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    #1

    Just started Bac and need advice

    Hi everyone,

    I've been lurking on MWO for a long time now and finally decided to post.

    I was lucky enough to have my psychiatrist agree to prescribe Bac. I've been taking 15 mgs per day for 2 weeks - 5 mg at lunch, 5 mg again at 4:30 and then 5 mg at 9:00 pm.

    Even at this low dose, I am experiencing some cognitive impairment. My thoughts are slower and I can't always come up with words to express my thoughts, or I find myself saying the opposite word of what I meant to use. It sort of feels like I'm mildly drunk.

    It does seem to be helping with the cravings already, but of course, if I push past that, I can still manage to drink an entire bottle of wine. That happened last Friday. Most nights I have been able to have one glass and then just stop, which is great progress!

    Has anyone else experienced the thought slowdown at this low dose? I'm starting to think I may not be able to go up much higher - at least if I want to be able to do my job.

    I'd really appreciate any feedback

    Mare
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    #2
    Just started Bac and need advice

    Hi Mare, and :welcome:. I'm sure others will be along to weigh in shortly, but I wanted to put my $.02 out there.
    First of all, did the psychiatrist set you a titration schedule? 2 weeks seems a long time to stay at one dose. Dr. Levin (you'll hear more about him, if you haven't read about him already), generally suggests a slow titration schedule of about 20mgs increase each week.
    Many others here who started off at low doses and stayed there for awhile were afraid they wouldn't be able to go higher due to the side effects. But once they started increasing the dose regularly, the SEs actually improved!!
    So I would suggest that rather than staying at 15mg a day and waiting for the SEs to abate before increasing, start increasing now. There is a sample titration schedule from Dr. Levin that I believe RedHead posted in her thread, but I don't have time to dig for it at the moment. That would be a good place to start!
    Good luck, and keep posting (and reading!).
    Better Living Through Chemistry

    Switched at 180mgs of Baclofen on 1/31/11, and again on 10/8/11 at 200mgs.

    Could've been a swan on a glassy lake, could've been a gull in a clipper's wake. Could've been a ladybug on a windchime, but she was born a dragonfly.
    ~Clutch

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      #3
      Just started Bac and need advice

      Welcome!

      My experience so far bears out what Isolde said. My SE's actually got better the higher I went. I have also been at the same level for awhile (140 mgs). It seems to lose its effectiveness, so titrating up seems to be the answer.

      But my experience is till very limited.
      Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before.
      - Jacob August Riis

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        #4
        Just started Bac and need advice

        :welcome: Mare!

        I'm glad you decided to give bac a shot again!

        I would agree that for me the lowest doses were the most difficult.

        Fantastic news that you have a psychiatrist to help with the baclofen. Did s/he recommend a titration protocol?
        Hope you'll keep us posted!
        Karen

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          #5
          Just started Bac and need advice

          I'm having serious impairment at around 125-150mg. I can't concentrate, or do much apart from sleep. It's very much like being drunk and I'm worried about some hefty driving I have to do tomorrow. I've not drank much in the last 24 hours either - around 7 UK units last night. I usually drink around 3-4 times that amount.

          Wish I could say it will get better but at the moment it isn't like that for me.

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            #6
            Just started Bac and need advice

            Thanks, everyone, for your feedback.

            The doctor didn't give me a titration schedule. She hadn't heard of Baclofen for alcoholism, but she agreed to try it. I know there's plenty of info here about titrating, and I'll look it up.

            It sounds like I should go higher from what people have said, so that will be the plan for the coming week.

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              #7
              Just started Bac and need advice

              Mare,

              Look up the tit schedule. I personally think this is a miracle drug. Nothing is worse than being a drunk, nothing... (in my mind :-).



              Lady
              The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.

              *Don't look where you fall, look why you slipped*

              Comment

                #8
                Just started Bac and need advice

                Hi Mare, sorry for the delayed welcome, but welcome nonetheless!

                I agree with what most people are saying, try an increase ans see how it feels.

                Good luck.

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