just starting out on baclofen today-urgent questions

[FallonsMom]

just starting out on baclofen today-urgent questions

susanna;844568 wrote: back atcha
are you using anything to help you through it?

I'm a night time drinker I'm tappering down with AL Monday I drank half the amount I normally would, last night I drank just enough to stop the shakes that were coming I had a slight craving. My Dr. wrote me a script for benzo's I lied and told him I was having panic attacks I couldn't tell him I was drinking again because he would have came to my house and signed me into a rehab himself. So the good news is I'm not a pill popper never been I never used them to get high or anything so I think it will be safe for me to use a few benzo to make it through hopefully without AL 2 night.

Also susanna I don't know if any body mentioned this but go to the store and get vitimin b-1 tabs and some valirium tea

[susanna]

just starting out on baclofen today-urgent questions

FallonsMom;844768 wrote: I'm a night time drinker I'm tappering down with AL Monday I drank half the amount I normally would, last night I drank just enough to stop the shakes that were coming I had a slight craving. My Dr. wrote me a script for benzo's I lied and told him I was having panic attacks I couldn't tell him I was drinking again because he would have came to my house and signed me into a rehab himself. So the good news is I'm not a pill popper never been I never used them to get high or anything so I think it will be safe for me to use a few benzo to make it through hopefully without AL 2 night.

Also susanna I don't know if any body mentioned this but go to the store and get vitimin b-1 tabs and some valirium tea

[FallonsMom]

just starting out on baclofen today-urgent questions

susanna;844961 wrote: Thanks - i will get some B1 - i know about hte valerian but thought it wasn't strong enough.
He's very bad - moaning, tries to eat then vomits, not having seizures but his legs are twitching and he has spasms and bad headache.

I have ativan 1 mg but he does not like taking benzos - really hates it because he can't manage the cravings and then ends up having a drink and gets really lost.
Do you think i should really insist that he take the ativan to deal with the withdrawals?

wow how many days has he been going through this? the beer isn't helping any?? let me say I just took one benzo and I feel a hell of a lot better the shakes stopped and my headache stopped I think this will be a AL free night. Susanna I don't know about anybody else but what your brother don't know might help him maybe slip him the benzo :blush::blush: maybe if he doesn't know he won't get lost.

[susanna]

just starting out on baclofen today-urgent questions

FallonsMom;844964 wrote: wow how many days has he been going through this? the beer isn't helping any?? let me say I just took one benzo and I feel a hell of a lot better the shakes stopped and my headache stopped I think this will be a AL free night. Susanna I don't know about anybody else but what your brother don't know might help him maybe slip him the benzo :blush::blush: maybe if he doesn't know he won't get lost.

I think I will tell Paul about the recent postings here - especially the one from Kelly that she drank heavily right up to the switch and so he can do that - or at least drink some vodka instead of beer to taper down because the beer isn't doing it for him - just upsets his stomach and he is not getting relief.

I have ativan and he has the option to use that when he's really much further tapered down. I need some people's help understanding the dif between 1 mg ativan and 20 mg diazepam - i believe hospitals use diazepam but i could only get ativan - but i can't seem to find anything on the web to help me understand relative dosage - can someone refer me to a resource somewhere? Or just tell me?

I am worried about Paul -he's having a really bad day.

[susanna]

just starting out on baclofen today-urgent questions

what is the risk if he takes 1 mg ativan when he's on day 2 of baclofen - he's taking 5 mg 3X day yestereday and today? It's either ativan or alcohol at this point and i am not sure what's worse

[tom4now]

just starting out on baclofen today-urgent questions

Hey susanna he has to take at least some Benzo as it works on the same receptor sites as alcohol hence proper withdrawl drug always used in detox unitis here in Canada...but he also has to nottttttt firmly no more drinking through this at all...basicly you jump from the alcohol to the benzo and the benzo is the ride off safely and I will say very good too, because far the start beacause of the higher dose you can just sleep it off and then taper from there down..usally about a ten day stretch from the start till you taper off on Benzo's...Benzo's are pretty harmless "except" you do not want to continue to drink during and to watch for dependency.....so you must go off when he is completly off of any severe physical symptoms....there will be lots of emotional stuff left after...that is really just part and parcel of this desease...the major point here is it is not safe to withdraw from alcohol without medication help and secondly no more alcohol once hes on it.

[tom4now]

just starting out on baclofen today-urgent questions

Baclofen is most effective after a detox...

[susanna]

just starting out on baclofen today-urgent questions

tom4now;844984 wrote: Baclofen is most effective after a detox...

Hi Tom4now:
He says he can't handle the ativan as it doesn't deal with the cravings for alcholo. Since he wants to use alcohol to taper down, and since others here have said they drank while starting bac it seems that's the safest approach no?

In past episodes he tried to use diazepam (a benzo) and ended up drinking on it and really getting messed up. I feel it's too risky as i think it through.

He should be able to taper down with alcohol - he has done it before.

