All,
I have been AF for about a month now, so I think I am ready to say that I have hit the switch.
As you can see from my signature, I started TSM on Jan 22, 2010, then switched to TSM + baclofen on March 5, 2010.
I started with TSM, so have maintained weekly logs on that site.
My efforts at TSM alone are documented thesinclairmethod.com • View topic - Wort Progress Beginning 1/22/2010,
My efforts at combining TSM and baclofen thesinclairmethod.com • View topic - Wort's New Weekly: TSM + Baclofen.
As you can see from the signature log, my units actually increased with TSM. This is common, and has been described by Nick's "rat banging the lever" metaphor. My units decreased when starting baclofen, but probably because baclofen side effects are worsened by alcohol.
For whatever reason, I kept increasing my baclofen dosage until I was at a whopping 380mg/day (4.6mg/kg). I am convinced that habit was driving my drinking rather than addiction. Baclofen had probably cured the addiction at a much lower dosage; I, like a dope, kept on drinking out of habit. When I *finally* decided to quit, it was very easy. I quit on 7/15, and have been AF since then.
In the first 1-2 weeks, I felt a bit of craving, but nothing I could not easily ignore. I keep no alcohol in the house. Now I almost never feel craving; if I do, I take 40mg or so prn, but again this is rare. The overwhelming majority of the time, I am absolutely indifferent. I hung out with a drinking bud the other night; he drank beer and I drank soda. I remained absolutely indifferent the entire evening - no craving at all.
I was able to titrate back down very quickly. I went from 380mg/day to 200mg/day in about a week, and am now at 120mg/day. I do it "lo0p style" taking all 120mg in a single dose, somewhere around 5:00p. I'll stay here a week or two, then will try reducing more.
I have no idea if TSM worked for me or not. If I can titrate baclofen to zero, then perhaps it worked.
At any rate, I am AF now and it feels wonderful. ALL of my baclofen SE are gone, but I still have peristent breathing issues which at first I attributed to asthma. My GP checked and found no evidence for this, and prescribed an anti-anxiety medication (lorazepan). I was dubious at first, but now am convinced that anxiety is at the root of my breathing problems - it is sort of a panic attack. This is odd, since I have always considered myself a very level person.
I also have chronic sleeping issues. I have always thought that my troubles with alcohol were an attempt to drink myself to sleep. My GP has prescribed temazepam, which works well, but leaves me a bit groggy in the AM.
Hopefully, over the next few weeks I can solve the breathing and sleeping issues and for the first time in 30 years be "normal."
By the way, I am VERY grateful to have had the guidance of my GP during this process. I don't believe I would have been able to work through the anxiety and sleeping issues without this help. I went to him yesterday; when I told him that I had been AF for a month, he just about fell back in his chair. I don't think he expected baclofen to work - now he is convinced, and will hopefully be ready to prescribe to others.
For those just starting, I have some advice, especially for those who are daily drinkers with both addiction and habit to contend with.
1. Start with TSM. It is much simpler, and works for many.
2. If you decide to combine baclofen, start trying to reduce units WILLFULLY as soon as you detect SE's. For me this was around 120mg/day.
3. At around 3.0mg/kg, get serious about going AF. You may not succeed right away, but the SE's will be much milder, and as the cravings subside, you can more easily detect the switch.
4. As soon as you can manage the cravings, level the baclofen off to see if they go away. If not, increase your dosage a bit, but remain AF. Baclofen SE's while AF are 10-20% of what they are when drinking heavily.
5. Start titrating back down when you have gone one week with no cravings or with occasional cravings that are easy to manage.
That's it. Baclofen is not a magic bullet. Everyone is different, but I had to add in a bit of willpower. At least for me, there was no mythical CLICK with the switch hit; the process was more gradual, but nonetheless effective. I am very very grateful.
I'll check back in from time to time for updates.
Best,
-wort
I have been AF for about a month now, so I think I am ready to say that I have hit the switch.
As you can see from my signature, I started TSM on Jan 22, 2010, then switched to TSM + baclofen on March 5, 2010.
I started with TSM, so have maintained weekly logs on that site.
My efforts at TSM alone are documented thesinclairmethod.com • View topic - Wort Progress Beginning 1/22/2010,
My efforts at combining TSM and baclofen thesinclairmethod.com • View topic - Wort's New Weekly: TSM + Baclofen.
As you can see from the signature log, my units actually increased with TSM. This is common, and has been described by Nick's "rat banging the lever" metaphor. My units decreased when starting baclofen, but probably because baclofen side effects are worsened by alcohol.
For whatever reason, I kept increasing my baclofen dosage until I was at a whopping 380mg/day (4.6mg/kg). I am convinced that habit was driving my drinking rather than addiction. Baclofen had probably cured the addiction at a much lower dosage; I, like a dope, kept on drinking out of habit. When I *finally* decided to quit, it was very easy. I quit on 7/15, and have been AF since then.
In the first 1-2 weeks, I felt a bit of craving, but nothing I could not easily ignore. I keep no alcohol in the house. Now I almost never feel craving; if I do, I take 40mg or so prn, but again this is rare. The overwhelming majority of the time, I am absolutely indifferent. I hung out with a drinking bud the other night; he drank beer and I drank soda. I remained absolutely indifferent the entire evening - no craving at all.
I was able to titrate back down very quickly. I went from 380mg/day to 200mg/day in about a week, and am now at 120mg/day. I do it "lo0p style" taking all 120mg in a single dose, somewhere around 5:00p. I'll stay here a week or two, then will try reducing more.
I have no idea if TSM worked for me or not. If I can titrate baclofen to zero, then perhaps it worked.
At any rate, I am AF now and it feels wonderful. ALL of my baclofen SE are gone, but I still have peristent breathing issues which at first I attributed to asthma. My GP checked and found no evidence for this, and prescribed an anti-anxiety medication (lorazepan). I was dubious at first, but now am convinced that anxiety is at the root of my breathing problems - it is sort of a panic attack. This is odd, since I have always considered myself a very level person.
I also have chronic sleeping issues. I have always thought that my troubles with alcohol were an attempt to drink myself to sleep. My GP has prescribed temazepam, which works well, but leaves me a bit groggy in the AM.
Hopefully, over the next few weeks I can solve the breathing and sleeping issues and for the first time in 30 years be "normal."
By the way, I am VERY grateful to have had the guidance of my GP during this process. I don't believe I would have been able to work through the anxiety and sleeping issues without this help. I went to him yesterday; when I told him that I had been AF for a month, he just about fell back in his chair. I don't think he expected baclofen to work - now he is convinced, and will hopefully be ready to prescribe to others.
For those just starting, I have some advice, especially for those who are daily drinkers with both addiction and habit to contend with.
1. Start with TSM. It is much simpler, and works for many.
2. If you decide to combine baclofen, start trying to reduce units WILLFULLY as soon as you detect SE's. For me this was around 120mg/day.
3. At around 3.0mg/kg, get serious about going AF. You may not succeed right away, but the SE's will be much milder, and as the cravings subside, you can more easily detect the switch.
4. As soon as you can manage the cravings, level the baclofen off to see if they go away. If not, increase your dosage a bit, but remain AF. Baclofen SE's while AF are 10-20% of what they are when drinking heavily.
5. Start titrating back down when you have gone one week with no cravings or with occasional cravings that are easy to manage.
That's it. Baclofen is not a magic bullet. Everyone is different, but I had to add in a bit of willpower. At least for me, there was no mythical CLICK with the switch hit; the process was more gradual, but nonetheless effective. I am very very grateful.
I'll check back in from time to time for updates.
Best,
-wort
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