Baclofen V's Topiramate. Now totally confussed !

[byebyebridgetjones]

Hiya All,

I have been giving the MWO programme a red hot go for some time, but would like to see what the meds have to offer.

But which one ??????

I seem to have researched myself around in circles. I have narrowed down the meds to Topamax (Topiramate) and Baclofen.

Topamax appeals because I am a Roberta Jewel devotee, and would like to follow in the footsteps of the sage:H

But in the immortal words of Tiptronic, I will do whatever it takes.

Would you mind giving me your thoughts on the two preparations, and how they stack up ?

Oh and I also have 'generous curves' .....a little/extensive weight loss would be a desired side effect.

Bridget

[Sunnyvalenting]

Baclofen V's Topiramate. Now totally confussed !

Good question without an authoritative answer
Topirimate was better than placebo in clinical trials at reducing number of drinks and cravings. Baclofen was successful (as defined either by abstinence or decreased harmful drinking)l in 88 % of those who titrated up (single study) from 15 to 300 mg/day as compared to their prior intake.
I have a feeling, after being on bac and reading the stories on this site that ultimately bac is the more effective drug.Furthermore, since it is off patent, it is much less expensive than topa assuming you could convince your doc to use it.
You could try one and then switch to the other if the first didn't work. Are you going for abstinence or moderation?
Sunny
No hea

[Sunnyvalenting]

Baclofen V's Topiramate. Now totally confussed !

Exercise and diet help make your curves less generous. So does not drinking the empty calories of alcohol

[byebyebridgetjones]

Baclofen V's Topiramate. Now totally confussed !

Thanks for that Sunny.
Abstinence is the only way for me.
It's just a break from the cravings that I need.

[Seethepony]

Baclofen V's Topiramate. Now totally confussed !

It's just a break from the cravings that I need

Well, duh!

[Seethepony]

Baclofen V's Topiramate. Now totally confussed !

I mean to add, that's exactly what Baclofen does. You don't have to spend your entire day focussing on not drinking - the whole idea of drinking alcohol becomes as remote as the idea of learning Kurdish.

[Topsy-Turvy-Tracy]

Baclofen V's Topiramate. Now totally confussed !

Hi Bridget,

I?m a Jewel fan too, but she?s been supportive of any med that shows promise. One of the things I really respect about her is that she?s followed and written about all kinds of alternative methods and encourages people to find their own ?Way Out.? Topa is part of that program and has a reputation of suppressing appetite. I couldn?t tolerate the SE?s, which were quite significant in my case ? I was a walking zombie. It also has some physicological effects indicating a hormonal effect, which spooked me. Topa also reduces the effectiveness of oral birth control, so that?s something to think about if it pertains to you. I also never got AF on topa, but a lot of people have.

The baclofen seems to have significantly decreased anxiety in my case. I?m on a relatively low dose of 60 mg and will up to 70 this weekend. I have to eat while on bac or it messes with my stomach. It does already reduce cravings, for just about anything you could mention (sweets, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine). I used to drink close to two gallons of iced tea a day when not drinking and not on baclofen. Now, I can?t even manage half that amount. A lot of people complain of feeling dehydrated at higher doses, and I wonder if it is because something about the med reduces thirst. A coworker left three pieces of chocolate on my desk yesterday, and there was nothing tempting about it. I gave the candy to another coworker. I?m sleeping way better, but upon going to sleep and first waking up, I can feel that my sleep apnea is worse, and baclofen is known for suppressing respiration. I am going to look into getting a CPAP rather than giving up the baclofen. At higher doses, some people suffer insomnia and increased in anxiety, but feelings of somnolence seem to be the hardest thing to overcome.

The downside of bac is that it seems more dangerous than topa. I?ve never seen, from people taking topa, the kinds of accounts bac OD and withdrawal that are frequent occurrences here, but I?ve never seen people on topa attempt wild fluctuations in dosage either. I don?t know whether topa is capable of producing like effects. Since we?re all pretty much stuck with taking baclofen orally, the chances of having to at some point suddenly go off it are pretty good ? a stomach bug would be all it would take. Bac withdrawal seems more dangerous than bac overdose and can include hallucinations (auditory, visual, tactile), agitation/aggression, delirium, fluctuation of consciousness, insomnia, memory impairments, anxiety, psychosis, mania, tachycardia, seizures, and coma. On rare occasions people have died from withdrawal but I think that has been people on intrathecal baclofen.

