Baclofen Ladies!

[fickle]

Hello all,

I noticed that some of the big guys here who drank a lot have great success stories and I found that so inspirational... but some women here are struggling with the baclofen. We seem to have worse SE's as well as other hormonal challenging things to deal with at the same time.

On another thread I asked for any ladies that have hit the switch to please check in and post a link to their 'story' or thread. After realising I'd hijacked the thread I decided to start this one and re-post the replies.

I personally have not had a good time with bac and have now stopped. But I thought this was worthy of debate!

Isolde;1055128 wrote: Fickle - here you go:
https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...n-2-46124.html

There's a lot more to it after the initial switch hit at 155mg (another one at 180mg recently, after thoughts of AL began to return around 110mg). It's kind of hit and miss, because abstinence was never my goal. There are days that I think about maybe having a glass of wine with dinner and dismiss it without a second thought. Times when I pour it, take a sip, and pour it down the drain. And other times (rarely) that I pour one and actually get all the way through it.
Quite frankly, this is where I want to be. It's even better than where I would have liked to be at the beginning!! I hope I can maintain it this time while titrating down. I'd really like to be able to settle at 80mg for a maintenance dose, but only time will tell.




I really wasn't drinking that much before bac. Between 2-4 drinks nightly (4 was more likely on the weekends, when I started earlier). It wasn't really affecting my life much, except for the occasional day I'd call out of work due to feeling like ass. So I don't know if I buy the different chemistry. And compared to some other women, I switched at a relatively low dose.
But you might have a point - it seems that if the men bite the bullet and push through, they seem to be hitting the switch w/out fail. And more of the women are struggling to switch even at very high doses.

Oh, just thought of another woman who hit the switch - Otter's wife!

There is hope, fickle! :l


anon;1055152 wrote: I am a female 130llbs drank a lot daily. Hit the switch at 50mgs but had been AF for a while perhaps 2 months.

I had desperate cravings but they are now under control but I still have to use the toolbox and am able to say no to booze more easily.

I love my life now except for my broken ribs!

SE sleepiness easily counteracted with Coffee.

I started baclofen in November and have not looked back:h

[Guest]

Baclofen Ladies!

This should be a good post. I've had trouble with general mood-swings since using Baclofen, as well as some serious water retention. This is only when in combination with alcohol however, and if I have some AF days these sides generally disappear.

Not sure if I've hit the switch or not, since I've had 4 days of not bothering about alcohol, but then again I've been like that 2 other times already this year and everytime the cravings reappeared. I've also got other tools in my arsenal too. So who knows?

[fickle]

Baclofen Ladies!

Hello UK,

Thanks for posting! What dose are you on at the moment? Do you have a thread you could post a link to?

I noticed I gained weight while on bac and a lot of the time felt like I had extremely high blood pressure. Along with the other side effects (SE's) that really freaked me out as my family has a strong history of death by heart attacks and strokes. Feeling strong pressure in my hands to the point of pain and add the shocks.. it was really frightening.

[Guest]

Baclofen Ladies!

I have my own thread but I'm afraid I've been all over the place. Currently on 80-100mg per day spread out across 4 doses. I'm trying to succeed on as low a dose as possible, using other tools I've picked up across the years of trying to combat this.

https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...fen-47354.html
https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...ead-47616.html

Oh and abstenance is my goal since alcohol really does nothing for me at all. Can't see the point in wasted empty kcals, money and not being able to drive!

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Baclofen Ladies!

Thanks so much for starting this, o feisty one.
I'm looking forward to hearing the stories and weighing in myself, but will have to keep this one brief.
I reached indifference 4 days ago, somewhere between 300mg/day and 340mg/day of bac. (That's not actually as scary as it sounds! Though I'm looking forward to managing the more onerous SEs.)
I'm a 41yo, 60k woman. I've been drinking alcoholically and daily since I was a teen. Not really much in the co morbidity conundrum, though I've had some professionals look very hard at finding one! ha!
Lots and lots of alcoholism on both sides of my family, going back at least 3 generations. Which may have some bearing on this discussion.
xo!
Karen

[seeking_serenity]

Baclofen Ladies!

Hi,

I too am a 60k (132 pound) female (NE and I have a ton of things in common). I have been taking bac since December 15th. I erased my back story in my initial posts, but I'll just say that I was drinking alcoholically from the time I started drinking at 14 or so. I was a daily drinker from my early 20s on, and by my late 30s I was drinking a case of beer a day (and often some vodka on top of that). I have been hospitalized due to alcohol overdoses and suicide attempts more times than I can count. I consider it a miracle that I am still here today (I had made it my goal to not survive the year 2007). I have lost so much over that time...my house, most of my friends, my profession, the trust and respect of pretty much everyone I know.

So when I "complain" about the Bac SEs, I'm really not complaining. I'm just putting them down here for documentation. The only SEs that have really bothered me at all are 1) dizziness/nausea, and 2) sleep disturbances, and even THOSE haven't been that bad. I have never had a day in which I've thought, "I can't do this." And the dizziness/nausea has never compared to the dizziness/nausea I felt every day when I was drinking heavily. When I was drinking 24 beers a day, I vomited all day and kept drinking because I knew the vomiting would stop eventually. THIS DOESN'T EVEN COMPARE!

