This Redhead's Baclofen Thread

[redhead77]

I hate to start out my thread with something negative, but I'm pretty upset right now. I've been taking baclofen since Tuesday and all was good until yesterday. I saw Dr L on Friday, as many of you know. I have actually felt really good on 20mg. My anxiety was reduced, and I was really sleeping at night. The dreams I have are so detailed and very intense. I don't think that's a bad thing. I haven't remembered, or even knew if I was dreaming in forever. My alcohol intake has already been reduced by about a third to a half.

This is great, in my opinion. What about the rest? The last 2 days, I've worked.

I'm making mistakes because I can't remember anything. I totally forgot. Like I was in a black out, but I wasn't drinking. I don't have problems like this at work, EVER. Even being hung over. I'm going to be in big trouble, and it's not safe for my patients, which is the most important thing. Human life.

You can't screw up in my job, period. I have a few coworkers that have watched me do totally bizarre stuff in the last 2 days. What am I going to do? I'm ready to throw up, I'm so worried. Plus the bac is maybe making me nauseous. I just don't know why I've started feeling sick, like I'm pregnant!!! At 30mg? That's nuts!

[Guest]

This Redhead's Baclofen Thread

redhead77;1059796 wrote: I hate to start out my thread with something negative, but I'm pretty upset right now. I've been taking baclofen since Tuesday and all was good until yesterday. I saw Dr L on Friday, as many of you know. I have actually felt really good on 20mg. My anxiety was reduced, and I was really sleeping at night. The dreams I have are so detailed and very intense. I don't think that's a bad thing. I haven't remembered, or even knew if I was dreaming in forever. My alcohol intake has already been reduced by about a third to a half.

This is great, in my opinion. What about the rest? The last 2 days, I've worked. I literally work in a life or death area. I have a full cardiac arrest that I'm trying to cool and save and I put an extra tube in him that he already had.

I'm making mistakes because I can't remember anything. Today, I wrote an order for an electolyte and then I was informed I had already given it. I totally forgot. Like I was in a black out, but I wasn't drinking. I don't have problems like this at work, EVER. Even being hung over. I'm going to be in big trouble, and it's not safe for my patients, which is the most important thing. Human life.

You can't fuck up in my job, period. I have 2 coworkers that have watched me do totally bizarre crap in the last 2 days. What am I going to do? I'm ready to throw up, I'm so worried. Plus the bac is maybe making me nauseous. I just don't know why I've started feeling sick, like I'm pregnant!!! At 30mg? That's nuts!

Redhead

I'm pretty sure the others will be along soon to give some good advice re dosing etc, but this is what got me too.

Ok I'm not in the same critical area as you are, but being spaced in anyway or sounding a little 'not with it' doesn't help my job either and puts it at risk but in different way. In fact the same way as being drunk on the job. Not everyone in this has a job where we can bumble along, hide in the back office or claim daftness.

Hopefully someone will be able to suggest something useful for you here.

[redhead77]

This Redhead's Baclofen Thread

Thanks UK, for being there and listening to my disaster.

[bleep]

This Redhead's Baclofen Thread

Hi Red,

That is quite an intense situation you find yourself in. I have three suggestions:

Perhaps decrease your dose a bit, and titrate much slower than normal. This will minimise the SE's. I also suffered/ing quite badly from absentmindedness, but mine was hardly life and death, so it didn't really matter, it was just inconvenient. On that note, splitting your dose as much as possible to ensure an even distribution of baclofen will also assist. I take pills every two hours to help in this regard.

The second suggestion would be the best, but I'm not sure how practical it is - can you take some time off, and hit baclofen with a big stick to get it done in a short time frame? The pleasing response you got at a low dose would suggest you are susceptible to the drug, so it might not be an extended period you need. If you could get a few days off every time you increase your dose, this might give you the time you need to adjust to the new level, and give the absentmindedness time to wear off.

Once you adjust to a level, all SE's, except maybe sleep, seem to disappear entirely.

People have suggested Piracetam to me to aid with concentration. I haven't tried it, but only because I can't find it here. Perhaps give that a go and see if it helps.

I hope you find a solution, this is too great an opportunity to miss out on! Our thoughts are with you, and good luck.

I like your sig!

[bleep]

This Redhead's Baclofen Thread

There is also a natural memory enhancer that beatle suggested, again, I'm battling to find it here, otherwise I would be trying it. I can't remember the name! Serine something or other... beatle?

EDIT: Phosphatidylserine

[Guest]

This Redhead's Baclofen Thread

Pirecetam

I've Pm'd Redhead suggesting this last night(well during the night when I couldn't sleep!).

[Ne/Neva Eva]

This Redhead's Baclofen Thread

Oh, Red, how devastating and scary.
Exactly the kind of thing you should share about, by the way. If it were all sunshine and puppies MWO wouldn't be needed!

The first thing I would do would be to call Dr. L with that issue. Try him at home today, if you need to.

I'll tell you what worked for me: copious lists and incredible efforts of concentration. The things that I do by rote, that I'm trained to do, were the ones that were the most affected. New things were that much easier because I had to focus and I felt like baclofen enhanced my ability to think clearly and concentrate in those areas.

I obviously can't weigh in on any meds/supps but I would advise caution, of course. I've stuck to the old stand-bys. Copious amounts of caffeine, sugar and high-fructose-corn-syrup. Sleep!

