How do i know if i have hit the switch

[Chi]

How do i know if i have hit the switch

Ukblonde;1080212 wrote: I've stayed at around 180-200mg per day, for almost 3 weeks now. This was because I read here that you shouldn't go down, that those who titrated back started to relapse.

So can I back off or not?I don't want to drink but the side effects are still affecting my life - can't get out of bed in the morning, feeling tired all day and being incredibly forgetful. The tiredness is meaning I'm not getting on with day to day things still.

Perhaps I should reduce my dosing.

Do you think you hit the switch? If so it seems most start to titrate down -- and if you get cravings you can go back up.

I know what you mean about the somnolence. It's bothers me too I need to be on my toes for work and I too get a spacey feeling I don't like. Stronger coffee seems to help a bit.

[Guest]

How do i know if i have hit the switch

Yes I don't have any physical cravings for alcohol and can't be bothered drinking any. I don't call it the 'switch' because it wasn't as if I woke up and a light was switched on or off. I simply noticed over some time that I didn't want to drink. I say "physical" because my mind is still getting frustrated and wants to drink for the effect or being blacked out, but that just isn't possible because of the Baclofen. I'm going to work on the mental state with my counsellor before coming off baclofen completely.

Yes most do titrate straight back down, but is there any proven basis for this?I'm also enjoying some of the tiredness in a sort of 'stoned' way. This is worrying me too since part of me doesn't want to lose this zonked out effect. I quite like not doing anything at all.The more I think of it, the more I am worried I've gotten addicted in the mental sense but everyone says that is impossible.

At the time I started to get success with Baclofen there were a number of posts saying those who titrated back down, were relapsing. That is why I haven't reduced, and now I find myself not wanting to reduce the dose, I'm actually resisting it and wanting to increase.

Blooming scary.

[TracyA]

How do i know if i have hit the switch

Ukblonde;1080230 wrote:
Yes most do titrate straight back down, but is there any proven basis for this?

I don't know. Dr. A titrated down, but Dr. L says "park it." On the French forum, they generally titrate back down. As I mentioned in PM, I plan on parking it for a good long while when I hit switch.

[bounce]

How do i know if i have hit the switch

The thing with me is i dont know when i hit the switch, I just kept going up until i got to 300mg a day, then i started this thread.
So for me i need to go down untill the desire to drink returns, then i will go back up until it goes again.
Phil

[Chi]

How do i know if i have hit the switch

Ukblonde;1080230 wrote: Yes I don't have any physical cravings for alcohol and can't be bothered drinking any. I don't call it the 'switch' because it wasn't as if I woke up and a light was switched on or off. I simply noticed over some time that I didn't want to drink. I say "physical" because my mind is still getting frustrated and wants to drink for the effect or being blacked out, but that just isn't possible because of the Baclofen. I'm going to work on the mental state with my counsellor before coming off baclofen completely.

Yes most do titrate straight back down, but is there any proven basis for this?I'm also enjoying some of the tiredness in a sort of 'stoned' way. This is worrying me too since part of me doesn't want to lose this zonked out effect. I quite like not doing anything at all.The more I think of it, the more I am worried I've gotten addicted in the mental sense but everyone says that is impossible.

At the time I started to get success with Baclofen there were a number of posts saying those who titrated back down, were relapsing. That is why I haven't reduced, and now I find myself not wanting to reduce the dose, I'm actually resisting it and wanting to increase.

Blooming scary.

Maybe you like being sober and baclofen is also treating an underlying anxiety issue? I know a lot of my drinking was because I wanted an escape from chronic anxiety.

[bleep]

How do i know if i have hit the switch

Ukblonde;1080212 wrote: I've stayed at around 180-200mg per day, for almost 3 weeks now. This was because I read here that you shouldn't go down, that those who titrated back started to relapse.

So can I back off or not?I don't want to drink but the side effects are still affecting my life - can't get out of bed in the morning, feeling tired all day and being incredibly forgetful. The tiredness is meaning I'm not getting on with day to day things still.

Perhaps I should reduce my dosing.

UK, hi, sorry, I missed this somehow. The generally accepted advice on the French forum, who have been at this for far longer than we have, is to lurk at switch dose for a while (sorry, I can't remember exactly what they say), then reduce 10mg's per week until you feel cravings return, then go back up slightly and take it from there.

Softly, softly, seems to be their approach, and it seems to work.

[Murphyx]

How do i know if i have hit the switch

bounce;1080275 wrote: The thing with me is i dont know when i hit the switch, I just kept going up until i got to 300mg a day, then i started this thread.
So for me i need to go down untill the desire to drink returns, then i will go back up until it goes again.
Phil

Spot on Phil, I think you're absolutely right with that. The thing is, you probably don't want to drop down too quickly or you won't spot what the level the cravings return at.

[Murphyx]

How do i know if i have hit the switch

Ukblonde;1080230 wrote: I'm also enjoying some of the tiredness in a sort of 'stoned' way. This is worrying me too since part of me doesn't want to lose this zonked out effect. I quite like not doing anything at all.The more I think of it, the more I am worried I've gotten addicted in the mental sense but everyone says that is impossible.

Yeah, don't worry about that, baclofen has been confirmed to be non-addictive and non-euphoric. There is no craving for baclofen.

[bounce]

How do i know if i have hit the switch

I am now down to 140mg a day and I really want a drink, So it looks like I have gone down a bit too fast.
From tomorrow I am going to go back up to 160mg for a week and see how I feel.
Phil

[bleep]

How do i know if i have hit the switch

Hiya Phil - as Murph says, you really want to reduce slowly, otherwise you can overshoot the mark, and have to spend ages fiddling about with levels to determine where you are most comfortable.

Also bear in mind that I don't think this number will remain static, but will change depending on where you are in your life, what you are doing, etc.

Good luck in your quest.