Drinking every day for 10 years.. Until Baclofen

[CitizenOfThePlanet]

Hello all. I am new here but have been lurking for a few months and decided I would post about my recent life changes.

I am 30 and have been drinking Jack Daniels heavily for 10 years now only until recently it started to get worse for me. I suffer from a panic disorder that makes it hard for me to leave the house and I guess I have been using alcohol to numb it.

I decided that I needed help and tried many routes but they all brought me nowhere. I couldn't do a 12 step program because of the panic disorder and obviously rehab was out of the question. I had just gotten insurance and my doctor referred me to a psychiatrist who he thought could help me and all I can say is that it changed my life.

I got prescribed Baclofen about 3 weeks ago.. I went from heavy drinking the day before meeting with the psychiatrist to taking baclofen the next day along with librium for 4 days to help with the withdrawal.

I was really scared that it would not work because I had tried everything but all I can say is that I have had almost no cravings to drink. The only times I have craved it were in times of extreme anxiety and once it comes into my mind I just tell myself no way and it stops.

I started taking 10mg, 3 times a day and now I am taking 20mg, 3 times a day.

I had no idea it would work this well for me. Ive already stated losing weight, I have more energy and I feel like I can concentrate more.

I really hope that it continues to work for me and I also hope to hear more stories from other people.

[tiptronic_ct]

Drinking every day for 10 years.. Until Baclofen

Welcome to MWO, CotP

I'm very happy to hear about your success so far! Is your psychiatrist prepared to prescribe high-dose baclofen to allow you to try and reach your switch?

If you've been lurking here for a few months, I guess you've read up on baclofen: titration, side-effects etc. If not, please shout, and we can bump some threads with relevant information for you.

[Kimberley]

Drinking every day for 10 years.. Until Baclofen

Hey that's wonderful news Citizen! I suffered from a similar disorder and also used alcohol to numb it for 10 years just so I could leave the house and function etc. I tried loads of different things but nothing worked. I eventually saw an NLP-hypnotherapist and within 90 minutes almost all the fear was gone. Amazing! I am glad you have found something that works for you as I can sympathise - panic disorders are completely and utterly debilitating,
K x

[Sunnyvalenting]

Drinking every day for 10 years.. Until Baclofen

Citizen,
I, too was a low dose responder to Baclofen. I never even had any cravings at low doses. I was started at 10mg 3/d and increased to 20 3/day. It worked like a charm. I didn't know to even look for a "switch" I just assumed that if I wasn't drinking I was where I needed to be. Best of luck and welcome. Recent research out of France indicates the effective dose ranges from 30/day to 300 so quite a range of effectiveness.
Sunny

[Light Of Daz]

Drinking every day for 10 years.. Until Baclofen

Citizen, just wanted to add my 'Welcome to the (Bac) Club'. So glad to hear another positive experience.

[Full English]

Drinking every day for 10 years.. Until Baclofen

That is great news Citizen. Welcome to the site. I hope it all continues to go well for you.
Full English

[CitizenOfThePlanet]

Drinking every day for 10 years.. Until Baclofen

Thank you guys very much for all of the support. I felt that I needed to quit now because i have been doing it for so long and it was destroying me. I really want to get my life back.

I am not really sure how Bac works but my doctor basically explained that it increases gabba.. Still no idea what that means.

Kimberly, I have not even thought to try hypnosis but I will keep it in mind. My doctor says he needs to treat me for the alcohol addiction and my ADHD first before he can work on the agoraphobia. It gets really tough sometimes, especially now that I don't have the alcohol to calm me.

My psychiatrist did mention that we would be increasing dosages at some point, but he didn't explain why yet.. He also mentioned that he treated himself with Bac to stop his addiction.

I am not sure what you guys mean by my "switch"? What is that?

Also, what side effects might I experience with higher doses? What is titration?

I have been lurking for a few months, but not reading this particular section as I had no idea I would have gotten prescribed this medication.

Thanks again guys!

[PhoenixRising]

Drinking every day for 10 years.. Until Baclofen

Titration is the increasing or increasing dosage of a med.
The switch is when you reach a level of Baclofen at which you no longer crave alcohol.

Best of luck!

