Cindi and Baclofen

[Bruunhilde]

Cindi and Baclofen

Poor Cindi, your experience reminds me of Taw's, she vomited constantly for weeks or months. It was insane. I don't know if she's still taking it.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Cindi and Baclofen

Morning, Cindi!

I got sick couple of times from bac. I'm not a vomiter so it was a pretty new and very raw experience for me. Without being too graphic, I've not thrown up into anything but a toilet since I was a kid, until bac.

Taking bac at the low doses was the most physically harrowing and difficult thing I've ever done. When I first started having extreme SEs several people suggested that there was something wrong with me and that what I was experiencing might not be related to bac. A couple of people suggested I go to a doctor to suss it all out. So I did. No answers there.

Later on, it was suggested that I was experiencing was psychosomatic. So I stopped reading or writing about SEs.

I also thought it might be from other medications or supps or the fact that I was also trying to be really healthy. So I stopped all of those things for a while.

None of that really helped. Every day was an exercise in mind over matter. "I will take the pills. I will drive this car safely. I will do this job at hand. I will..."

Then someone suggested that the SEs were so onerous because I was staying at a level for so long--you know who! (lo0p!) And I went up! hmmm. It was a bit of a breakthrough! It was also completely counterintuitive and ridiculous. But I also knew that bac wasn't going to kill me. Period. Random horror stories aside, it wouldn't turn me into a vegetable and it wouldn't turn my body to mush. So I kept going up.

Another thing that happened is that I often started drinking less with each bump up. Aha! Another breakthrough.

What I'm trying to say is that it is often unproductive and hurtful to hear that bac isn't for everyone, and that your particular SEs are so bad that you should quit. I heard it. It was wrong. My SEs were TERRIBLE. I won't belabor the point. I'm glad I didn't have a bac-up plan and stuck to it. It was worth it.

It sucked worse than anything I've ever done! I really appreciated RedHeads analogy with chemotherapy medication. Nothing about chemo seems right or makes sense. Until someone with cancer finds out that their evil-life-sucking-tumor is gone, right?

Mine's gone.

I don't know what you'll decide to do, but I wanted you to know, I've got you're bac.


Ne

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Cindi and Baclofen

jkttdp!

[Chi]

Cindi and Baclofen

Ne/Neva Eva;1094669 wrote:
What I'm trying to say is that it is often unproductive and hurtful to hear that bac isn't for everyone, and that your particular SEs are so bad that you should quit. I heard it. It was wrong. My SEs were TERRIBLE. I won't belabor the point. I'm glad I didn't have a bac-up plan and stuck to it. It was worth it.

Ne, I've been a nurse for almost 15 years so maybe my work environment makes me more cautious. I've been taught and more importantly have seen first hand that meds are not a one size fits all, and adverse reactions shouldn't be ignored. If Cindi were my patient and I ignored her SE's and kept giving her more medication I would not only be fired, I would lose my license.

While many of us are fine with the idea of using ourselves as guinea pigs -- I mean I did it, and am continuing to do it.... I guess I just don't feel comfortable giving others medical advice to keep going in the face of adverse reactions as severe as puking, diapers, etc. High dose baclofen for alcoholics is very new. Please don't pretend that all safety issues have been tested and resolved, they haven't.

So Cindi, I wish you the best of luck, and I wish you success from the sidelines. I wasn't trying to give you the "wrong" advice. Just be careful. We all need to use good sense when taking meds off label and unsupervised.

[bleep]

Cindi and Baclofen

Chi, I hear your point, and understand it fully. At the same time, I have noticed in more than a few instances that a particular SE is very dose dependent, and can often be removed simply by changing the dose. And if it doesn't work, the option of then cutting back and trying a different approach is always there.

I know it seems counterintuitive - if baclofen is giving me x SE, then surely taking more baclofen will make x worse, but it really doesn't seem to work that way.

[Theme2be]

Cindi and Baclofen

Dear Cinders,
I drop by because I love and miss those in the struggle that have reached far and wide as many have to still crawl to exist in the shadows . In my own attempts as I was in dismay the moment arised when there was a soft light to lean into for comfort.
Its name was called support nevertheless.

Adoration and inspiration is somehow weaved into the tapestry of your life as you exist to create an opening for others to unfold beyond the fear~

[Cinders]

Cindi and Baclofen

TheMe2Be, :l:l

Well, team Baclofen, I am still taking it. I try to eat saltines a few minutes before. Sometimes the stomach pain is pretty excruciating but it does pass.

No more vomiting for now.

I am also, once again, sigh, I know, I know, going to try to do this AF. As all of you know, that is a difficult route, which is why we are taking this drug!!

