Booktree on Baclofen

[Booktree]

Booktree on Baclofen

Yes-- I went from trying to see who I could avoid talking to next to wondering who I could talk to next! A profound change for this total introvert and semi-hermit.

I know it seems kind of early to be reporting such a distinct change... but it really surprised the heck out of me. And, yeah, I don't think I was even aware I was experiencing so much anxiety, or perhaps it was being masked as irritation, inability to concentrate, or boredom or something?

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Booktree on Baclofen

booktree,
I think I was a little flippant on the other thread about the fact that someone said you, "have issues." I still think that's funny, since we all do. Never met anyone in the rooms of a church basement that didn't have any, either, ftr. But sorry about my response, if it wasn't a time to be laughing.

I'm sorry about the ex. What low said. It amazes me how awful we can be to one another, about this disease, especially when we suffer from it. I'm glad she found a way out. Still, AA didn't work for me, and the prognosis for relapse is not good in the 12 step program. I'm grateful that I found this place. And bac. You won't regret it, is my bet.

The ride might be a little less tumultuous since you've got abstinence and have a bunch of tools at the ready. Among the things you might not want to carry with you from the rooms is the fact that this is your 'fault' or that you are morally, ethically or spiritually compromised in some way. We all know that's bull sh*. I know some seriously compromised, very sober people. How about you?

and a belated

:welcome:

[Booktree]

Booktree on Baclofen

Hi Neva,

Thanks for the welcome and the support!

I wasn't sure which other thread you were referring to... ? (I'm not surprised if someone said I have issues, though... :agreed

"I know some seriously compromised, very sober people."

Um, I couldn't agree more. I have known some quite miserable, unhappy people in the rooms, with craploads of sober time. One thing I've learned is that it's not really the length of time you have sober that means you are "in recovery" and healthy in any way, shape, or form... And yet, it is precisely those "Old-Timers" who seem to be the first to judge, cold-shoulder, or take the inventory of someone who relapses. And yet that relapser actually might be working a better program than the "Old-Timer" who thinks he's got it all figured out and wrapped up in a tidy little dogmatic box.

Actually, the way I found the MWO site in the first place was I was spending an awful lot of time on the "Stinkin' Thinkin" website... don't know if you've ever come across it, but I found it very refreshing.

[coalfire]

Booktree on Baclofen

My doctor, to his everlasting credit, just sort of closed his eyes and wrote the script.

Sorry I have no advice cos Im not on Bac. I just wanted to say Bleep-that gave me a good laugh.

[taw]

Booktree on Baclofen

Welcome Book!!

Glad you are having such a good and positive start with Bac! Keep us posted!

[Sunnyvalenting]

Booktree on Baclofen

Book,
I am impressed by your commitment to abstinence and congratulate you for it. I believe that the baclofen is a very good choice for you in light of your previous sincere but failed attempts. It is similar to my story. With baclofen I responded well even to very low doses and was finally able to maintain abstinence which had eluded me for years. I can relate to the appetite. I had a very big appetite especially early on when I first sobered up. I believe it may be that many of us have significant nutritional deficits and that some of our food cravings may stem from our body trying to increase our intake while we can finally absorb some of the nutrients! It could also be a direct pharmacologic effect as well
I allowed that appetite its will for about 5 months while I focused on being abstinent. Then I went on a great diet and exercise program which I am continuing to this day.
AA was not helpful to me. But I did learn some tools there. but I believe some people do benefit from the social support but your ex GF cannot help you right now. She is too into the AA model to understand the concept of this addiction being neurologically based. The people on this forum and particularly the ones on the medicine parts are very good resources.
All the best,
Sunny

[Isolde]

Booktree on Baclofen

Hey Book, just wanted to finally jump into your thread here and say :welcome:!

