Female, Mid 30's Binge Drinker- Nal and Bac?

[Bluesy]

Hello All-
I started taking 50 mg of Nal yesterday and today in preparation for the holiday weekend. I have been taking between 5-10 mg of bac for the last month and feel spacey and tired. I am so confused about how to use Nal..or how to use them together. I know it is individual but can someone please help me. Am I supposed to take Nal for 2 days and then one hour before drinking? It seems like some studies indicate taking it every day for 12 weeks. I am a female binge drinker in my mid thirties about 130 lbs. I am hoping for some feedback. I love this community! It has gotten me through some extremely rocky times over the years. THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!!

[corkit]

Female, Mid 30's Binge Drinker- Nal and Bac?

Hi bluesy, I have taken both Nal and Bac. If you're going to go with Nal you always take it one hour before drinking, not a half hour before or after you start to drink. You start off the first time you take it at 25mg to get use to it and once there are no SE you go to 50mg. Some people have tried to go up but most found 50mg was the dosage that worked in Dr. Sinclair's research. Once you hit the switch you still only take it whenever you think you might drink. There are no formulas with Nal or Bac as I'm sure you read. Nal can take a few months or could take up to a year or more.

I was on Nal for over 7 months and could not wait any longer for it to happen so I switched to BAC seeing my goal was not to drink at all anymore and it takes a much shorter time but it's SE are more severe and you'll have to be on BAC daily in small quantities for the rest of you life which the trade off for me is so worth it.

I hope I answered you question.

Good luck
corkit

[Bluesy]

Female, Mid 30's Binge Drinker- Nal and Bac?

Thank you cork it

for your response. the verbage gets me confused- when you say "Once you hit the switch you still only take it whenever you think you might drink." Do you take it every day until you "hit the switch" and then only take it 1 hr before you plan to drink? This is what I need clarity on. Thanks so much! And has anyone taken bac and nal together? I was hoping i could take low doses of bac and take nal when i plan to drink. I can't seem to get past 10 mg of bac. It makes me so tired and I have a full time 9-5 job. Any advice appreciated!

[scot98]

Female, Mid 30's Binge Drinker- Nal and Bac?

Hi Bluesy, What Corkit was meaning by the "switch" is, you take naltrexone 50mg approx one hour before you have your first drink and over a period of many months your cosumption drops until you hit the magic switch! when you are apparantly indifferent to alcohol, no cravings etc. It has worked for many, I am 4 months on and not there yet but it's made a big difference to me, I am going to give it until September and if no change then Baclofen is my next choice.
Baclofen does have side effects way more than Naltrexone but if I remember correctly,from the british national formulary, always take it after food, that way it may lessen the tiredness and other Se's.
Keep at it if you can

[scot98]

Female, Mid 30's Binge Drinker- Nal and Bac?

Bluesy;870434 wrote: for your response. the verbage gets me confused- when you say "Once you hit the switch you still only take it whenever you think you might drink." Do you take it every day until you "hit the switch" and then only take it 1 hr before you plan to drink? This is what I need clarity on. Thanks so much! And has anyone taken bac and nal together? I was hoping i could take low doses of bac and take nal when i plan to drink. I can't seem to get past 10 mg of bac. It makes me so tired and I have a full time 9-5 job. Any advice appreciated!

Bluesy, Lo0p was taking Naltrexone before starting combination therapy,and it did work for him. I wouldn't recommend it though. I think it would be best to stick with one to start with or you will have no idea what drug is working or likewise giving you side effects.

[Bluesy]

Female, Mid 30's Binge Drinker- Nal and Bac?

Ahhh..

thank you both. This makes sense!!!

[scot98]

Female, Mid 30's Binge Drinker- Nal and Bac?

Bluesy, i have no personal experience with baclofen, other than taking 10 mg one night before I started on naltrexone. What I would say is going from what I have read here, drinking on baclofen is not really a great idea, My experience was an awful hangover and I looked pretty damn rough, according to a friend and that was lunchtime!
Meds affect everyone differently and given your tiredness I would titrate slowly.Again I am not taking it....yet, but take it easy

[Sunnyvalenting]

Female, Mid 30's Binge Drinker- Nal and Bac?

I think the main thing is to also not drink no matter what you are on. The side effects of bac, especially will be accentuated as both the alcohol and the baclofen are essentially GABA enhancers. You don't want to combine them. I have been totally 100% abstinent on the bac and feel real good about it for about 5 months. I am on about 60-80 mg per day. Also do remember to take the baclofen in divided doses. I started out on 10 mg 3 times per day and slowly worked up. I was very tired at first.
good luck. hope your weekend is going well

[Lo0p]

Female, Mid 30's Binge Drinker- Nal and Bac?

Bluesy;870434 wrote: Thanks so much! And has anyone taken bac and nal together

I do. I'm doing great. I'm on high-dose baclofen though. I drink whenever I want to, which is hardly ever and not much at all. Always take my nal 1 hour before.

[tm1210]

Female, Mid 30's Binge Drinker- Nal and Bac?

Whats your maintainance dose of Bac Loop?

[Lo0p]

Female, Mid 30's Binge Drinker- Nal and Bac?

~200 mg

[tm1210]

Female, Mid 30's Binge Drinker- Nal and Bac?

Cheers Loop. That seems a very high maintenence dose mate. Is your plan to try and get it down lower? I was always under the impression once the "switch" was hit, you can titrate down quite alot from the dose you hit your switch at?