Need help with Baclofen

[wanttobesober]

Need help with Baclofen

Hi SassyLassy,

It was pretty simple. Nothing to worry about. Doctor L. was very nice. He faxed the prescription to Walgreens shortly. He said I should not have any side-effects.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Need help with Baclofen

That's all such great news, onyourwaytosober!

wanttobesober;1122114 wrote: He said I should not have any side-effects.

hmmmm. Yes, well, okay. Dr. L and I will have to disagree on that one. But he's the doc...

That said, you don't have to expect them to plan for them. This, as in all life-changing commitments, has to be managed with forethought and a plan. My suggestion would be to read! Make a buddy or two or six. Find someone you want to be like, and glom onto them. Find someone you can share the journey with, and stick close to them, too.

Welcome to the ride/journey/recovery!
xo, wanttobesober.
:l
Ne

[wanttobesober]

Need help with Baclofen

Hi Eva,

That statement surprised me too! Reading the comments on this site gives you a totally different picture. He also said that once you hit the switch, you have to stay on that level forever. Many members said that they reduced their Bac intake to lower levels.

[bleep]

Need help with Baclofen

Both of the physicians involved with baclofen (Ameisen and Levin) have this stance on the side effects. It is very peculiar. While Ameisen may well have experienced an SE free ride (it happens, but very rarely, that I've heard of), Levin must surely have heard reports back from people that they have felt somewhat odd at times. It matters not - indifference is very, very real and that is what matters.

I was also excited to take my first pill! What titration schedule has Dr L recommended? I know he is very cautious.

As to whether you can lower your dose - I have, a little. Sometimes more, sometimes less, with varying degrees of success. I think most people have. It is something you can experiment with when you get there and see what works for you.

Best of luck Wannabe!

[wanttobesober]

Need help with Baclofen

Hi Bleep,

He gave me a schedule of:

4x5 3x10
7x30
7x50
7x70

I am hoping that I am in the 80% that can achieve success.
I am really tired of drinking. I hope I will get to switch.
I believe in Bac that it works. I have tried Naltrexone and at first
I thought that it was working, but after 3 months I gave it up.
I did not see any decrease in my drinking.
I hope you can find your way with bac.
I was reading your recent podts:

Drinking now doesn't occupy any space in my thoughts,

I am glad you got there!
:goodjob:

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Need help with Baclofen

It'll work, my friend. And you'll be amazed.
xo
Ne

[wanttobesober]

Need help with Baclofen

Hi Ne,

I wish I was there!
I need it to work for me sooooooo much!!!!
Over the weekend I was very bad again.
I feel so bad about it, but it seems that I can not control anything anymore.
I just drink, drink, drink and drink no matter what!
I hope I can reach indifference before I have another big mistake.
My life is wrecked enough to handle my problems as they are.
I do not need any more problems.
I hope that BAC will help me!!!

Thanks!

Wanttobesober

:upset:

[LittleLessBoozin']

Need help with Baclofen

bleep;1122215 wrote: Both of the physicians involved with baclofen (Ameisen and Levin) have this stance on the side effects. It is very peculiar. While Ameisen may well have experienced an SE free ride (it happens, but very rarely, that I've heard of), Levin must surely have heard reports back from people that they have felt somewhat odd at times.

IMHO, this stance is not only misleading but downright dangerous. I do not know if it is borne from a genuine desire to take away any excuse for people to start (as I suspect) or if there is a bit of head-in-the-sand going on, but the fact is that everyone gets SEs to some degree or another.

My career has been based around sales and marketing (See? I'm not just a drunk, but an all round worthless human being ;-). But the point is that in my line of work, one has to 'set expectations'. When you tell someone "X, Y and Z are likely to be problems that you encounter, but they get better and the drug will WORK for you" then the problems become much less significant as they are planned for. When a medical professional like Dr. A or Dr. L. say "following my schedule, you'll suffer no SEs" but then you inevitably DO suffer SEs, the good doctor has built false hope in you, meaning that when SEs do occur then you become devastated/despondent and may cease the treatment.

In my personal case, there is a laundry list of very major stuff going on in my life that meant I had to suspend my baclofen treatment due to cognitive SEs, but I suspect that others in less extreme positions have also abandoned their regime due to disillusionment over the promise of an SE free ride.

Just my $0.02,

Paul.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Need help with Baclofen

LittleLessBoozin';1123699 wrote: IMHO, this stance is not only misleading but downright dangerous. I do not know if it is borne from a genuine desire to take away any excuse for people to start (as I suspect) or if there is a bit of head-in-the-sand going on, but the fact is that everyone gets SEs to some degree or another.
...
I suspect that others in less extreme positions have also abandoned their regime due to disillusionment over the promise of an SE free ride.

I feel so strongly about this, too. Baclofen is not without it's own issues. It is not just disillusionment, but fear, understandably, that undermines people's ability to do this when they start to have SEs.

