Baclofen and Naltrexone combined

[NC]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined

NC here. It has been a while since I have posted. I just wish to give a perspective from one who has been working at Nal and Bac for a while.

I have been taking bac since Nov 1 and am up to 280 mg a day. It has been a gradual increase because of somnolence. I still have not hit the switch. I am not indifferent to alcohol. I have no other side effects other than somnolence. I will continue to increase. I am not sure how high I will go. I may go higher than 300 mg. Hopefully I will hit the switch before then. I should be up to 300 mg a day in a week or two.

I also started Nal Dec 1. After three weeks, I had a week of complete indifference to alcohol. Went to parties and didn't drink at all. I take that to be the honeymoon effect. Then started drinking again. Now after four months of Nal, I drink two to four small glasses of wine a night. I don't know if that is from the Nal or can be attributed to Bac.

So, I have made progress. I would like to become totally indifferent to alcohol and become abstinent.
Thus I continue on bac. If I get to where i am no longer comfortable with a higher dose of bac,
I will probably just titrate down and continue on Nal.

Anyway, I find it interesting to hear of everyone's progress and experiences. I have just been waiting for some concrete progress, something definitive before I reported back. I am posting now to see if anyone has any opinions as to what I should be doing from here on out.

LoOP, any thoughts? You and I communicated about Nal and bac a few months ago. Anyone else?

Thanks.

NC

[Lo0p]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined

Yeah, I have an opinion, but it's just an opinion. I think this may be a danger in people titrating too slowly.

I took 150mgs my first day and 250mgs my second. This was stupid in retrospect (seizures and such) but it worked. I just dealt with the SE's. On the third day I went from drinking 11-17 units a night to 2 1/2 and maintained it but I was running low on bac and didn't get a shipment for another month. When I got it, I went from taking none to taking 300mgs and went AF in like 4 days.

Maybe increase it faster? I'm gonna get burned for writing this but, maybe like 400mgs tomorrow? I took 600 one day by accident when I was used to 300 and it didn't phase me at all. But that might just be me...

I currently take 175mgs.

[wort]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined

NC,

I am so glad you posted; somehow I had not focused on your thread. Like you, I have been trying TSM + baclofen. My efforts are recorded on a thread on the TSM site. I tried TSM for six weeks - too short according to many, but long enough in my mind to determine that TSM alone would probably not work for me. I am now four weeks into TSM + baclofen, and have only modest results to report. I am currently only up to 120mg/day.

I can certainly understand your discouragement at being at 280mg/day without hitting your switch. Still, I encourage you to carry on. Ameisen just published a high dose baclofen trial that included dosages up to 300 mg/day. Depending on your weight, you might decide to go even higher.

If you hit your maximum limit with baclofen (your decision), hold there at least a week, and still no switch, I have another suggestion: stop the naltrexone. I consider it highly unlikely, but perhaps there is a negative interaction between the two. At any rate, it is worth a try.

NC, you are indeed a pioneer. Please continue to post - we will be watching.

Good luck,
-wort

[reneesmiles]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined

I am taking both Bac and Nal. They help take the physical craving away... Struggling with emotional cravings the past month (in other words the HABIT of drinking when I feel stressed out or anxious).

The drugs don't help with that aspect (for me anyway).

[reneesmiles]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined

I am taking both Bac and Nal. They help take the physical craving away... Struggling with emotional cravings the past month (in other words the HABIT of drinking when I feel stressed out or anxious).

The drugs don't help with that aspect (for me anyway).

[NC]

Baclofen and Naltrexone combined

Thanks for your replies. I went up to 290 yesterday and today have significance somnolence. LoOP, I don't think I could handle a bigger jump. I need to work and cannot be too somnolent. I will keep at 290 until this somnolence abates, if it does.
Then will probably keep going up as tolerated.
I will keep posting.
NC