Hi, just posting my own personal Bac experience as prompted in another thread. I had a good 10 years of drinking under my belt, and was a very functional alcoholic, able to hold down a demanding job, family and relationships and was a pleasent drunk, rather than abusive, probably why I got away with it for so long. I still lifted weights, exercised and was able to hide it from close friends. But I had come to the realization that alcohol ultimately was wrecking my life, health and with our first child newly born, it was time for it to go.
Anyway I discovered this site one hung over morning and saw quite a few posts about Baclofen and decided to do a bit of reading on it, in particular Olivier Ameisen's experience which really brought things home. I had no problems getting a prescription (friends and family in the field) and set about slowly titrating up.
In the first couple of weeks, I did notice a few sides, mostly sleepiness, but nothing that remotely compared to the sides that alcohol gave me. I also almost immediately noticed that it had an immediate impact on my obsessive thinking about alcohol, I still wanted to drink, but I could now think rationally about it, rather than being completely and utterly compelled by the very thought of it . As a result my drinking went from 5-6 days a week, down to 2-3, the amounts didn't really change, as once I start I drink to get drunk and that's that, but it was a start.
As I dosed higher, ie 100 or so, I still had the same desire to drink, but I was able to control it on days I would typically drink by dosing up higher, hitting 150-180 or so on those days, while giving in on others when I didn't think any dose would be strong enough. This further cut my intake down, probably to what would be considered a normal amount for an adult, although taken in a binge, rather than spaced out.
I hadn't really thought much about the 'switch' and was a bit skeptical if it even existed, until one day while trying to resist what would be a guaranteed drinking day, I dosed up higher than ever before, going from around a 150 maintenance right up to 300 throughout the day with a last dose at 7pm. The only side I had was falling asleep on the couch about an hour later and snoring extremely loudly (the muscle relaxant effect on the throat muscles). And over the following week I discovered I was completely and utterly indifferent to alcohol. No longer had urges, no longer had triggers and I could rationally replace alcohol as a reward in the evening with a nice meal, movie and decent nights sleep.
Shortly thereafter had my first ever week in over 10 years alcohol free and soon it will be a month. I still know if I drink I will drink to excess and the greatest freedom is being able to recognize that, see the harm it does on the body and mind and treat it like any other poison and see that what it gives is only temporary, while what it takes is permanent.
I'm still on a low dose of Bac, around 40-60, because part of what made me drink to excess was my obsessive thinking and anxiety about issues that are very small in the scheme of things, but my mind would blow them up into something overwhelming by dwelling and obsessing about them, whereas on Bac I can view them rationally and see them for what they are.
I'm not sure if it will work for everyone, but certainly for those with a mindset of mine it does work wonders and not just in relation to alcohol.
Anyway I discovered this site one hung over morning and saw quite a few posts about Baclofen and decided to do a bit of reading on it, in particular Olivier Ameisen's experience which really brought things home. I had no problems getting a prescription (friends and family in the field) and set about slowly titrating up.
In the first couple of weeks, I did notice a few sides, mostly sleepiness, but nothing that remotely compared to the sides that alcohol gave me. I also almost immediately noticed that it had an immediate impact on my obsessive thinking about alcohol, I still wanted to drink, but I could now think rationally about it, rather than being completely and utterly compelled by the very thought of it . As a result my drinking went from 5-6 days a week, down to 2-3, the amounts didn't really change, as once I start I drink to get drunk and that's that, but it was a start.
As I dosed higher, ie 100 or so, I still had the same desire to drink, but I was able to control it on days I would typically drink by dosing up higher, hitting 150-180 or so on those days, while giving in on others when I didn't think any dose would be strong enough. This further cut my intake down, probably to what would be considered a normal amount for an adult, although taken in a binge, rather than spaced out.
I hadn't really thought much about the 'switch' and was a bit skeptical if it even existed, until one day while trying to resist what would be a guaranteed drinking day, I dosed up higher than ever before, going from around a 150 maintenance right up to 300 throughout the day with a last dose at 7pm. The only side I had was falling asleep on the couch about an hour later and snoring extremely loudly (the muscle relaxant effect on the throat muscles). And over the following week I discovered I was completely and utterly indifferent to alcohol. No longer had urges, no longer had triggers and I could rationally replace alcohol as a reward in the evening with a nice meal, movie and decent nights sleep.
Shortly thereafter had my first ever week in over 10 years alcohol free and soon it will be a month. I still know if I drink I will drink to excess and the greatest freedom is being able to recognize that, see the harm it does on the body and mind and treat it like any other poison and see that what it gives is only temporary, while what it takes is permanent.
I'm still on a low dose of Bac, around 40-60, because part of what made me drink to excess was my obsessive thinking and anxiety about issues that are very small in the scheme of things, but my mind would blow them up into something overwhelming by dwelling and obsessing about them, whereas on Bac I can view them rationally and see them for what they are.
I'm not sure if it will work for everyone, but certainly for those with a mindset of mine it does work wonders and not just in relation to alcohol.
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