I've always felt positive about bac, and I'm semi-patiently waiting for it to do its thing. I've lost my chronic anxiety...it is completely, effortlessly gone. I've gone from drinking 8 drinks/night when I started (and I was restraining myself even then) to drinking 4 or less/night on average. I'm not indifferent yet, but I often find myself forgetting to drink. And I'm usually in no hurry to start drinking when I get home. That's f'ing amazing to me!

Neva eva reached indifference because she kept taking the damn pills, and persevered despite serious doubts and scary SEs. I'm going to follow her lead, because I know indifference is right around the corner for me. All I want is to make it to where she is.

[anon]

Baclofen Ladies!

Been drinking since aged 17 and am now 64 It is a miracle I have lasted this long!

I was desperate to stop as I was drinking in secret for most of that time. I would share a bottle of wine with Mr Anon then sneak Gin/Vodka after in the kitchen and am still finding the evidence.

Started Bac in August but 10mgs made me so sleepy that I stopped taking them. About November I knew I had to do something about the cravings and Voila here I am on 50mgs sleepy but now sober:thanks:

[Bruunhilde]

Baclofen Ladies!

Thanks Fickle!

I'm 48, been drinking since high school, and became enough of an addiction by my mid-twenties that I forced myself to the gym every single night so I would miss most of the witching hour. However, a few work/personal things (bully boyfriend, bully boss) put me over the top when I was in my late 30's, and I was also introduced to Scotch as a way to go low carb, BIG MISTAKE. Since then, it's a rollercoaster ride and I'm officially out of control.

I had some success from Topa, but my hair (already thinning) fell out alot more, and I think it's also falling out from bac. However, my blood pressure shot up with the bac, which freaks me out because two grandparents died of stroke, one of heart disease, and by the way, herds of alkies in my family tree.

[SassyLassy]

Baclofen Ladies!

Hey, love this thread! Thanks for starting it.

I'm 47, probably 73 kilos (OMG!) and just started Bac on 2/3/11. Felt really odd on 2/5, almost like I was drunk, but have been OK since. Only on 10mg/day. I never drank much until a few years ago. But I have an "addiction" mind, food, chocolate, etc. I love my red wine, and share a bottle with Mr. Sassy and then have my own private stash in my dresser-how embarrassing. I'm guessing I have a bottle + most nights. Tried Topa, didn't do it for me. Hope this works!

[redhead77]

Baclofen Ladies!

Sheesh, I was thinking all you ladies are skinny!! Lucky girls. I'm not going to post my weight but I'll give you my dress size-12. I just turned 35 and from my first drink (which was my teens), I knew there was something wrong with me. I have tons of alkies in my family and my Mom died 2 years ago of alcoholism related causes. My brother is in his early 30's and has been in and out of AA for a decade. He is currently in, and thinks that this is all ridiculous by the way. I can't wait till it works for me, so I can tell him.

It has been in the last couple of years that I have really gotten bad. Prior to the birth of my daughter 2 years ago I was drinking 2 days a week but I always drank too much. After her birth, my drinking sky rocketed. I am drinking 1.5 even sometimes 2 bottles of wine most days of the week.

[Guest]

Baclofen Ladies!

I should add that I'm mid 30s, weight varies according to drinking(57-75kgs in 3-4 year cycles!) as it often goes hand-in-hand with binge eating.

Been drinking since 15 but only usual teenage daft things was having blackouts a couple of times a year by the time I was 17 1/2 during nights out. Dangerous binge drinking throughout my 20s but only drank daily as I approached 30, then it turned into longer and longer 'benders'. Tried everything, you name it I've done it in 7 years of trying to stop. Denial is the main culprit there. No alcoholism in my direct family, but some obsessive tendencies(very driven) and a few members don't drink. One for health/medication reasons, another because they don't like the effect it has on them(possibly recognising addictive nature). History of depression though.

[flasht75]

Baclofen Ladies!

I felt that I gained weight because of the bac as well and once I ran out I decided that I would try to go without it. Now that I'm back to drinking, I've decided to re-start the bac and am afraid of gaining weight but it is a small price to pay compared to continuing the drinking.

[Sunnyvalenting]

Baclofen Ladies!

58 year old female. 100% success on baclofen. had been drinking a quart of vodka/day on the days I could keep it down prior to the baclofen. What a relief. Great thread. No bad side effects. Sober for 13 months now.
S

[Sunnyvalenting]

Baclofen Ladies!

Weight went from 196 to 140 in past 8 months by exercise, diet and no booze. Didn't know to look for a switch. Just was finally able to not drink at all. I've had enough!
S

[fickle]

Baclofen Ladies!

Wow! Thank you everyone for your wonderful stories.

I am 43, should be 65k but am nearly 80k. I've stopped bac for now due to SE's and am having a little break, waiting to start again. Some stockpiling is necessary.

I think that during the periods where I was drinking, bac made me put on weight. However, during the period I was AF and on a diet with plenty of exercise it helped me lose weight. I guess the secret is to be as AF as you can, get your exercise and patiently titrate up. Oh and of course, focus on the diet and exercise while on bac so that you reap all the benefits and none of the nasties. Almost universally everyone says drinking on bac is a bit of a nightmare (among us ladies i think? - some of the big guys don't get those hangover blues)

I personally tried campral at one stage as well as bac - thought the bac would deal with the anxiety and the campral deal with the cravings - so i could avoid going too high on the bac. But I ended up with lots of tummy trouble from the campral so gave up.

Thanks for all the inspiration! Am so glad to have so many links and ways to consider going forward.

I think this time I will be going very slowly upward.