It?s doing enough good things for me right now that I?m willing to risk it. I don?t imagine I will ever be willing to go on a very high dosage though. At this point, the baclofen is making it fairly easy to resist alcohol, so the cravings still exist, but they?ve been disempowered by the baclofen. I just don?t feel wound as tight as I used to be, so don?t feel desperate for relief from tension. If nothing changes, I?d rather stay under 100 or in the low 100s and work at not drinking, than go after the ?switch? because it sounds pretty miserable, and I?m a wuss, and I don?t want to go there. :upset:

Someone posted a study yesterday or the day before about bac helping people lose weight, but the effect was minimal. I will say that food in general doesn?t seem as tasty or appealing as it used to (I think my taste buds are affected somehow). I pretty much eat only to quash hunger. I look forward to making these great meals, cook them up and then I?m just kind of ?eh, whatever,? while eating. I just went and weighed myself though (I used to be compulsive about weighing myself, so I?m going to count that as another little obsession that I lost along the way), and I?ve dropped three pounds in the last month. That?s minimal enough that it could be just meaningless fluctuation.

Here?s the strangest part for me. I have a pretty fertile imagination and have always whipped up fantasies and daydreams right after waking and during the day. I just stopped doing that, out of the blue. I don?t know whether that?s because of the reduction in anxiety (I feel no need to escape reality) or due to some other cause. I have a novel that probably never going to get done, but I think I?ll yank it out this weekend and see if the imagination is still there and just behaving itself, or if it really has been quashed by the baclofen. That would be sad.

[Isolde]

Baclofen V's Topiramate. Now totally confussed !

Having been on both meds, I am going to recommend bac all the way. On Topa, I noticed that it was initially easier to say no to AL. But it still took a significant amout of willpower. It didn't take long before I was drinking nightly again. The one good thing I can say about Topa is that I felt the effects of AL more intensely, so I ended up drinking less. But I was still drinking. I had also hoped to drop a few pounds on Topa, but my weight didn't budge at all. And the side effects were pretty unbearable. I felt like an absolute moron the majority of the time, and my hand eye coordination skills turned to crap. At higher doses, I suffered with pretty severe depression. It was crippling. I started to titrate down shortly after that and immediately began feeling better. I was SO happy to get off of that drug.

Bac has been pretty wonderful for me so far. Shortly before beginning to read up on bac, I had made the connection that I drink mostly to quell my anxiety. So it's been great for me because it helps immensely with the anxiety. It's also lifted the constant depression and complete lack of energy that I had been dealing with for quite some time. I feel hope in my life again. While I haven't lost weight yet, I have noticed that bac has begun helping with my food cravings, and overall I have been eating less. I'm ready to start working out again, and I'm hopeful that the increased strength and endurance that others have experienced while working out on bac will happen for me too.
The side effects have been tolerable for me. More teeth clenching at night (which I've always done, just has gotten worse with bac). So I'll start wearing my mouth guard again, no big deal. On higher doses I feel dehydrated and congested, despite drinking tons of water. Also tolerable. When I increase the dose or take 2 doses close together, I can sometimes feel kinda out of it. A little off kilter and like my brain is buzzing. It can be a little bit uncomfortable, but it doesn't last long and is fine once I'm used to the dose. I am getting a deeper sleep than I've ever had and actually wake up feeling refreshed, which never used to happen. The daytime somnolence only happens for me a day or two after I increase the dose, and then subsides.
Though I haven't hit the switch yet, I find that it's pretty easy to be AF when I decide I want to be. And I also drink less because bac intensifies the effects of AL for me. Luckily I haven't had the hellish hangovers on it that some others have experienced.

For me, bac is a no brainer. But from years of reading on these forums, it seems like bac works better for people overall. The vibe I've gotten is that people who take the Topa route are still mostly white knuckling it (as I was). But that being AF on bac becomes virtually effortless eventually. I've seen a lot more bac success stories than topa success stories.

I really can't recommend bac highly enough.

[I-want-to-be-sober]

Baclofen V's Topiramate. Now totally confussed !

I have also been on Topamax and Baclofen. While personally I didn't have disturbing side effects on Topamax, many people get them. 300mg Topiramate / day is quite a dose. I would suggest you go for the Baclofen.

[sunshinedaisies]

Baclofen V's Topiramate. Now totally confussed !