The good news, wanttobe, is that desperation is a great motivator. And having your life be ass-end-up could give you a little room to navigate if you do have SEs that are difficult to manage.

I am very sad about your weekend, and can relate on a couple of levels. Think of this process as a 6 week course of treatment. One in which other things can, and should, take a backseat. You'll be able to deal with the most pressing, of course. Any and all of it, should you choose to do that. But rest assured, bac'll make that easier rather than more difficult, in about a month.

How much are you drinking and how much bac are you taking? Are you taking your doses on a schedule? Do you have a plan? Do you have a system for remembering to take them? (Pill boxes were very helpful for me.) These are things that I learned to do the hard way! Admit and hold myself accountable. Get a plan and a schedule together. Buy and USE the pill boxes! (I plan to tell people I'm on a diet and take a lot of supplements, if they ask. Which they haven't.)

:l gonnabesober!
Ne

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Need help with Baclofen

hmmm. I forgot to mention a support system. That is as important (to me) as anything else. I found it here. You are welcome to do the same!
(It's a proven fact in any sort of recovery or life-altering course that support systems improve efficacy. Period.)

Ne

[wanttobesober]

Need help with Baclofen

Hi Ne and LittleLessBoozin,

Thanks for your posts.
I just started taking BAC last Saturday, so I am on 10 mg. Saturday I will switch to 30 mg. Dr. L told me that he prefers that 20 mg pills because that is more reliable than the 10 mg. I read it somewhere that they are manufactured by different companies.
However I was able to get 10 mg pills at Walgreens. The 20 mg pills were like $60-70
compare to $10.99 (10 mg). I think if I am lucky and get to switch I will probably experience it around 240-300 mg per day.
I hope I will not have too much of SE. I will try not to drink for a while. I sometimes do
water fast on zero calories. I like it because it cleans out your body from toxins. My longest fast was 16 days on water and diet coke last year. I want to try another one this week. I know some people think it is crazy, but it actually feels very good.
After the 3rd day you are not hungry anymore, because your body starts burning fat instead of sugar. I hope that it will also help me to cope with SE if I will have any.
Ne,
What kind of side effects did you have? Are you still on 300 mg per day?
To answer your question about my drinking, it was very bad.
Pretty much black out Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Yesterday I had only 8 drinks because I had a terrible hangover. Today AF again. I try to be that way for a while. I agree with you that the support team is important. Just reading MWO is much
better than a AA meeting. At least for me.
Paul,
I am sorry that you had to quit BAC. Are you trying anything else?

Good Luck!

:thanks:

Wannabesober - Gonnabesober :-))

[LittleLessBoozin']

Need help with Baclofen

Paul,
I am sorry that you had to quit BAC. Are you trying anything else?

Good Luck!

Wanttobesober- Honestly, no. Not right now. I have lots of life changing stuff going on right now, and so I'm trying to deal with it in my normal (HAH!) state for the time being. Not exactly a positive story for the 'group', but it is what it is I'm afraid :-(

Paul.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Need help with Baclofen

wanttobesober;1124199 wrote:
I just started taking BAC last Saturday, so I am on 10 mg. Saturday I will switch to 30 mg. Dr. L told me that he prefers that 20 mg pills because that is more reliable than the 10 mg. I read it somewhere that they are manufactured by different companies.
However I was able to get 10 mg pills at Walgreens. The 20 mg pills were like $60-70
compare to $10.99 (10 mg). I think if I am lucky and get to switch I will probably experience it around 240-300 mg per day.
I hope I will not have too much of SE. I will try not to drink for a while. I sometimes do
water fast on zero calories. I like it because it cleans out your body from toxins. My longest fast was 16 days on water and diet coke last year. I want to try another one this week. I know some people think it is crazy, but it actually feels very good.
After the 3rd day you are not hungry anymore, because your body starts burning fat instead of sugar. I hope that it will also help me to cope with SE if I will have any.
Ne,
What kind of side effects did you have? Are you still on 300 mg per day?
To answer your question about my drinking, it was very bad.
Pretty much black out Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Yesterday I had only 8 drinks because I had a terrible hangover. Today AF again. I try to be that way for a while. I agree with you that the support team is important. Just reading MWO is much
better than a AA meeting. At least for me.

Wannabesober - Gonnabesober :-))

10mg or 20mg makes no nevermind. Lots of people taking stuff from overseas pharmacies and finding indifference. Though I understand Dr. L's point, it's another thing we'll have to agree to disagree on.

Wannabe-
I had a laundry list of SEs. But I made some mistakes about titration and dosing that exacerbated this. I drank excessively even when I wasn't feeling like I had to and that greatly exacerbated my SEs. I'm guessing you're a man and rather young-ish so I don't think you're in for too rocky a road. That said, hope doesn't work. A plan does. Plan for being uncomfortable. Hope it's not too bad.