Why do you say most effective after a detox? Is this based on a source of information somewhere?

[corkit]

just starting out on baclofen today-urgent questions

Hi susanna, I think if you don't drink while on BAC the SE are less (dizziness or sleepiness) but if he drinks while taking the BAC the detox won't be so hard on him, maybe if he cuts back just to ease the withdrawals symptoms. I heard that drinking while moving ahead with the BAC is ok, it has no impact on the end result.

[tom4now]

just starting out on baclofen today-urgent questions

yes its documented and I said standard detox protocol....if he feels he can do it the way hes done it before try it...the bottom line is when you really get sick enough you will want to get off,
and not keep going.

I have seen so many that went on binges/ drunks/ longterm steady drinkers and they got so sick from there alcohol use and as you have posted above he sounded pretty sick.

As I said when you are in detox you are so sick you cant move so most alcoholics will greatfully take the benzo taper....it works well its relatively fast and safe but as I said no alcohol...so to me its sounds like your brother does not want to quit right away....he can taper off with alcohol....however most alcoholics find it a very hard and painful process.

The choices are there for him...hes lucky he has alternatives either way...and the thing one has to refelect on is can the intoxicated individual decide with reason whats best for a noted condition?

[FallonsMom]

just starting out on baclofen today-urgent questions

I agree with Tom, I'm thinking maybe your brother might need a er :l

[Guest]

just starting out on baclofen today-urgent questions

Susanna,
How is your brother this morning? In my opinion, your brother should continue tapering down with alcohol. He is in a fragile mental state right now, the addiction is trying to win the mental battle. I continued to drink while taking baclofen (although it hit me harder, faster) and eventually it will give him the strength to let go of it. I have no experience with detoxing so you need to keep a close eye on him and make sure he is getting better, even if it's a slow process. I would not want to give advice that could jeprodize some one's life but I do know that baclofen will beat alcohol - it did for me. Please let us know how he is today. Let him know that we are here, supporting him. Let him know that there are people here who care about him and that are praying for him. Tell him this will all be worth it in the end.
Hoping

[susanna]

just starting out on baclofen today-urgent questions

Hoping for the best;845209 wrote: Susanna,
How is your brother this morning? In my opinion, your brother should continue tapering down with alcohol. He is in a fragile mental state right now, the addiction is trying to win the mental battle. I continued to drink while taking baclofen (although it hit me harder, faster) and eventually it will give him the strength to let go of it. I have no experience with detoxing so you need to keep a close eye on him and make sure he is getting better, even if it's a slow process. I would not want to give advice that could jeprodize some one's life but I do know that baclofen will beat alcohol - it did for me. Please let us know how he is today. Let him know that we are here, supporting him. Let him know that there are people here who care about him and that are praying for him. Tell him this will all be worth it in the end.
Hoping

Thank you so much for this note - I need to hear these encouraging words and I just read it to him too. He is still in a terrible state and can't seem to get over the hump - it's really bad this time. We are using alcohol and staying away from benzo's and he is now on day 3 of Bac - today starting on 10 mg 3x day. This is a faster schedule than what Dr Levin suggested prescribed but I think given the inteensity of his condition it doesn't matter if he has dizziness or sleepiness. I am almost tempted to have him take more than 30 mgs today. He's a strong 40 year old otherwise totally healthy man. What do you think?

[susanna]

just starting out on baclofen today-urgent questions

Hoping for the best;845209 wrote: Susanna,
How is your brother this morning? In my opinion, your brother should continue tapering down with alcohol. He is in a fragile mental state right now, the addiction is trying to win the mental battle. I continued to drink while taking baclofen (although it hit me harder, faster) and eventually it will give him the strength to let go of it. I have no experience with detoxing so you need to keep a close eye on him and make sure he is getting better, even if it's a slow process. I would not want to give advice that could jeprodize some one's life but I do know that baclofen will beat alcohol - it did for me. Please let us know how he is today. Let him know that we are here, supporting him. Let him know that there are people here who care about him and that are praying for him. Tell him this will all be worth it in the end.
Hoping

Thank you so much for this note - I need to hear these encouraging words and I just read it to him too. He is still in a terrible state and can't seem to get over the hump - it's really bad this time. We are using alcohol and staying away from benzo's and he is now on day 4 of Bac - today starting on 10 mg 3x day. This is a faster schedule than what Dr Levin prescribed but I think given the intensity of his condition it doesn't matter if he has dizziness or sleepiness. I am almost tempted to have him take more than 30 mgs today to see if that helps with the withdrawal symptoms. He's a strong 40 year old otherwise totally healthy man. What do you think?

[Guest]

just starting out on baclofen today-urgent questions

The only thing I would say about trying to raise the doses faster is that the side effects may become too much for him and cause discouragement. I would stick with the 10-10-10 for now and give it some time. Sleepiness for me was the effect that helped me the most but I did not have to detox. The big thing right now is to get through the detox phase. This is the most critical phase.
Sorry if I am not much help. Please keep us updated.