Hi Byebye - I have been using the Topa - read our thread here "new here and starting Topa" - lots of people there have just started topa so can answer lots of your questions. Also lots of Bac takers here in this section. For me the Topa was easier - just pop the tab twice a day - it did work for 8 months then then I stopped taking it too soon and started drinking again so am almost there again! I am lucky in that don't get the SE's some folks get with the Topa - there are many SE's with both - some folk try one and then switch and see if either work - which ever you choose - I wish you well on your journey!

hugs to you, Sunshinedaisies xx

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Baclofen V's Topiramate. Now totally confussed !

I have really bad side effects from bac. All of them. Everything tastes bitter. My hands shake uncontrollably for a little while. I'm dizzy. A lot. Anxiety through the roof, sleepiness and trouble concentrating. To name a few. (All new, all more evident shortly after I take a pill.)
I think I'm in the minority. However, I have had every reasonable test taken over the past few months and nothing shows up abnormal. With a notable exception. I have a very small benign pituitary adenoma. (tumor) Apparently not that uncommon. I don't know what that means, exactly, but have been assured that it should not interfere with the medication. Except maybe it is?
That said, I'll weigh in with this: I want to be freed so I'm taking bac. And will continue to do so because I have titrated down before and that was pretty lousy, too. And chronic drunkenness is not a very viable option. But bac is no walk in the park, with notable exceptions. At the moment it has serious, negative effects on my day to day life. More so than my evening ritual. I can only hope that the consequences are short lived, 'cause the alternative is certain long term misery. If I had a do-over I would start with something else, though I believe in the science behind baclofen as cure.
Good luck BBBJ!

[Topsy-Turvy-Tracy]

Baclofen V's Topiramate. Now totally confussed !

Neva, I'm wondering if the adenoma alone couldn't be causing some of that (like the dizziness).

I agree, bac is no walk in the park.

[Dreams2thrive]

Baclofen V's Topiramate. Now totally confussed !

I've only tried Topamax and for me it works! I am going on my 3rd week and I couldn't be more happy with the results. For the past 6 days I was totally AF. I went out to dinner last night and I WANTED to drink because I was out. I had a glass of wine. The other person I was with ordered a 2nd for me, and I couldn't drink it. I tried very hard to, because I didn't want to waste it (stupid huh) but I just couldn't. It didn't appeal to me at all.

I guess for some it doesn't work. All I can say is I am SO GRATEFUL that it works for me. Truly a lifesaver.

[sapphire1]

Baclofen V's Topiramate. Now totally confussed !

Gday Bridgepoo,

You know what I was like on the topamax....bombed out of my skull! I also developed a cognitive deficit that wouldnt go away with time......word re-call problems, short term memory shot to bits.....and writing became impossible.....I felt intoxicated without having a drink. It did quash cravings for me very quickly though and can see that for some people this would be a very effective drug...just not moi. I am not on anything pharmaceutical at the moment, although i do have a bottle of antabuse sitting in my cupboard just in case the cravings rear up and get too uncomfortable. I take vitamin B3 and fairly large doses of vitamin C as well as G.A.B.A. and other supps. You might like to look up B3 and its implication with helping break the addiction cycle. Dr. Abram Hoffer and others have done a lot of pioneering work in the field of Orthomolecular medicine (mostly ignored by the powers to be with vested interests in making mega bucks ). I am reading a book callled 'The VItamin Cure for Alcoholism" by Dr. Hoffer and other emminent scientists...really opens your eyes to the help that is out there, that we are just not getting access to.

[byebyebridgetjones]

Baclofen V's Topiramate. Now totally confussed !

I cannot thank you all enough for taking the time to respond. You've given me a lot to think about and look into. Invaluable.

I have had long periods of AF-dom in my time here. I am not planning on drinking any time soon either.

But for the love of all that is holy !!!!!

Do you know what I remind myself of ??

Remember when your kids were 2 years old and you used to go to the local shopping centre ?
And there, strategically placed, was one of those mechanical rides that you put a dollar into, it jiggles the child's grey matter around for a bit ? They love 'em.

Remember the fights and TANTRUMS one would have to endure
as the child spotted said horse/racing car/ Thomas rip off ?

That's what it's like. I am SICK of dealing with my inner 2 year old and I want a break.:H

'No Bridget, you can't have the wine, Mummy hasn't got any change'

'No Bridget, you can't have the Vodka either, we don't want to let Evil Bridget out of the box'

Anyway, I'm glad to see you all sorting out what works for you.

Bridget.