Sweet success! (with baclofen)

[LadyLush]

Sweet success! (with baclofen)

Tip,

I am happy. I needed that to start my day. It is 6 a.m. here and I started my first dose
I haven't been sober this long in more than 10 years.
We need posts like this to keep us going. What an inspiration!

Thanks so much from the bottom of my heart!

LL:l

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Sweet success! (with baclofen)

tiptronic_ct;1132788 wrote: Happy now, NE?

Very! Thank you.

:l

[bleep]

Sweet success! (with baclofen)

Thanks for that Tip. A great post to read, and one that must surely shine out to others in the same situation you were in 2 years back.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Sweet success! (with baclofen)

Some new newly indifferent folks are sorely lacking in spreading the love. ahem.
I can be a bit of a pain. ask Tip.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Sweet success! (with baclofen)

Ed, my husband, started taking baclofen in mid-April. He titrated up slowly and reached indifference at 280mg of bac on July 6th. Without much fanfare, I should add! Poor guy.
He just didn't feel like drinking, apparently, and hadn't really enjoyed more than the first one for a while. He was a little abashed when he told me that sometimes he felt like he was forcing it. :H

Two daily drunks in the same house, completely different bac experiences, two completely different times, same exact result.

High dose baclofen treatment isn't just responsible for our sobriety, it's the key component to why we are still married, and finally happy about it!

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Sweet success! (with baclofen)

PhotoMan;1139340 wrote: Hello All,

I posted my Baclofen chronicles at the 1 year sobriety mark. As an early Baclofen adopter, Ne sent me a PM asking me for an update. This is my response (with a few changes as more stuff popped into my head). I thought it might benefit all.

Hello Neva,

I'm somewhere around 1 year, 8 months and doing well. I started taking Baclofen about 2 years ago. After doing my research I decided on the quick titration schedule as recommended by one of the members. This turned out to be a big mistake, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Many people flame out on side effects (which I did), and some quit altogether as a result. The gradual method was much better. I stabilized at 150 and have stayed there since Nov., 2009, sober all the way.

You seem like a pretty open minded person from your postings so, as an early adopter, I'll go ahead and give you my opinions on Baclofen and the forum. Feel free to completely disregard whatever elements that don't resonate.

To me, "complete indifference" implies that one rarely thinks about something, and when they do, it is only a passing thought without any emotional impact. I doubt I will ever be "completely indifferent" to alcohol. That doesn't mean I want to drink, I don't. But I'm sure I think about alcohol more often than someone with complete indifference, and I probably always will. That's ok though because it keeps me vigilant. There is a willpower component to all this, which is why I think the whole idea of the mythical "switch" is counterproductive. Keep drinking heavily, do nothing else, take pills, and "voila", be perfectly normal. Typical "quick fix" alcoholic thinking. Even with Baclofen you need a plan along with the discipline to execute it, especially in the beginning. The good news is it gets a lot easier as time passes.

I have a science background so I was pretty skeptical about Dr Ameisen's claims. Sounded a bit like Cold Fusion. I honestly never believed that I would one day wake up a non alcoholic. In retrospect, I think my doubts helped me because I took additional steps to secure my success. I still shutter every time I read the comments of raging alcoholics who want to take Baclofen so they can become moderate drinkers. I firmly believe these folks haven't come to grips with their disease. I wanted no part of moderation. I wanted to quit. Twenty+ years of 8-12 drinks per night was quite enough, so I immediately began taking Antabuse (and still do). Without it, I wouldn't have made it this long. There is no doubt that Baclofen significantly mitigates the cravings, but it does not completely eliminate them, at least at my dosage, and I am not capable of taking the extreme dosages some of the folks on the forum can seemingly tolerate. Plus, drinking while taking Baclofen is very unpleasant. Taking Antabuse everyday prevents this. My morning 125mg of Antabuse is affirmation that I will not drink, and that I am still committed to a life of sobriety.

I suffer from GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder), as many alcoholics do. I find 10mg of Celexa helps. I would strongly recommend against taking Xanax. I used it daily, gradually moving up to about .75mg per day. Not much when compared to some, but enough to result in a brutal withdrawal. If you are taking Xanax, please understand that over time, more will be required to maintain the required efficacy, and the withdrawal could be the most excruciating thing you've ever experienced.

I also exercise religiously. This makes me feel better physically, relieves stress, and helps fill the "void". Ah yes, the "void". Something I hadn't considered when I started this whole process, and something that should get a lot more press. What to do with all the new sober time. At first, I felt empty, like "What now?" I realized quickly that I would need to get going. Working out, reading, photography, golfing, traveling, etc., anything to fill the void. It was weird at first but is now amazing.