But the vodka, cigarettes and Baclofen mixture has got to be making this worse. So, I'll stick with the Baclofen.

I am taking 20 mgs tid right now. I will stay there for three days and up it to 90, and so on.

Thank you all for your help.

Love,
Cindi

[bleep]

Cindi and Baclofen

It does help Cindi, but I know how hard it can be. Something to look forward to is the natural decrease in consumption which occurs as you go higher with baclofen - this at least should make it easier to go AF.

If I prayed, you'd certainly be in them. As it is you are in my thoughts!

[Lo0p]

Cindi and Baclofen

Chi;1094766 wrote: Ne, I've been a nurse for almost 15 years so maybe my work environment makes me more cautious. I've been taught and more importantly have seen first hand that meds are not a one size fits all, and adverse reactions shouldn't be ignored. If Cindi were my patient and I ignored her SE's and kept giving her more medication I would not only be fired, I would lose my license.

While many of us are fine with the idea of using ourselves as guinea pigs -- I mean I did it, and am continuing to do it.... I guess I just don't feel comfortable giving others medical advice to keep going in the face of adverse reactions as severe as puking, diapers, etc. High dose baclofen for alcoholics is very new. Please don't pretend that all safety issues have been tested and resolved, they haven't.

So Cindi, I wish you the best of luck, and I wish you success from the sidelines. I wasn't trying to give you the "wrong" advice. Just be careful. We all need to use good sense when taking meds off label and unsupervised.

Both NE and Cindi are aware of all of this. Nobody is dispensing medical advice as if they were a professional, and nobody is pretending.

You're warning, however, was from the heart and I'm sure it was taken as such. :h

Cindi,

Your tummy aches just sound awful! I hope that it is a transient thing and you're stomach will get used to the baclofen in there. You could ask your pharmacist to fill 20 or so baclofen from your next scrip with a different brand just to exclude the possibility it's not some filler or preservative that's causing this reaction.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Cindi and Baclofen

Cindi-
This thread might be helpful!

https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...ess-48699.html

The things I posted on Ringo's thread and my half-hearted attempts to fix what I wrote should be treated with a bit of humor. I was seriously bac-manic that morning and all day. It was not a highlight of my bac adventure, though it was definitely a lesson.

Though I wouldn't try the method he used the first time, I might try it if I had to do it over again. I think he clarified some in pm's with me, maybe. But basically, he tapered up per the same protocol, but only took it at night. I can't attest, of course, to the safety or anything else for that matter... Just thought you might find some nugget that may help.

Chi, point taken. This stuff ain't easy for a lot of us. I'm glad I did it anyway.

Ne

[LadyLush]

Cindi and Baclofen

Cindi,

:thumbs: Hang in there girl! We are going to make it this time!!!


Lady

[Cinders]

Cindi and Baclofen

Well,

After much thought, I have decided to do the Nal/Bac combo.

I ordered the Nal from River and it should be here in a couple of weeks.

The more I think about it, the more I think I want to nail this Beast to the wall.

Meanwhile, I will continue increasing my Bac dos by 10 mgs/day.

Cindi

[Bruunhilde]

Cindi and Baclofen

Hey Cindi,

I'm planning to do the same thing only low dose bac instead of high dose. Keep me posted on how it goes for you. :goodjob:

[moglor]

Cindi and Baclofen

Hi Cinders,

I wish I were writing to you under better circumstances, but things are what they are. I'll be posting an update in my thread soon.

As far as the stomach issues go, any kind of medication is going to be an irritant for someone with GB. Drinking and smoking is going to make this a million times worse. Adding Maalox on top of it is going to neutralize your stomach acid, so everything is going to sit undigested in your pouch. Adding Prevacid on top of this is going to essentially halt your digestion in both your stomach (pouch) and your large intestine. Additionally, proton pump inhibitors like Prevacid have a number of bizzare side effects, especially when you're double/triple dosing it (and I know you are.)

You are going to make yourself sicker via malnutrition, since you can't digest anything due to to the prevacid and maalox. You are going to get even sicker because you're chasing it down with vodka, which ablates the stomach and intestinal lining, causing nausea. And you're going to start having weird problems with your cardiovascular system if you keep eating the Prevacid like it's going out of style.

Take a break.

Eat the sick kid diet, aka "BRAT." Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast. If you have to chase it with Vodka because that's where you are, fine, but give yourself a break from the crazy powerful antacids. Based on your last message, you're hell bent on a path to either death, an NG feeding tube, or worse...

-Moglor

[gratitude]

Cindi and Baclofen

hey cinders,
did you ever get ahold of Dr. L? if so, what did he say? grat.