Titrating down from 400mg/d, diary

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Titrating down from 400mg/d, diary

Low,
Not sure why you don't consider yours a success story? It sounds pretty successful to me.

[Bruunhilde]

Titrating down from 400mg/d, diary

To C0fee,

I'm thinking the eating helped for one or two reasons -
1. hypoglycemia and the shot of al sugar shot the message to your brain that you need food
2. oral satisfaction of eating, satisfaction of chewing, etc. The comforts of food.

I am no expert, but isn't the bac side effect worse when you binge drink, so couldn't a little al impact you with Ses if you're on a really high dose like 400mg? Just wondering.

It is upsetting to think that at 400mg, you could have the strong cravings and also the side effects you describe. I'm so sorry you had to go through these things. Don't let it take the wind out of your sails, maybe you could lower your dose for a day or two to calm your body down? And jump back on board if your body calms down?

Also, I agree with Neva Eva (as usual), and others, that intentions and affirmations are important. I noticed you mentioned something about "but of course, this scenario would only happen to someone with my luck" and that says to me, you need to start a new speech to self in your head. Replace the negative voices saying you have sh*tty luck and you're are a worthless person or whatever else you have going on in there. Rest assured we all have this battle, even non alcoholics have lack of self worth as a major life challenge, worry and fear about the future, etc. One answer is to change the words you think, the sentences you say over and over in your mind and with your voice.

One of the things I did last new year was to stop berrating myself to others, which has helped me to berrate myself less to myself (silently). Try it! If you can do that even just a little, it's a start, and it means you CAN get to your goals. If in doubt, fake it til you make it, as they say!

:thumbs:

[Lowcountryman]

Titrating down from 400mg/d, diary

Thank you for sharing and posting!

COffee,

Thank you so much. This is exactly what I've been asking for a 'long' time on WMO. I recognize the doubts and fears.

I also read the stuff: "when you reach the switch, you'll know" or "If you have doubts wether you've reached the switch, then you haven't reached the switch'. Can be true, can also not be true. Nobody knows.

For me, there was no 'hallelujah-feeling' at all. I was willing to take Baclofen to the highest possible level that my body would allow me. But for me there was really no big difference between 300 mg/d and 400mg/d. Well, maybe I was even more out of my freaking mind. Thank to some mighty, I never had scary moments.

My advice is always: listen to your body. You did and you are reducing the Bac. I was always frightened by the fact that something instantly scary would happen because of the high dosage. As a performing guitarist/singer there was no way I could dance or move wildly acros the stage, knowing for sure that I would fall on the floor And that wouldn't be very much 'rock 'n roll', I guess

Neva,
Because I never had that "magical moment", I'm kind of afraid that I didn't achieve anything and this was a waste of time after all. So, that's what i meant that maybe it's not going to successtory after all.


Right now, I'm on 250 mg/d. Feeling very much, unbelievably much better than at 250 mg/d a month ago while I going up. Going up, 250mg/f felt like a concrete wall I was up against with my bare hands and head.
Going down, 250mg/d feels like I'm totally back in the saddle again. I guess everything is relative.

I feel strong and secure, not afraid for future alcohol abuse on my part. That feeling on it's own, is huge. I kind of 'know' I will not be victimized by this disease again. For me, when it's the 2nd of januari 2012 and I still feel this way, I must have reached the switch somewhere along the way.

I'm looking for long-term solutions here. If Bac is a long-term solution, then it must proove itself long-term. That is what re-wiring means to me.
These days, I'm better than ever, so in short-term, I can definitely say that it has already done some great things for me.

Most of the times I drank alone. Now I don't do that anymore. At social events it's very easy to take just one glass of wine. No need to rush home and 'finish' what you started Absolute no 'will-requirements' at all. It has actually nothing to do with strong will or weak will. So I'm not proud at all. It has everything to do with the normal decision-making proces. Thinking just a few hours further than now,now,now!.

[ignominous]

Titrating down from 400mg/d, diary

OK I think I'm on the same page now.

I also had no drum rolls but I inadvertently went AF for one night and decided to try it again for a second night...........and then a third. The fact I was able to do this told me I had hit the switch and wrote it down as 250mg on the 21st. That's what scientists do right they report the displayed results. I should add that I felt like a version of Dr Jekyll or Dr Frankenstein conducting a mad experiment on the way up!

Actually I know I hit it at 240mg or lower. The evening I didn't drink started before I had taken my full quota of 250. But as that was the dose I had decided to take for that day I call that my switch dose.

One night not drinking, I've done many times. Two nights consecutively, seldom. By the third night with ease, I was convinced that a major change had taken place in my psyche. Previously I would have been chomping at the bit to congratulate myself on some AF time by having a no limits drink!

To go out on a limb a little , I think that is possibly the main advantage of titrating uo slowly. It allows you to become familiar with what it feels like to no longer addicted to alcohol. Consequently one may find the switch level at a lower dose.

This lower dose is what I'm looking for now by tapering down. Its quite possible that I used a sledge hammer to push in a tack. For better or worse it worked and convinced a sceptic that Baclofen really works.

I am now down to 130mg and still no cravings though I do think about drinking and the pleasurable effects more. Interesting stuff this Bac!

So no brass band plays but for me after a few days I could say incontrovertibly that I had hit the switch. Though at what level remains to be seen.