The latest research on baclofen
Baclofen definitely shares some properties with benzodiazepines. Withdrawal after being on it every day and suddenly stopping or cutting way back is one. It seems to differ by causing a fair amount of insomnia when the dosage soon before bedtime gets high, and it's also not useful in epilepsy (unlike benzos). I have found low doses useful against anxiety, and possibly against alcohol cravings, even though I didn't keep going with high dose treatment.
I do remain very interested in high-dose bac for alcoholism. It seems to offer something that no other existing treatment option offers, and being able to start it while still drinking would seem to make it an easier option for many alcoholics than having to fully detoxify then start out on some treatment while staying 100-percent AF. I admit I was alarmed when I first heard about the effective doses, e.g. 200, 300, or even more mg. per day versus 80-100 mg recommended daily maximum. Also alarming was the combining of alcohol with a drug that has depressant/sedative properties. However people here say they have done both things, with a low number of reported problems compared to what would probably happen if people tried mixing large doses of benzodiazepines with their normal alcohol intake.
I should add that my above comments aren't just personal theorizing, rather they were also worries my addiction specialist expressed when I first talked about baclofen. He jumped to the conclusion it was the same as a benzo, due to it being a "GABA agonist" (he didn't take into account the GABA-A and GABA-B issue). He said he thought it was addictive, due to having heard about withdrawals from it and the GABA thing, whereas the reported lack of psychological dependence on baclofen seems to make it different to benzodiazepines.
P.S. I also recently tapered off Xanax and found some problems doing it, but overall the experience was bearable...insomnia became the worst symptom but everyone is different. I also keep some handy but only if needed for an emergency, and I hope to keep away from it as much as possible. It did help with sleep to begin with but tolerance started to render it ineffective for that purpose. Switching between it and something different like a sedating antihistamine could possibly help with that.
Chi;1089617 wrote: Greg back to what you said about comparing bac to benzo's..... I too wonder about that. I have long been familiar with xanax, and I have noticed similarities. I personally think bac is a great alternative especially for addicts, but it does make me worry a bit about tapering and withdrawal. Maybe "worry" is not the right word, I just want to be fully informed. I've tapered from xanax.... didn't like the experience, but it was worth it considering what I was going through at the time. After that I still had to keep xanax on hand (and continue to this day) to stop a panic attack if one came up... I am glad to report I have seen a huge reduction in panic attack symptoms since being on baclofen. Very interesting indeed, especially considering how the FDA treats benzo's vs baclofen.
I do remain very interested in high-dose bac for alcoholism. It seems to offer something that no other existing treatment option offers, and being able to start it while still drinking would seem to make it an easier option for many alcoholics than having to fully detoxify then start out on some treatment while staying 100-percent AF. I admit I was alarmed when I first heard about the effective doses, e.g. 200, 300, or even more mg. per day versus 80-100 mg recommended daily maximum. Also alarming was the combining of alcohol with a drug that has depressant/sedative properties. However people here say they have done both things, with a low number of reported problems compared to what would probably happen if people tried mixing large doses of benzodiazepines with their normal alcohol intake.
I should add that my above comments aren't just personal theorizing, rather they were also worries my addiction specialist expressed when I first talked about baclofen. He jumped to the conclusion it was the same as a benzo, due to it being a "GABA agonist" (he didn't take into account the GABA-A and GABA-B issue). He said he thought it was addictive, due to having heard about withdrawals from it and the GABA thing, whereas the reported lack of psychological dependence on baclofen seems to make it different to benzodiazepines.
P.S. I also recently tapered off Xanax and found some problems doing it, but overall the experience was bearable...insomnia became the worst symptom but everyone is different. I also keep some handy but only if needed for an emergency, and I hope to keep away from it as much as possible. It did help with sleep to begin with but tolerance started to render it ineffective for that purpose. Switching between it and something different like a sedating antihistamine could possibly help with that.
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