesn't seem to want to drink. He's worried about what his doctor will say at next visit. Surely he won't be too upset, if he sees how well he is doing. Alcohol free since April 1 when he first started baclofen. We won't run out of doctors presc. because I've ordered baclofen online.
We're all so proud of him and the success he's been having with baclofen!

Eileen, I think the general consensus here is that if you listen to your body, gauge the SEs whilst going up slowly, you can find your own pace... whatever is comfortable for you.

Some people on this site titrated up EXTREMELY quickly with no side effects whatsoever.

You just have to listen to your body.

Also, I think the main reason to titrate up slowly is if the side effects experienced are extreme, it could discourage you from continuing with bac. It also depends on how much you are willing to put up with in terms of SEs. I don't think there is any medical reason you have to titrate up slower than you can tolerate (but I'm not a doctor).

[tiptronic_ct]

Consolidated Baclofen Information Thread

Bump for MB & other newbies to bac...

[PortabelloRoad]

Consolidated Baclofen Information Thread

Hello

I have no idea if this is the right place for me to be. I have just ordered my baclofen and I'm as scared as anything. I don't know what threads are, or what bump means. Am I in the right place to get help?

[konbrot]

Consolidated Baclofen Information Thread

Yes you are. Welcome on board. A bump is a way of putting a thread at the top of the list.

[tiptronic_ct]

Consolidated Baclofen Information Thread

Welcome, PR

You have come to exactly the right place... best of luck to you!

[Otter]

Consolidated Baclofen Information Thread

Hi All

Below is an extract from draft guidelines being published in the United Kingdom for the treatment of Alcoholism. I was wondering if anyone had heard of the study by Leggio which suggests Baclofen is ineffective?

This is from the National Institute for Clinical Evidence, NICE...nice!

7.8.4 Baclofen
19 Baclofen, a GABA-B agonist increases abstinence rates in patients with alcohol-related
20 cirrhosis compared with placebo (Addolorato et al, 2008; 30mg/d; 12 weeks). It was well
21 tolerated with little contribution to dropouts due to side effects; there were no adverse
22 events reported. We are aware of a large RCT conducted in the US whose results are yet to
23 be formally published but some of the data has been reported and suggest no efficacy for
24 baclofen (Leggio et al, 2010). Key differences between the studies which are likely to increase
25 likelihood of efficacy are: goal of abstinence, alcohol dependence requiring medically
26 assisted withdrawal, higher anxiety levels.

[Sunnyvalenting]

Consolidated Baclofen Information Thread

I am aware of a study in univ of ?south carolina where they compared bac 30 mg with bac + naltrexone and placebo. They did not show a statistical improvement on the bac arm but again at only 30 mg. I think we need studies at higher doses. I have been occasionally emailing on of the researchers who says the combo arm showed some effect. Again just at 30 mg. Don't know all the details about patient selection etc. This group MWO is unique in the fact that we truly are interested in doing whatever is needed to recover. It is hard to find a "control" group for that.
My own experience would suggest that at least for me the bac has been uniquely and perfectly effective.
I know of 4 others in my own town who are having similar success.
Case studies but in studying success we learn a lot IMO.
Good luck and perserverance to all who try this.
Sunny