Another thing I've learned: the importance of the passage of time. Each day you can stay sober is your friend. That's why I wince when people on this forum have a glass of wine, or a couple of beers, and think it's ok. It's not if your goal is to become AF for life. Drinking occasionally keeps the connection alive, like calling an ex once in awhile when you know you should move on. As time passes, alcohol gradually withdraws from your psyche. There is a singular component to time that cannot be replaced by Baclofen or anything else. Please, take my word for it, the more time you stay sober the more your perspective will change. If Baclofen gets you to a point of indifference, you can "take it" or "leave it" without care, so leave it.

So, after 1 year and 8 months sober, I recommend these things:

Accept that some willpower/discipline will be required.
Find a comfortable Baclofen dosage. You may not find the mythical switch, but take enough to get you over the hump.
Take 125mg of antabuse everyday.
Try a small amount of Celexa (or something similar if you suffer from anxiety).
Fill the void (exercise, golf, etc.)
Get time under your belt (Don't drink casually)

And there you go. Remember, I drank an average of 10 drinks per night for 20 years, and I've been sober for almost 2 years now. As each sober day passes, I feel my mind slowly changing, and the idea of drinking floats farther and farther away. If I can do it, you all can certainly do it too.

Photoman

"There'll be two dates on your tombstone
And all your friends will read 'em
But all that's gonna matter is that little dash between 'em..."
Meant to ask you to do this, Photoman. If you want to do it yourself, let me know and I'll erase mine, but no way was I going to let your story slide by!
Thanks again.
Ne

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Sweet success! (with baclofen)

Grabbing another one I'd forgotten about until I saw his post this morning. Thanks Toro!

Toro;1046105 wrote: 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.

From this thread:
https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...ory-47583.html

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Sweet success! (with baclofen)

RudyB and Lady Lush?

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Sweet success! (with baclofen)

From page 7 of this thread:

https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...-me-51232.html

JohnR;1156339 wrote: Hi guys,
Some of you know me and some I see are new. I lurk and post when I can which, due to my occupation is not often possible but I feel I have something to say here.

If you look back through my posts, I have complained as much or more than most Bac SE sufferers. It was almost a deal breaker for me. Even more so was the thought of titrating to 200mg or higher when I was struggling at 50 or 60mg. I knew there was no way I could ever go up much more to reach ?the switch? so I reached a fork in the road. I either had to quit bac all together and go back to my life that for me surely meant an untimely death, probably in a year?s time if not less -OR- see if I can find a tolerable dose that could reduce my al intake but where I could still function despite the nasty SE?s.

My first day on Bac was 2/18/11, that?s 5-1/2 months ago and I have not been intoxicated once since. This is a huge success for me considering that my life before 2/18 consisted of being drunk EVERY SINGLE day for more than a decade (at least 10 years, maybe 15, I don?t remember exactly).

For me, the key has been not taking more bac than my body could stand in order to reach a switch that I may or may not ever reach but instead to titrate to the dosage that my body COULD tolerate (keeping in mind that everyone is different), and stay there indefinitely. At this point, I don?t feel like I need to go up or down, especially considering that once one reaches the switch they have to titrate back down and stay on a maintenance dose anyway so what?s the point of putting your body through more hell than necessary? I don?t want to make it sound like it?s been easy. I will always have a potential problem with al and I know I will need to stay on bac in order to maintain success but with the right dosage - which for me is just 75mg - I have so far found a way to reap the benefits and moderate while tolerating the SE?s.
...


JohnR;1156364 wrote: Hi Ne,
Thanks for the response and I hope you are well. Please do copy my post to the success thread. I posted today because I see my past self where some people are right now. I too wanted to quit because of the SE?s and if I had, I certainly would not be where I am now. I have hypertension and a sensitivity to meds so I had to approach bac titration very slowly but in hindsight, this was the way to go. The highest I ever got was 90mg but that was too high for me so I went back down to 75mg and I?ve been there ever since.

I do consider where I am a major success and I remain cautiously optimistic about the future thanks to bac.

