How Bad Before Bac?

[RudyB]

Hi All,

I get so much from reading your posts. Thank you!

I have been uncomfortable with my drinking for 20 yrs. I'm 41 now and in the process of divorce. I have been drinking regularly and my ex -father of my child- knows it. Drinking feels very dangerous; I have a lot to lose. Regardless of externals, I'm in inner turmoil with alcohol again, and I want it to stop, completely.

My question is: is it okay to look to baclofen as a lifeline? Even if my life -and drinking- are somewhat well-managed (ha ha, oxymoron, I know!), is it a cop-out to look to the chemical, brain-helping assistance of baclofen to help me out of this cycle? I don't know if it's a moral question, a question of will-power, or what... I just feel so ready to take the meds to help me out of this nightmare, but wonder still if it's okay. I think i've already decided that I want to do it, but do I [I]need[I] to? And is it relevant, the degree of need? Always on my mind is that this is a progressive disease, and even if I can "manage" it somewhat well now, what happens when that starts to slip? note: WHEN, not IF.

Seeking feedback, here. And encouragement. Sometimes I think I'm just looking for the easy way out, yet, what's wrong with that? Is life supposed to be any harder than it already is?

Thanks for all input.
RudyB

[Cinders]

How Bad Before Bac?

RubyB,

I can't answer the morality of it, only you can decide that.

I can tell you that my somewhat controlled drinking became completely uncontrolled. It truly is a progressive disease.

You can try Baclofen and see how you react to it. It apparently does not work for everyone but works for many, someone posted 50% success, which considering other options like AA has less than 10% success.

If Baclofen doesn't work for you there is Topamax and Naltrexone to try.

However, I think you need to do what you think is right. Have you tried AA? It does work for some. It would also look good if there are court issues where you drinking is brought up against you.

There is nothing that says you can't use Baclofen if you go to AA.

My opinion is that if a drug can help me fight this battle, I will grab that and run with it.

I would go to a doctor to get it prescribed if you decide to go the Baclofen route, though. Baclofen is a powerful medication and I know I have had to call my doctor about my side effects. While she won't prescribe more than 80 mgs/day and I have to purchase it online to supplement, she knows what I am doing. She doesn't like it but she knows I would just do it on my own anyway. She says she cannot prescribe more than 80 mgs/day due to that being the max she is allowed to prescribe.

HTH,
Cindi

[RudyB]

How Bad Before Bac?

thanks cindi!
i appreciate your thoughtful response.
one thing i didn't make clear in my post is that i don't drink horridly lots of alcohol, and that's part of my question. a pint of vodka and a beer or two is usually my max. but, does one need to justify meds by the amount one drinks? that's a big part of my question. the morality thing, shite, i think it's a no-brainer, if i'm honest with myself. if i'm struggling with al for 20 plus years, why not grab a lifeline?!
xoxo rudy

[moglor]

How Bad Before Bac?

If you want to stop drinking, and you can't stop drinking because of the cravings for alcohol, baclofen might be a fit for you. Only you can decide if the amount you drink and the problems it causes you are sufficient to risk taking massive amounts of an off-label drug that you would either need to buy illegally or work with a doctor over the internet (Dr Levin) to get prescribed.

I think most of us here see it as a last resort, and are resigned to the fact that the possible side effects and issues related to baclofen are a better choice than the side effects of severe alcohol abuse. (death.)

-Moglor

[Chi]

How Bad Before Bac?

Hi Rudy,

If craving is an issue, and it was for me, then bac can help that very successfully for most people. I buy on line from Goldpharma and have never had any issues.

My history is long term drinking (20+ years) so my habits were very ingrained. I don't see it as a cop out using bac at all. It addresses craving which is a problem for many, many alcoholics. I see bac as a valuable tool.

:welcome: and keep posting.

[redhead77]

How Bad Before Bac?

Hi Rudy,

:welcome:

We have a few things in common. Going through a divorce, raising kids while abusing alcohol, and I was a functional alcoholic. I didn't have to worry about him taking the kids away, however. That requires a hell of a lot of work and the abandoning of narcissism and selfishness. :H

I thought I might be getting a little extreme by going on baclofen. I did drink 1-2 bottles of wine many days of the week by the end. My kids saw me drunk on many occasions. I couldn't hide it from them. That's what made me decide to do it. I had tried a few AA meetings, but had grown up with AA. It just wasn't for me. I didn't want to spend a great deal of time sober, but still under alcohol's grip. I was still thinking about it and craving it, when I was not drinking.

Baclofen does pose some challenges for the single parent. It's a mind altering drug that many experience SE's on. If you can get through it and if it works for you, it will be priceless.

[Longshot]

How Bad Before Bac?

RudyB;1103413 wrote: thanks cindi!
i appreciate your thoughtful response.
one thing i didn't make clear in my post is that i don't drink horridly lots of alcohol, and that's part of my question. a pint of vodka and a beer or two is usually my max. but, does one need to justify meds by the amount one drinks?