The social anxiety, introvertedness and near hermitude sound SO much like me!! I've also been noticing an amazing change in all of those things since starting bac. I actually talk to my coworkers now! And sometimes perfect strangers! One odd side effect of this is that I've gotten completely NOT shy about returning things to the store if I decide I don't want them, or speaking up when I've been overcharged. Sounds so small and simple, but before bac, I just couldn't be bothered to deal with all of that. I'm so glad that bac helps with the social anxiety and the other things. Many of those reasons is why I was drinking in the first place!!

Glad you're experiencing these positive SEs at such low doses. Look forward to hearing more about your journey!

[Otter]

Booktree on Baclofen

Hi Book

Make sure that the dosage remains constant and consistent throughout the day so you have a slow drip feed to your brain. When you wake up in the night, take a bit and take a bit of an extra dose in the evening just before bed and two doses in the morning.

The important thing is to keep the side effects at bay as well as the cravings and take it very gently going up 10 mg total daily dose every 3 days or so. It is like drinking alcohol but without the cravings. It calms the brain but does not give you euphoria. Imagine sipping alcohol every couple of hours so you feel calm but don't get drunk. If you take a big swig or a large dose of bac you get drunk or have side effects. Then when it wears off you get withdrawal so you might find yourself reaching for a bottle if the craving is too big. So avoid the rollercoaster of big doses. You need to get up to 20 mg every couple of hours or 30 mg every 4 hours. Keep it like clockwork. Bac can be a very rocky road but it does work.

Also avoid stress.

[Booktree]

Booktree on Baclofen

Sunny, thanks so much for your kind words. That is cool that you also had a good response to a low dose. Yeah, I'm kind of letting the appetite thing work out however it does. I hate having to eat more than a couple times a day and fear the inevitable weight gain, but it certainly is preferable to losing my job, etc., over another relapse! I am glad you understand about AA. I also have learned some helpful things from the program and do appreciate the support, and I know the people (even the diehards) mean well, but after 5 years of putting my all into it, and seeing so many others try and relapse even harder than when they went in, some of them dying or ending up in prison, etc., and recently learning their success rate is maybe at around 5%, I finally decided to try another route.

Isolde--thanks for saying you can relate to the introversion thing... and the amazing relief brought about due to Bac. That is very cool that you are no longer feeling shy about returning things and advocating for yourself in situations like that--I too tend to avoid dealing with salespeople or standing up for myself if I'm being taken advantage of or something's just not quite right.

Otter, those are good suggestions about the dosages. I haven't been taking it at night at all, but perhaps I should try that too. I agree about the effect being very calming to the brain but without euphoria (which I am grateful for, because I know I would then be tempted to abuse it--I'm so glad it doesn't have any "recreational potential" (as they say in the drug forums) in that sense).

I also wanted to tell you all that I mentioned OA's book to my mother about a week ago and she went ahead and ordered herself a copy, read it last week, and was totally into it! She was so impressed with his story and is completely on board about me taking the Bac.

[bleep]

Booktree on Baclofen

Booktree, you still with us?

[Booktree]

Booktree on Baclofen

Hi Bleep,

Thanks for checking in. I have been quiet lately, mainly just reading other people's posts. I have been staying at just 30mg a day and struggling with the appetite issue. When I discussed this with my psychiatrist, he wrote me a script for Cymbalta (a dual reuptake inhibitor that is supposed to be similar to Prozac and Strattera, two meds which I did well on before). I have taken that for 3 days, which totally reduced my appetite back to normal, but now I am having terrible side effects from it (insomnia, digestive upset, panic attacks), so I am going to see about getting off of it, but I read online that people tend to have a terrible time getting off of it, so now I am scared. I was up all night last night--literally did not sleep more than one hour, with severe panic attacks and running to the bathroom every half hour. I am not a happy camper right now, and I have to go in to work to teach a couple of classes this morning. (Wish me luck!)

I want so badly to keep taking the bac, but I cannot deal with the outrageous appetite issue. So I thought I'd just lay low for a while and see if my dr. and I can sort this out somehow.