Nope, I'm on 200mg/day. Going up again because I think the beast might be lurking and I need to kill that once and for all.
Because, like you wannabe, I'm a drunk. Hopeless and hapless drunk. With a mighty sense of self-preservation which kept me drinking at home in a dark room rather than driving under the influence. But there were periods of time when I couldn't hold a job, couldn't eat, couldn't do much of anything... Except drink, and I ALWAYS found a way to do that.

As to the diet. hmmm. I'm going to try to be gentle about this, because it might actually seem like the right thing to do, I suppose.
BUT. Your body is taxed. If you're a drunk like me, and you are, you're not eating. You're certainly not eating well. Even when you are eating, your body is unable to use the nutrients. Short version is this: I strongly suggest you eat well, consciously and in moderation. Eating anything at all is better than not eating enough. Period. The science bears that out. Read the research, any research, about any kind of fast or cleanse and what you come up with will bear this out. (don't start, holistic people. there are times and places, but this is not one of them.)
Read this thread in order to take a look at what happens to the body on booze for long enough:
https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...ost-50013.html

You are profoundly addicted to alcohol. Baclofen will help with the withdrawal. However, it exists. Plan accordingly. Exercise (moderate) helps. I actually really enjoyed busting it out at the gym, but again, you probably want to take baby steps if you're not an exercise person. I was and am.
Food helps. Meditation, counseling and support systems help. MWO was also my support system. You can find what you need here, I think. I did.
If 8 drinks is moderate drinking for you, and I can relate, then you might want to aim for some moderate drinking. It will be impossible for you to distinguish what is a bac SE and what is a withdrawal symptom.

Stick with the protocol. You may find that you have a good reaction and few SEs early on. You'll be tempted to go a little faster. We all are. Stay the course. The majority who have found the goal (indifference) with a minimum of SEs are the ones that stayed the course. 'Tis true. There are plenty to sing the praises of jumping around or jumping the gun. For every one, I can point you to five that gave up, and five more who took the medicine as prescribed and found the goal. In the last 6 months alone.

to sum it up: eat. sleep. exercise a bit. drink a bit if you can. or not at all if you can, but expect some effects from that. TAKE THE PILLS.

hope that wasn't too much lecture. And maybe Murphy will come along and lighten things up a bit.
:l
Ne

[wanttobesober]

Need help with Baclofen

Hi Paul,

LittleLessBoozin';1124284 wrote:
Wanttobesober- Honestly, no. Not right now. I have lots of life changing stuff going on right now, and so I'm trying to deal with it in my normal (HAH!) state for the time being. Not exactly a positive story for the 'group', but it is what it is I'm afraid :-(

Paul.

It is hard without the help of medicine. Sometimes will power takes you so far!
I hope you can solve your problems!

Good Luck!

[wanttobesober]

Need help with Baclofen

Hi Ne,

Yes. I am a guy, but unfortunately not young anymore. I will be 54 soon.
As far as titration goes, I am trying not to exceed too much of the recommended values.
Besides my drinking problem, I am a very healthy person. I do not have headaches and other pains that some people have. So I think that hopefully I will be able to tolerate the side effects if they show up.
As far as diet goes, I eat a 1000 times healthier diet that 99% of the people in USA.
Unfortunately the FDA, the AMA and the Food Industry brainwashed the people with incorrect
information about your health and what you should eat and drink.
Sugar, milk, grains are almost as harmful to your body as alcohol.
I do not eat junk food. No sugar at all. Almost no bread, rice, potato or pasta.
I eat mainly live food. If I could recommend a diet to anyone, then check this website out:

Welcome to Dr.Rosedale's Website

Dr. Ron Rosedale is an awesome Dr. He has a book available that is brilliant.
If you follow his diet, you can add years to your life. He tells you that the doctors only treat
your symptoms and just drug you up, which is causing more havoc in your body.
If you want to cure yourself from any ailment (heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure or even cancer), you need to change your diet.

By the way fasting is a wonderful way to strengthen your body. Lots of people do 40 day
fasting on only water. Even Gandhi did 21 days once. You can check out 40 day fast on youtube.

Think about it!
What does a dog do if it gets wounded bad?
Just go to a place and doesn't eat for days. That is what nature tells you to do.
Digesting food takes a lots of energy. If you are fasting, all of that energy is available to repair your body. Your body can repair any problem (except craving :-)) ).

I really do not want to turn this thread into a food channel, but I think what you eat is also
as important what you drink. And maybe with your diet, you can have effect on the side effect with Baclofen.

I know that my views are not mainstream, because people like to eat hamburgers, french fries, ice creams and so on. But look at the main stream people at the mall.
Are they healthy? I do not think so.....

Cheers,

:thanks:
and sorry for the long post!


Wannabesober - Gonnabesober :-))