I can also share from my personal experience that those periods of befuddlement were fairly fleeting. I distinctly remember how difficult it was to figure out my dosing schedule when I had to go up to 320mg/day. Now I take 300mg/day every day and even the insomnia and somnolence are leveling out.
I think there is a way to manage this, but it's going to take some considerable planning and thinking up new strategies.
I'll offer more if I think of them.
I'm very sorry, that sounds really horrific!
Karen/Ne
Also, AL definitely increased this side effect for me. I used considerable restraint the night before a big day. Sounds like you already are, though.

[ignominious]

This Redhead's Baclofen Thread

That's harsh Redhead, totally feel for you.

In my mind there is no doubt that Bac can cause this type of absent minded SE. So the only route left is to reduce the SEs. I also suffered from this and made some horrendous mistakes at work though fortunately no one was in peril from them!

1) Going from 20 to 30mg is a 50% increase in dose. Maybe you could try 25mg for a while. I would be reluctant to reduce to 20 again as you need to be making some progress to the end result.

2) If you can stop drinking WITHOUT stress (hmm), then this will also lessen the SEs

3) Be extra vigilant for a few days while you get accustomed to the new dose. Just ride it out.

[redhead77]

This Redhead's Baclofen Thread

I don't work for a couple of days. Just got off my long week, then I have a lighter week. I will continue on, but I feel totally weird again today. I have made a decision that I can't continue working while I'm trying to do this. There is too much at risk.

[prancy]

This Redhead's Baclofen Thread

For what it is worth, drugs are not one size fits all. I took compuzine after chemo for nausea and while 98% or something like that can handle this drug, it made me close to psychotic. I didn't know what it was supposed to feel like, so I just soldiered on. that is, until I thought I was going completely crazy. I called the doctor and pharmacist and it turned out that 2% or something like that are allergic to it. They changed my drug and I was fine with no nausea.
I would recommend talking with your doctor pronto. It will be wonderful if it works for you but it is certainly not worth a medical mistake.
And frankly, while I have been completely guilty of it -- I had my first chemotherapy session with a hangover from martinis!! - I think all this drinking on top of taking drugs is a little scary.
Just my unasked for two cents worth.

[SassyLassy]

This Redhead's Baclofen Thread

Hi, Red,

We started on Bac at about the same time-me about a week before you. (Feb 3). I am at 30 now, will move to 50 on Thursday. Did Dr. L tell you to go up faster than he did me, or did you do that on your own? Or do I have your start day wrong?

I have felt mild side effects, feeling drunk or buzzed, usually on the weekend. (I like that I move up in dose on Thursdays-SE's on the weekends). No ambivalence yet, still look forward to my wine after work.

It's so cool that you met Dr. L. Hang in there!

[redhead77]

This Redhead's Baclofen Thread

I don't think that what I'm feeling is unmanageable when I'm not at work. I'm sorry for scaring anyone out there with this story. It should be known that if you are working in an area that requires mental alertness, that you may have a problem at least at first or when titrating up. I am still totally invested in doing this. I just need to take some time off work to make it safe for myself and my patients.

I took a nap and feel tons better. Lack of sleep from my work schedule, may be making things worse. Also, I did drink some wine on Friday and Saturday night. Not as much as I usually would, but it might not matter. I won't drink today and see if I feel better tomorrow.

Sassy, he said to do 20mg for 4 days then 30mg for last 3 days. That's what I'm doing. I didn't call him. I don't see a point in wasting his time with a question about how I'll function at work. I truthfully don't think he can answer that. I will tell him in out next conversation that even carefully following his protocol, that I am experiencing SE's bad enough, that work is a problem. He should know this so he can inform his patients that they may have some problems at first.

This isn't the only drug I couldn't work on. I was once prescribed Lexapro for depression and the first time I took it, I felt like I was tripping on acid. It was so bad that I had to pick up a child from preschool and didn't know if I could safely drive. Far worse than bac SE's even.

Tonight I will keep things simple. Ordered take out for dinner and will just relax. I have to say, when I don't feel like barfing, food tastes really good. And my sense of smell is heightened. And music sounds soooooo good. It's like my sensory system is in overdrive.

Ne, I started reading your thread from the beginning. I miss a lot that goes on here due to work and the wee ones. I didn't know you were a redhead. I love fellow redheads and I really enjoy your writing style, btw. I don't read books anymore before bed because I'm reading on this forum. Your thread reads like a good novel

I'm getting called away from the computer for the 10th time since I started writing this. I think it is time to bring a close to my ramblings. Happy Valentine's Day everyone. XOXOXO.

[Longshot]

This Redhead's Baclofen Thread

Redhead I was at about 330 when I had to do something very complicated in my job. My job requires accuracy to a split second (1/24th of second to be precise).

I also had to do this on a incredibly compressed timescale (3 days instead of 3 weeks)

The stress of doing this was among several factors that threw me into a fit of chronic insomnia that I'm still getting over.

Please be careful! Good luck.

[redhead77]

This Redhead's Baclofen Thread

Wowsers Longshot. That's crazy! I am going to be careful. It seems our posts crossed as I was posting on "the plan" when you posted on my thread. It does take me at least an hour or two to write anything signifigant as I'm jacked on bac and I'm interrupted like 100 times.
Oh, and Bleep, thanks for loving my signature. It rocks, doesn't it?:H

[prancy]

This Redhead's Baclofen Thread

Regarding the signature, is it from The Paperbag Princess? I loved to read that book to my daughter when she was young.