Fast Titration Schedule

[I-want-to-be-sober]

As I tolerate Baclofen really well I will use the following very fast titration schedule this time:

Day 1: 25-25-25 = 75mg
Day 2: 50-50-50 = 150mg
Day 3: 75-75-75 = 225mg
Day 4: 100-100-100 = 300mg
Day 5: 125-125-125 = 375mg =~ 4mg/kg

When I (hopefully) hit the switch @ 375mg how long should I probably stay at that dose before tapering down?

[moglor]

Fast Titration Schedule

I was going to write a big warning post on taking this too fast, but then I see you are the person who has some kind of tolerance to GABA-B drugs. It makes me wonder (as I am sure it does for you too) if baclofen will even work on you. In your previous attempts, did you experience any modulation of drinking behavior?

Are you planning abstinence during your titration? From an experimental perspective, you could try backing off the switch dose until cravings return. I tried this, though, and it didn't work so well for me. :-) If you're highly tolerant of the drug, your maintenance dose may be quite high.

[guardian]

Fast Titration Schedule

I'd bet the mechanism by which baclofen causes side-effects and the mechanism by which it treats alcoholism are different. Whether or not baclofen works for someone probably has more to do with their genetics and reward pathway function.

OP, when my urge to drink was considerably blunted but not completely gone, I held at that dose. Eventually I worked out to be enough for most days. Weekends, I take an extra 50 mgs.

I like Moglor's idea of eventually starting to back off until cravings return then adjust from there. You could stay at that dose, find a few new hobbies you fall in love with, and then try again. I'm actually not taking any baclofen at all on days I know I won't or can't drink. The neurological changes almost certainly last longer than the life of baclofen in the body, in my experience, days. Tolerance doesn't seem to develop with baclofen, but if it's all the same I'd rather take planned breaks. I skipped a day or two a week when I was drinking so this works for me.

[ignominous]

Fast Titration Schedule

Looked at this post several times and wondered wtf I can contribute. So, not being flippant and in keeping with the spirit of your quandary I say:

At this speed not too much point in titrateing up. Your going to hit your switch (or maybe you wont) presumably at a lower dose than 375.

I say for damage control that you concentrate on tapering down

Start at 375 and the next day reduce the dose

[Sunnyvalenting]

Fast Titration Schedule

What makes you believe your switch is at 375?

[I-want-to-be-sober]

Fast Titration Schedule

That's just a guess. I didn't drink less @ 225mg (2,4mg/kg) so I think / hope my switch dose will between 3-5 mg/kg and 375mg = 4mg/kg is in the middle.

Moglor's idea sounds reasonable, thanks.

[ignominous]

Fast Titration Schedule

Thoughtful.

[I-want-to-be-sober]

Fast Titration Schedule

I have decided to take it a bit slower. Today I start with 50-50-50 for one week, then move to 75-75-75 and probably move further at this rate. I'm still on 4mg Xanax a day and altough it doesn't potentiate Baclofen (because it acts on GABA-A and not GABA-B) it has an additive effect. Maybe Bac helps me withdraw from the Benzo with less discomfort...

[Scuba]

Fast Titration Schedule

Are you sure your supply of BAC was genuine?

[I-want-to-be-sober]

Fast Titration Schedule

It's prescribed and I got it from the local pharmacy (brand Lioresal).

[Sunnyvalenting]

Fast Titration Schedule

I am no pharmacist, but I do know the protocols for withdrawal from alcohol are EITHER benzos or baclofen not both. So be careful! Also on that much xanax go down very slowly as well. While baclofen isn't likely to cause addictive use the xanax can. I, myself, would slowly taper that one over several weeks while slowly increasing on the bac and meanwhile try to be abstinent w respect to the alcohol.
Best of luck. What a pickle this can become.
Sunny

[moglor]

Fast Titration Schedule

Yeah, I was wondering about the multi-drug cocktail as well. This may play a role in "tolerance," as some other folks in other threads have noted the complete inactivation of baclofen by certain types of antidepressants.

If it was me, I'd be very wary of mixing baclofen into an already full pharmacological plate, especially when benzos and something as powerful as Xanax were involved. I agree with Sunny's suggestion about tapering off the others. It took me weeks of research before I was comfortable mixing baclofen and bupropion.

-Moglor

[I-want-to-be-sober]

Fast Titration Schedule

Thank you for your warnings. At the moment I'm doing perfectly fine with Xanax 4mg / day and Lioresal 150mg / day. I don't feel significantly increased drowsiness, probably because I am tolerant to the effects of the benzodiazepine and because the effects of both drugs don't potentiate each other as alprazolam acts on GABA-A while Baclofen works just on GABA-B. I'm a binge dringer and have not been physically dependent on alcohol so there were no withdrawal symptoms. I'm AL free since 7 days now.

[Sunnyvalenting]

Fast Titration Schedule

Congratulations on your week of abstinence.
Sunny

[I-want-to-be-sober]

Fast Titration Schedule

I'm on 200mg Baclofen now.