[Sunnyvalenting]

Drinking every day for 10 years.. Until Baclofen

I wouldn't worry about the "switch". It sounds as tho you have already hit it. IMO it means you don't drink. I believe that will power plus the medical effect of baclofen work together. Like a hammer and a nail. One is not much good without the other.
Simplistically baclofen increases your GABA activity which slows down the "LET'S GET WASTED" thoughts. It gives you a chance to use your judgement. It helped me a lot.
Hope it continues to work wonders for you. Read Dr Ameisen's book to learn how this effect was recently discovered. I have been off alcohol for 8 months on baclofen. Before bac I was on a rapid downward spiral.
All the best
Sunny

[tiptronic_ct]

Drinking every day for 10 years.. Until Baclofen

The Consolidated Baclofen Information Thread is the place to start: https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...ead-38718.html

The "switch" is the point at which you become indifferent to alcohol - you don't need any willpower to remain alcohol free from there onwards.

[Theme2be]

Drinking every day for 10 years.. Until Baclofen

Thank you and will read more indepth.

Appreciate and need these thoughts/ ideas/ and calculations.

I will die of this, or worse if the priceless formula is put into placement.


With Respect and Appreciation~

[Kimberley]

Drinking every day for 10 years.. Until Baclofen

Hey Citizen,
Yeah I spent years and years of trying almost everything to cure my agoraphobia (I had it as part of Social Phobia, so it meant things like eating in public etc were also a nightmare for me). Most 'experts' tried to pull me down the 'exposure' route, which is basically doing exactly what you're scared of. Horrible, upsetting and traumatic as I really had a massive problem.

If you do want to go down the hypnosis route, my practitioner used a mixture of NLP, hypnosis and EFT. BUT just a warning, I had visited one NLP/hypno guy before him for a consultation and he did absolutely nothing. Luckily the second guy happened to call me at the right time. It was amazing - I walked in the cowering, sweating and shaking with anxiety - I walked out head held high and actually skipped down the street! (Yes I am childish )

Great job on sorting the alcohol out - but I do not believe we should be forced to live our lives in pain and trauma due to a panic disorder. If you can find someone to take the misery away, even if it takes a few tries with different therapists to find the right one, it is SO worth it. It was the best day of my life the day I saw that guy - bar none.
K x

[muchthought]

Drinking every day for 10 years.. Until Baclofen

Welcome citizen. I like your name!

I'm glad to hear of your success - and it is encouraging to hear that you were prescribed it without talking anyone into it. That is motivating for me. You aren't anywhere near Sacramento CA are you - I'd go to your doc in a heartbeat!! I have had half the success you have had on Bac, but that means i drink half as much, so I'm pretty happy. I am currently on 60mg a day and will sit at that amount for quite awhile until I'm not nodding off 1/2 hour after I take it.

Good luck!
Much

[CitizenOfThePlanet]

Drinking every day for 10 years.. Until Baclofen

Kimberly.. Wow. Your problems sound a lot like mine. I know that this is no way to live life and I am excited to see what becomes of me.

My only sadness right now is that ever since starting the Bac, I have been antisocial. I do not want to hang around people or have company over my house. My partner is supportive of it and thinks that I need some time to adjust to living without alcohol. I have been depending on it for so long that it is hard for me to go back to doing the things I loved with friends while I am not drinking..

I have had trouble not being able to have fun with it either. My sense of humor is changing a bit and I cant get drunk, put on a funny movie and crack up laughing anymore. I miss it. That is the hardest part for me and I hope the Bac along with my will power will keep me going.

Much.. Unfortunately I am in St. Louis and pretty far away but I am sure with proper hunting you could find a good doctor near you? It took me months to find one and when I did it was well worth all of the effort.

[Doggygirl]

Drinking every day for 10 years.. Until Baclofen

Hi COP. I can relate to what you are saying about feeling less social and not having fun doing the old things, but without the AL. Do you think it's the Bac? Or the change to AF? For me, I have developed a life that I now love. But it's way different than my old drinking life used to be. I don't enjoy the same things sober that I did when drinking. Lots of my "people" have changed too. These changes were unsettling at first but I'm liking the "new me" the further along the sober path I get.

Not sure if that is relevant or not, but there you have it! It is so encouraging to read about BAC being a good solution for people who were not able to find a solution before. Congratulations to you.

DG