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    #1

    the switch

    i read here that if one reaches the switch one will know..i havent hit it yet, thats for sure and i am growing more doubtful by the day if bac will work for me....i still strongly hope for it, i am now up to 150mg/day and i still seem to be far away, given the case that when the craving hits i take some extra doses of up to addtional 100-150mg, still doesnt work...
    i think Dr. A and many others have been drinking during on their way to find the switch, does give hope, though really i am even hafing the feeling that the drinks taste better than before and i am enjoying it more than ever before (maybe because bac lowers anxiety). long story short not what i really wanted..
    please tell me about your experiences, am i a hopeless case, or is this a normal story..

    thanks
    rudolf
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    #2
    the switch

    Hi Rudolph. A couple of things that may help. First, you stated that when you felt particularly strong cravings, you doubled your Bac dose. Not a good idea. Bac doesn’t really work that way. In fact, bumping up like that can possibly make you pretty ill from the side-effects (SEs). Bac really has to become established in your system to hit the switch. You can only do this by titrating up slowly but surely until you reach the amount that triggers the switch to in your brain. Doubly your dose will do NOTHING except make you sick. Just hang back and stick to a reasonable, steady Bac schedule, don’t panic too much about your drinking at this point, and let Bac do it’s job.
    Second, at 150 mg, you say that you still feel “far away.” Again, and this is only from my personal experience, but I was posting to this site up until 2 days before I hit my switch begging people to share their experiences leading up to the switch, because I was absolutely convinced it wasn’t working for me. I just wasn’t feeling it. In fact, all I had were these awful SEs –tiredness, sleep paralysis, strange feeling in my joints -- to show for all my patience and persistence. I was at the end of my tether. I was about to throw it over the same way I had with Campral, Topamax, and Naltrexone. I am so glad I didn’t.
    Hang in there Rudolf. 150 mg is not that high for a male (or female for that matter). If the SEs are getting to you, it’s not going to hurt the process to ease off Bac a little. After a lifetime of building up to where you are, you owe yourself a little time to do this right. If you can hold out, be smart about it, and not play with your dosages whenever a craving hits, I promise you that you’ll hit the switch.
    Henrietta

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      #3
      the switch

      Great advice, Henrietta.
      Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life... And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

      Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Adress, 2005

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        #4
        the switch

        Henrietta is right on target. I am a female that had to go all the way to 270mg to reach my switch. You can imagine how concerned I was getting as I got above 200. I also drank the whole way up. I even drank because it helped relieve the Bac side effects! I also literally drank 10 beers at a party the night before I hit my switch!!

        The switch is that real and that sudden. It is awesome. It is a complete elimination of cravings. You can't miss it. I was afraid I might drink through it or something but once you reach it an alcoholic drink no longer holds your interest. You simply do not have the desire to drink alcohol.

        By the way, just for informational purposes, Dr. A was NOT drinking when he went up the second time and hit the switch. The book is not clear about this but his case study is. However, neither he nor any other Dr. I have heard about is saying that there is anything wrong with drinking while reaching the switch. I and many others have done it and people are doing it under Doctors supervision as well. Don't worry about that aspect of it.

        Henrietta is right about doubling doses - I can't believe you didn't get sick! That is probably a good sign that you will be able to tolerate the SE's to go as high as you need to hit the switch!

        When I started Bac, I was prepared to go up to 300mg. I had to have that switch. There was nothing easy about it and I had a couple set backs while I was at it, but reaching that switch made it TOTALLY worthwhile. Stick with the gradual increases and stay determined because once you get there you will be totally amazed at the changes in your life and the freedom you feel. You will feel like screaming from the rooftops that Baclofen is totally awesome (because it is)!

        Kelly

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          #5
          the switch

          thanks a lot

          henrietta and kelly

          thanks a lot for that, good to hear that this is a rather normal experience..i am not afraid to go up to 300mg/day..if it helps i do everything, i am also a pretty heavy bloke, 100kg and even when i took the high "acute craving" doses i didnt feel much on SE, i wont give up..i also received a package of bac from spain this week,(made by NOVARTIS) my previous source was in poland and i never was sure if these things from there had the quality, (might be totally wrong tough)..any hints on different producers and qualties..??

          i am on it, its just 4 weeks i am taking the stuff, and the affects of 25 years of boozing wont dissapaer over night...

          thanks again, really appreciated
          rudolf

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            #6
            the switch

            what i forgot
            i am and always was a sporadic drinker who upon craving does on the binch; which usually happesn once to twice a week, thats why i am so concerned to 'miss' the switch...
            thanks

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              #7
              the switch

              Thx for your encouragement here Birdie/Kelly!! I really loved hearing that there is light at the end of the tunnel! So happy for you too!

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                #8
                the switch

                Birdy, I second houtx's comments. And when I read that you drank to alleviate the side effects, I had to laugh. I thought I was the only one who noticed that wine temporarily took away the slight nausea, fuzziness and vertigo. Or maybe it just helps me notice them less!

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                  #9
                  the switch

                  might be getting there

                  hi this is rudolf (forgot my login information so created a new account)

                  i have changed my bac supplier and think that the one i use now is better (stronger), the old one i used was not much of a success...

                  i am still on 150mg, will go up to 175 tomorrow, on friday l felt that the craving was not as strong a usual, strong enough to give in to it though....

                  i will hang in there, still enough room to go up, will keep u posted

                  cheers
                  rudolf

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                    #10
                    the switch

                    Kelly/Birdy02 - am curious as to your husband's attitude towards your drinking all these years. Did you hide it & how...how has he been w/ taking BAC? Did you ever try the Sinclair Method?

                    I enjoyed reading your narrative that details your journey. Very humbling but encouraging & inspiring!! Wondering how it all affected your relationhip -

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