I also am afraid to titrate up on the bac because it does (even at this low dose) seem to make me feel a bit dopey. I went out with a friend for coffee Friday night (he is my best friend) and he told me I seemed "high" or really out of it or just "not myself" on the bac. I'm afraid that people at work will think I'm back to using and drinking if I appear this way at work, you know? I feel like I am already being watched... any slip-up or odd behavior now could cost me my job.

[bleep]

Booktree on Baclofen

A lot of people find that different side effects come and go at various levels. Maybe try pushing past 30mg's over the weekend, where it doesn't matter so much if you look a bit goofy. If you don't see any results by late Saturday, come back down. That alone may make you more able to tolerate your current dose better.

I can't really help with the sleep issues, but a lot of people here have had them, and someone may have some good advice.

Good luck.

[RedThread12]

Booktree on Baclofen

Booktree: RUN, don't walk, to the nearest healthfood/supplement store you can find and buy a BIG tub of powdered l-glutamine. Take loads - up to 20 grams/day. I take about 10 grams in the morning and another 10 grams in the early afternoon. Actually, I'm probably taking more because I don't measure, I just heap whatever spoon is handy. I was taking it with plain water - it has not taste, just a little grainy; now I take it with ReCharge or one of the vitamin water products that have electrolytes because after over a year of taking baclofen my cranio-sacral therapist noticed that my kidneys needed a boost.

6 weeks after starting baclofen I weighed more than I ever had in my life. The l-glutamine immediately stabilized my blood sugar. I never dieted, I just started skipping meals here and there and not eating as much or as often. Over the past year I have returned to my high school weight. That's, oh . . . about 40 lbs. that just disappeared.

I started l-glutamine for all of these reasons: https://www.mywayout.org/community/f6...ine-37269.html

But I really have nothing else to attribute the weight loss to. For a time, when I wanted to continue losing weight, whenever I began to get hungry I'd dump a spoonful in water and poof! hunger gone. My D.O., who knows I'm doing the baclofen and l-glutamine, is a professional body-builder. She says I could be taking much more and it would be perfectly safe. In fact, her words were, "you can take it until you start to smell like ammonia." The suggested amounts are not nearly enough.

Also - there's lots of info in the holistic health threads about amino acids and supplements. It's worth a lengthy read. I found a combination that let me quit taking an anti-depressant that I had been on for years. All the best!!!

[beatle]

Booktree on Baclofen

I've always been a total l-glut fan (you can do a search to see how much I have plugged it over the past 3-4 years (yikes).

RT, you said most of it, and in good, strong language. I agree completely with all you said.

It's especially important to note that, as RT says, you can (and should) take WAY more than whatever is recommended. (I would say 15-20g/day, spread out in 3 doses).

It tastes just fine to me, almost no taste, a little sweet.

Loads of benefits. Cheap. No downsides I know of.

But should be taken on an empty stomach with other aminos and a little juice.

Go ahead and run, then. Or drive (if you are sober, of course).

[Booktree]

Booktree on Baclofen

Wow, thanks guys for the crucial tip about l-glut. I remember having read about it here somewhere, and I even made a note of it in my Baclofen file, but I forgot about it and didn't realize it would help with the appetite/low blood sugar problems I've been having. Yay! This gives me hope that I can continue with the bac without becoming a balloon! (Or having to take a scary medication as Cymbalta has turned out to be...)

You people are wonderful, so supportive, knowledgeable, and helpful. :thanks:

Now, if I can just get some sleep tonight, all will be well.

P.S. I made it through my two classes this morning--how, I do not know. I was so dizzy and delirious I hardly knew what words were coming out of my mouth, but I kept saying them anyway... and it turned out okay.

P.P.S. I just wanted to note, for anyone reading this who is new to bac--the side effects I spoke of in my previous post (insomnia, panic attacks, digestive upset) were SOLELY a result of the Cymbalta-- not the bac.