A pint of vodka is completely different to a beer or two. .

[Winks]

How Bad Before Bac?

Chi;1103450 wrote: Hi Rudy,

If craving is an issue, and it was for me, then bac can help that very successfully for most people.

Cites, please.

[moglor]

How Bad Before Bac?

Winks;1103538 wrote: Cites, please.

Um.. This board? :-)

This is the main reference:
Amazon.com: The End of My Addiction (9781616793272): Olivier Ameisen M.D.: Books

[Cinders]

How Bad Before Bac?

RudyB

Ignore Winks. she takes Baclofen but hates that us Baclofen users "push" it here.

She and Florieanne both jump into threads about this subject and interject negative statements or questions like above asking for citations.

She knows fully well that this protocol is new and there is very little scientific based evidence.

However, there is an awful lot of anecdotal evidence based on the members here who have reached their switch and members on the French Forum (where Florieanne was banned.)

Winks has been banned twice now for abusive statements to members here.

Cindi

[ignominious]

How Bad Before Bac?

Hi Rudy, you sound like me in many ways. I had over 30 years of controlling my drinking. The possibility of using a drug for this was not even an option considering my understanding of alcoholism.

Even considering this was anathema to me. However after searching on the internet and seeing such positive feedback I decided to give it a go. I had started to loose control by this time.

Ha, what a difference! There is probably a chemical imbalance in your brain that causes you to drink - heresy - I know but the proof has been demonstrated by the efficacy of baclofen.

You owe it to yourself to give it a chance.

[bleep]

How Bad Before Bac?

Hi Rudy,

For me there is no moral issue, or if there is, it weighs in on the other side. Baclofen has restored me to sanity, to borrow from AA. You can cite that. For me, it was the easy way out, It was also the only way out. I lack willpower, and some would say, moral fiber. I tried the other ways, and failed miserably. When I found out about baclofen, I was amazed, and more so when it worked perfectly. It has enabled me to be normal.

I was a functional alcoholic, although cracks were appearing. Divorce was looming, job was faltering, etc... It's all gone now. This may sound like I'm pushing baclofen, because I am. For me, it saved my life, my marriage, my career. I can't recommend it highly enough. Not everyone notices such a turnaround, but you asked for personal opinions...

[moglor]

How Bad Before Bac?

Cinders;1103608 wrote: RudyB

Ignore Winks. she takes Baclofen but hates that us Baclofen users "push" it here.

Well that's weird.. Why would anyone taking baclofen come to a baclofen board and berate people for taking baclofen? I don't begrudge her the request for citations, but anyone who's been around these boards for more than 5 minutes knows we ARE the citations. There's no real research on this, and we all know we're our own guinea pigs in an experiment where the outcome is quite literally life or death.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

How Bad Before Bac?

Morning, (for me) Rudy B!

Thanks for your kind words on Cinders' thread. You made my day. :l

I have a weird history with AL, I think. At the last rehab I went to I wasn't 'alcoholic enough' in many ways, because I've not had some of the more readily apparent repercussions.
But I've had a lot of them, including losing a home...
At the same rehab I was told that I was in late stage alcoholism, although you couldn't see it and wouldn't know it... (unless you're like me. I can spot people like me a mile away!)

Anyway. My point is this: I spent 5 years post-rehab keeping my drinking a secret. My employers, my extended family, my friends, none of them knew I was drinking a bottle and a half of wine every night. My life was managed and relatively manageable. But I could tell that the drinking was starting to spiral and I was going to end up... in a bad place.

Life was pretty awful, too. I was either drunk, or hung over, or the worst: Craving and planning my entire day/week/life around drinking.

Bac removed all of that. But it's not always an easy path and you should be prepared!

After deciding to take bac I spent months worrying over the moral quandary too. For me it became moot. But the science really helped me. Check out the research on the Consolidated Baclofen Thread (first page) and the most recent study on the last page posted by Terryk.

Good for you for looking for solutions, Ruby. That's what matters. (Kudos for starting a thread, too!)

:l
Ne

[caper564]

How Bad Before Bac?

Ne/Neva Eva;1103811 wrote: Life was pretty awful, too. I was either drunk, or hung over, or the worst: Craving and planning my entire day/week/life around drinking.

:l
Ne

That quote summed up my life for the last 5 years. its funny how so many people can have the exact same problem with AL.

My advice is don't overthink it, do whatever it takes to control your disease. If that means taking Bac, then do it or going to AA or any other meeting, do it. Its not a monkey on our backs its a silverback Gorilla. So imagine dragging that 500lb animal around everywhere you go, Groceries, kids school etc. if taking BAc will alleviate some of that weight then go for it.

I chose Antabuse because I hadn't heard of Bacuflen until MWO, but it saved my life.

Caper