Safety

[Guest]

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[tiptronic_ct]

Safety

Safe = taking medication responsibly. E.g. being aware of contra-indications w.r.t. other meds. Being in a position to anticipate possible SEs etc.

This principle applies to ANY medication - from aspirin to cough remedies...

Not to be rude, but I don't really get the point of your question.

[Persona]

Safety

Nothing is safe really.

Different people react to different combinations of circumstances in different ways.

The good thing about forums like these, is that we can read about the experiences of people in similar situations as us, and then consider the odds of our course of action having a desirable outcome.

[redhead77]

Safety

Baclofen is considered a safe drug. It is considere safe because there have been few reports in the literature of anyone losing life or having permanent disability from taking this drug. In other words, the side effects will not kill you (even though you may feel like they might).

I believe that there has not been one death directly attributed to balofen itself. Do not quote me on this, though. There have been deaths with baclofen withdrawal however. There have also been reports of seizures in people. Which appears to be one of the more dangerous side effects.

This more dangerous SE, can be greatly reduced by most of us by not mixing it with other drugs that may increase the seizure threshhold, i.e. Wellbutrin, effexor, and there was an anecdotal report of someone suffering status epilepticus when they received propofol for surgery. Propofol is used in oral and general surgery and is commonly used for sedation in patients on ventilators in the ICU.

Always, tell someone your on this if you ever need emergency sx. So, if you take the drug and don't mix it with another drug that could increase seizure risk it should be "safe". It's been used for decades with very few experiencing "major" side effects. Also, anyone who has ever had a seizure would really want to proceed cautiously with this drug.

It comes down to risk vs benefit. It you compare the side effects of alcohol abuse, dependence, alcoholism (whatever you want to call it), to baclofen, I will bet that baclofen is the safer route. Alcohol is a drug that is proven to KILL if abused long term. Or even short term if one drives on it. It causes major organ failure and affects nearly every organ in the body. Personally, there is not a question in my mind as to which of these drugs will be safer for me.

[Bruunhilde]

Safety

Hi UKB,

I've had the same thoughts, actually. The whole point of being here is to share our experiences and our hopes and worries; to learn from each other, and hopefully to support each other.

We all have a problem using alcohol responsibly. Thus, any other drug deserves scrutiny if added to our cocktail habit.

Side effects are confusing because bac, in particular, has some seemingly contrary side effects: somnolecence vs nervous energy/exercise benefit. Muscle relaxing (it eases my leg cramping) and fist clenching at the same time (I wake with my hands aching because I now clench a tight fist all night).

Safety - I'm always concerned about driving when I get up feeling woozy or worse on SEs, but I feel better behind the wheel than languishing in bed, because I focus and I feel in control. I think Lo0p was the one who said that being sedentary makes this SE worse, not better, and I agree.