Is age a factor?

[mikeone]

I'm a 71-year-old otherwise healthy male who drinks to much wine every evening from 5 pm until 8 pm when I inevitably go to bed. I usually arise at 7 am the next morning generally feeling refreshed, however much of the previous evening's TV news has been blacked out. And, there is a lot more going on. Given the below, I wonder if baclofen would be appropriate in my case.

I have been drinking since my sophomore year in college. I realize that I suffered, and still do, from social anxiety which was what set it off--didn't know that at the time. I also have a essential tremor of the neck ( like Katherine Hepburn did) combined with sporadic cervical dystonia which causes a painful pulling of the neck muscles to the side and backward. This is greatly exacerbated in social situations due to the anxiety factor.

Unfortunately, I quickly discovered that alcohol would completely remove all those symptoms, both and psychological and somatic. However, the downside is alcohol dependence to which I plead guilty. (I have no desire or urge to drink during the day--only before and after dinner or at social gatherings from which I usually depart early and woozily.)

I went to a movement disorders specialist about ten years ago for help with my essential tremor and dystonia. He tried all the usual meds, including botox injections into the neck and Parkinson's medications--a condition I thankfully do not have. Baclofen was among them, but probably not in high enough a dose to be useful. Nothing worked. I gave up on that and relied on my primary care doctor whose uncle had the same neck tremors, and who became an alcoholic as a result. I don't know if he had concurrent social anxiety as I do.

My doc is a pretty flexible and sympathetic. He put me on benzos and neurontin, which help but not as much as alcohol. All this seems to indicate that the somatic and psychological symptoms are strongly connected with lack of endogenous GABA. He?s aware of my drinking and says I ?probably drink more than I should??to keep this low key on my medical record.

When I wanted to try Topamax, he let me. Didn?t work, and too many SE?s at higher doses. When I told him about the Sinclair Method he was amenable and gave me a prescription for 50 mg Naltrexone per day. I tried the Method for a year, but nothing happened so I gave up on that. I then asked if he?d write me a script for baclofen, but he said I was already tried or was taking too many psychoactive meds and demurred.

Hence my current regimen to manage my somatic and psychological problems with his agreement (besides seeing a slew of shrinks that didn?t help) are: Morning: two-300 mg Neurontin tabs, one or two 5-mg diazepam tabs, one or two 1-mg clonazepam tabs.

That carries me through the day until 5 pm when I embark on 6 to 8 glasses white wine, then zonk out at 8 pm or sometimes earlier. Around 2 am I awaken due the alcohol rebound and need to take two 2-mg lorazepam tabs to get back to sleep. As mentioned, I awaken at 7 am usually feeling fine and energetic with no hint of a hangover.

Any ideas or suggestions about adding baclofen at my age (probably have to order it on the internet from India) to this hefty brew, titrating up as Amiesen did?and hopefully losing the benzos along with the need for big Al? Or is this asking for trouble?

Thanks,

Mike

[Seethepony]

Is age a factor?

The good thing about Baclofen is that it seems to be safe enough for you to simply "have a go".

I wouldn't recommend it to someone who only drinks a glass or two of wine each evening, but since you are knocking back 6-8 glasses, a few mgs of baclofen probably won't hurt. Waking up in the middle of the night for Lorezepam doesn't sound good, even if I have no idea what Lorezepam is.

If you want to use yourself as a guinea-pig (which is what we're all doing, as most doctors out there seem to be fairly clueless) I would recommend cutting out the other medications (if possible) because I for one have no idea what they are and how they might react with Baclofen. If you cannot wean yourself off them, I'd be extremely wary about blindly grabbing some baclofen.

In any case, it would be smart to start on tiny doses of baclofen, such as 5mg three times a day. After a few days, 10mg three times a day, etc. Sooner or later, you should find yourself becoming indifferent to alcohol, so that you may even pour yourself a glass, look at it, and leave it untouched.

There are many other side effects of baclofen which some people experience, and others don't. Some of these side effects may be beneficial to you and it could be that baclofen not only sorts out your alcohol intake, it helps with your medical condition. I have no idea. But that's another good reason to avoid the other meds for a while so that you can see for yourself what baclofen does to you, good or bad, without the other meds interfering.

Whatever you do, read as much on this forum as possible before taking the plunge; there is a good thread somewhere dedicated solely to baclofen side effects. There is a lot of conflicting information, however, which is why I suggest you tentatively try it for yourself. I found it to be an almost miraculous cure to my heavy drinking, and suffer minimal side effects. But I'm not a 71 year old geezer on Lorezepam!

Good luck, whatever you decide!

[mikeone]

Is age a factor?

Thanks

Many thanks to all, and especially Susanna, who pointed me to Dr. Fred Levine in Chicago, whom I have not yet contacted by phone from CT. My social anxiety is preventing my doing that, but will hopefully be overcome. I don't want to overburden the poor doc whom everybody seems to be suggesting. A possibly overwhelming and unwanted task on his part? Perhaps I'm still too shy to try.

-Mike

[beatle]

Is age a factor?

In my experience, age is a factor in determining medicine dosages, and how the medications affect you.

You can check drug interactions on various websites between baclofen and most other medications -- but this is not meant to be medical advice, and I'm not sure if it takes age into account.

Whatever you do, I think it will be best to take it very slowly -- and let your physician know what you are doing, even if you don't have his/her approval.

Personally, I would not be knocked out from 6-8 glasses of wine over 3 hours. Well, I guess it depends on the size of the glasses. But I am about 20 years younger than you. Maybe I would be if I was 70, but I will probably not live that long.

[Topsy-Turvy-Tracy]

Is age a factor?

Mikeone, patience is the key. You are not likely going to be cured tomrrow or next week or next month. Like everyone else has said, take your time. The typical addictive attitude (regardless of one's role or relation to the "addict") is that if a little is good, more is better. That's a lie. It's not a "magic pill." But baclofen is a very helpful medication, so long as you give it a chance to work. But that's all it is - helpful, not magic.

If you are worried about how one med will affect another, you might want to ask a pharmacist or doctor - especially since one's own situation is unique. Like Beatle said, even if your own doc won't prescribe, he'll likely advise.

Good Luck!

[Lo0p]

Is age a factor?

How's Gulliver?

[mikeone]

Is age a factor?

He's fine, except for a nasty tummy rash and Lyme disease, both which are currently under antibiotic treatment. Thanks for asking. He's also totally abstinent and always has been, lucky guy!

(How did you know his name is Gulliver?)

-Mike