All the best,
JR

[Godwhacker]

Sweet success! (with baclofen)

I hit the switch about a month ago- it's bizarre when it happens, but it really does. I've been able to titrate back down from 300mg to 210mg without any problems, and now I can finally tackle losing the weight that I've put on over the last two and a half years, get my portfolio together, and get on with my life.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Sweet success! (with baclofen)

here.i.am;1171305 wrote: Hi all, I have not posted in a long while because things are going well. Since mid-July I have increased my dose from 70mg to 130mg, and briefly went up to 150. I’ve had no alcohol since my last “test” on 8/5, wish I had not done that but won’t make that mistake again. I realize that al is too significant in my life right now to take a chance. I did hit a rough patch last week during a stressful trip taking my mom to the hospital, they kept her overnight unexpectedly and I had to get a hotel room. As I was driving from hospital to hotel my eyes saw every liquor store, seemingly on every other street corner! Before Bac, I would’ve have gone in the first one and bought vodka. It was hard, but I was able to reason with myself that if I did that I would be in absolutely no shape to care for mom the next day, and what a disappointment it would have been for her, and myself as well. She's on board and has read OA's book, having lived her whole adult life with an alcoholic makes her a great cheerleader for me. Anyway, I won that battle but don’t think the war is over yet.

Then, some worrisome side effects started when I reached 150, only stayed there for 3 days – numbness in my right foot, strange feeling in my head like a pulsing feeling in my ears, that was the scariest one, all kinds of ominous thoughts going through my head over that. Also waking 3 times a night, blurred vision, muscle aches, jaw clenching. Reading through the SE thread I saw mine in a few posts, but in any case I’ve decided to taper off – may or may not be the right thing to do, but I’d like to start feeling normal as in no numb foot, no blood rushing through my head, etc. and no cravings for alcohol – I hope!

My plans as of today are to get to and stay at 100mg/day for a couple weeks and take last dose no later than 6pm (bedtime at 10:30) to help with my sleep. If the SEs don’t go away I’ll go lower to 80mg and so on until they subside. I want to keep taking it for anxiety, I love the feeling that I can handle most anything that comes compared to before, total nervous wreck and using alcohol to calm down. What I hope for is the strength to fight off any cravings that may come – I know myself and when I go out alone I worry about not being strong enough. Here’s where I need to work on my confidence and self-esteem. Need to treat myself better and use CBT and other self-help tools. Thanks for being there and listening, you all have been a big help.

:thanks:

From this thread:

https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...ber-51947.html

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Sweet success! (with baclofen)

For Crunchy, et al.
It's a marathon, not a race. See below:

https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...fen-52522.html

I still can't believe the difference. You won't either.

[Cassander]

Sweet success! (with baclofen)

Weekend bump for newbies and lurkers. The stories in this thread will make you want to cry. Baclofen can change lives...

[redhead77]

Sweet success! (with baclofen)

Well, it?s time. I?m now a senior member and I?ve found indifference. Sorry to take so long to come back and report (I?m not trying to be a tease, I swear), but I had to be absolutely positive ( I don?t know if anyone?s noticed, but I?m a bit of a perfectionist.) No cravings at all from my standpoint. It doesn?t matter if I?m hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. I?ve felt all of these in this time, and some daily; I still don?t want to drink. It doesn?t matter if I?m stressed out, scared, or overwhelmed; I still don?t want to drink. It doesn?t matter if my kids are driving me loco; I DON'T want to drink.

My stats: I?m 36, as of this month. I?m a critical care RN, and a single mother to three small children. I work in a very busy ICU. I am required to be at peak performance all the time, in my professional life, and in my private life. This was undoubtedly the most difficult thing I?ve ever done. It was also the most important. I am now able to raise my precious children without the crutch and burden of alcohol. My magic number this time was 240 mg.

I say this time, because I started bac in February (I?ve been at this for over 8 months.) I quit my job to do this, the SEs were too much to work with, or so I felt at the low doses. I used a titration of 20 mg every 3 days. I know this wouldn?t be too much for some, but it most certainly was for me. I suffered hallucinations, severe somnolence, major memory problems, and some depression. I can say this (as when I go back and read through my thread, which is so dark and full of despair, that it?s hard to do,) I can absolutely see it. I hit my first switch in April at 200 mg. I remained there for about a month and the SEs did not abate. I ended up coming down fast and furious to find some relief. I ended up craving alcohol and drinking against my will at times (I apologize to you folks who have been here and have heard this story or been with me through this journey, I am rewriting it for the lurkers and others who have just joined us.) I will say all these months on bac have provided me with much less drinking time. If I never found indifference, it still would have been worth it. There is much to be said about the freedom that comes with indifference though. It makes me want to cry tears of joy, and I do.

So, there you have it. I have so much I want to do now that I?ve achieved this. If I can kick this, I can do just about anything. It will be so nice to stop focusing on titration, drinking, all of this, and start to really live life!

Love,

Redhead

[tiptronic_ct]

Sweet success! (with baclofen)

Fantastic post & story :goodjob::goodjob::goodjob: