Need help with Baclofen

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Need help with Baclofen

I weigh 60kg (130lbs) I took 340mg to find indifference. That's 5.7mg/kg.

Dr. OA was basing the number ~3.kg/mg on the average for the rats. He set that as his personal limit. It's not a number I'd stick to, Gonnabe. It may very well be that you see some amazing results at 140mg. Or 320mg.

Also, Dr. OA's process was almost a decade ago. He was completely sober. He had been on baclofen for some time before he tapered down to nothing, and then titrated up to 270 in 5 weeks. I think it might even have been a year!

Lots of new info since then, from a variety of sources. You can make your own decisions, of course, but it might help to have lots of info before you make a new playbook.
Also, a note of caution, one level may be just fine. The next? Not so much. Plan accordingly with your dose increases so you don't have to bac-track.
It's medicine not magic.
Eyes on the goal. You'll get there.

[wanttobesober]

Need help with Baclofen

Sounds good!
Of course I will adjust or readjust my schedule if I have any of the side effects that I am
currently experiencing got significantly worse.
I have mainly Tinnitus and somnolence. My Tinnitus comes and goes. I have it mainly at night
mostly when I am lying in bed. Sometimes I have it during the day, but not that frequently.
I think I will try Piracetam to help me with the side effects. I have read pretty good feedback on it.

Cheers,

Brian

[wanttobesober]

Need help with Baclofen

This thread is sooooooooooooooooooo inspireing!

It would be nice to see some recent success stories!!!
For some reason there are not that many posts lately!
Let's hear your story!!


https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...ead-35995.html

[wanttobesober]

Need help with Baclofen

Sorry! I forgot to post the link!

https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...ead-35995.html

[here.i.am]

Need help with Baclofen

A Bit About Me

I've been drinking since my teens so that makes a career of 30+ years. When I look back on it I don't have many regrets, I had many good times. I was incredibly lucky that nothing terrible ever happened like a serious accident or a DUI. One thing I could do, when no one else could, was get everyone home. Closed one eye the whole way, but made it. Ugh...I take that back, one big regret - raising my child while drunk, still amazing that we all survived it. Once I make it to 6 months sober - and I WILL - I'll feel more comfortable about baring my soul to my loved ones, but right now my emotions are like right there and I'm tearing up just typing this.

Thanks to all of you here for your stories and especially the advice about Baclofen. I've tried to quit so many times and each time felt like an utter failure when I resumed drinking. Like I was lacking some character quality that everyone else who can control their drink has. Dr. A's book went against my previous notion (from Rational Recovery viewpoint) that drinking is a choice and NOT a disease, and all I lack is the willpower to tell my beast he's not in control, I am. Easier said than done. It made so much sense to me that there is a chemical imbalance in my brain that needs to be corrected, and now knowing that this has helped so many people, it does make one wonder why more people don't know about this. I'm just very grateful that I found the book and this site, how did we every live without the internet and Google???
:anon:

[tiptronic_ct]

Need help with Baclofen

here.i.am;1139527 wrote: I've been drinking since my teens so that makes a career of 30+ years. When I look back on it I don't have many regrets, I had many good times. I was incredibly lucky that nothing terrible ever happened like a serious accident or a DUI. One thing I could do, when no one else could, was get everyone home. Closed one eye the whole way, but made it. Ugh...I take that back, one big regret - raising my child while drunk, still amazing that we all survived it. Once I make it to 6 months sober - and I WILL - I'll feel more comfortable about baring my soul to my loved ones, but right now my emotions are like right there and I'm tearing up just typing this.

Thanks to all of you here for your stories and especially the advice about Baclofen. I've tried to quit so many times and each time felt like an utter failure when I resumed drinking. Like I was lacking some character quality that everyone else who can control their drink has. Dr. A's book went against my previous notion (from Rational Recovery viewpoint) that drinking is a choice and NOT a disease, and all I lack is the willpower to tell my beast he's not in control, I am. Easier said than done. It made so much sense to me that there is a chemical imbalance in my brain that needs to be corrected, and now knowing that this has helped so many people, it does make one wonder why more people don't know about this. I'm just very grateful that I found the book and this site, how did we every live without the internet and Google???
:anon:

:welcome: and looking forward to seeing you posting regularly in future

[wanttobesober]

Need help with Baclofen

Hi Cee,

Welcome to this website and to Baclofen!
Be careful with your fast titration. It can backfire upon you.
Most of the people who choose to go up fast, experience more side effects than those
who choose gradual increase.
There are lots of good info on LOop's collection of pages:

https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...ead-38718.html

If you need inspiration, check out this thread as well:

https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...ead-35995.html

I think this is great to read, as well!!

Good luck with your Baclofen jurney!

cheers,

Brian

[wanttobesober]

Need help with Baclofen

Hi to All again,

I am taking Baclofen for 47 days now. I went up a little faster that it was recommended,
and unfortunately I have very severe side effects, so I have to taper off to a lower dose for a while. I was taking 200 mg /day for the last week and wanted to go up to 220 today but today I had a terrible day at work and I decided to cut back for a while.
I was like a zombie all day long.
I had Tinnitus, that was very bad sometimes. I have heard loud noise in my ears ( like an earthquake ) mainly when I was lying down but sometimes during the day, as well when I was working. Also felt some numbness in my tongue sometimes.
Sometimes I felt like my heart was missing a beat and I was about to fall asleep while at work or while I was driving. Sometimes I was afraid to drive home. It was dangerous!

Since both the tongue and heart are muscles, I can imagine that Baclofen can affect them.
I have never had any problems with my heart or my tongue. At least none of my wives or girlfriends were complaining about my tongue.
I am also considering to try antabuse tablets. Or may be the combination of Nal and Bac.
I have tried Naltrexone by itself earlier for about 3 months, but it did not help. May be the combination of the two could help me to achieve success on lower Baclofen level.
I am not sure. I would like to get some advise from people on Antabuse / Bac combo or
Nal / Bac combo. Also if I wanted to lower my dose from 200 to 100 for a while, or completely quit for a while and try antabuse.
Any advice on how fast can I cut it back?
I am very disappointed about this failure, as I really really need to stop drinking however I will only take this as a temporary defeat, because I need to find the solution for me.
Any advise is highly appreciated!

Cheers,

Brian

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Need help with Baclofen

Gonnabesober, my experience is that it's not the amount of bac that's the problem, it's the jumping around. I am not sure that going down to 100mg will solve the problem. Why don't you try going down bit by bit instead? Counter to what seems likely, one level can be very, very different from another in terms of SEs, so even a small decrease may have a really positive effect.

Also, if you're still drinking it is very likely that that is contributing to the SEs your experiencing. If Antabuse will help you abstain, I know of at least one other who took antabuse (Photoman) to ensure that he doesn't drink.

Hang in there!
Ne

[DHS51]

Need help with Baclofen

Wanttobesober,

One of the things I have learned through personal experience and through the many great post on this site is that each person has a different experience with baclofen. I have been taking baclofen for 45 days now and I am only at 120mgs. I agree with Ne, a 20mg to 30mg drop may be actually better than dropping 120 mg. You will probably know in a day or so if this helps. I messed with my dosing methods and became quite ill for a day. I figured out I had gone off protocol and got back on it and within 6 hours was feeling better. My unscientific/unproven concern is that with such a large drop you may experience withdrawal symptoms from baclofen. Of course I am a newbie so factor that into what I have just written.

D

[wanttobesober]

Need help with Baclofen

Hi Ne and DHS51,

Thanks for your inputs.
I will try to drop back to 180 and maybe 160 after that, if that does not help. Also will try to stay away from AL. Actually in the past two days I did not drink at all. One thing concerns me though, nobody mentioned on these threads they have some heart issues or tongue issues like I have. I hope it is not a sign of lower tolerance level or something.

Ne,

I have seen on your thread that both you and Ed lost your jobs. That is terrible.
I feel sorry for you! I know how it feels. I was without a job for 13 months.
It is not much fun to live on unemployment. I lost two houses. No wonder I am an alcoholic!
I hope you can find a job soon!!!

D,

How are you doing with the side effects?

Cheers,

Gonnabesober
:thanks:

[winowithhope]

Need help with Baclofen

Hi Wannabe, :welcome: i am blessed to have insurance so my first bac prescription was only $10, goldpharma is where i used to order from, whatever you can start with, as the others say, they have made it and it is worth it, alcohol has nearly destroyed many of us, and I have had the same devastation in my life, Dr. L. says there is hope!

[wanttobesober]

Need help with Baclofen

Hi winowithhope,

I am getting it from Walgreens. It is only $10.99 for 280 pcs of 10 mg pills with the prescription from Dr. L. It is as cheap as it gets, even with insurance.
However you have to pay a $20 prescription club fee to Walgreens.
It is nothing compared to the amount of money that we blow on alcohol year after year.
Good luck with your Bac Journey!

Cheers,

Brian

[here.i.am]

Need help with Baclofen

I started Bac 6/17 and stopped drinking 6/21 so getting close to 30 days, what a great feeling! Like a few others I started out with Bac at too high of a dose, quickly went up to 100 and then to 125 within a couple of weeks. The side effects I had were extreme sleepiness, more clumsy and when I did nap I woke myself up a few times with a big gulp of air, like I couldn't breathe. That scared me a little so I backed off day by day until I was down to 50 mg spread out throughout the day. Seems to be about right for me at this point, going to speak with the doc about it on where to go from here. For prescription, Walgreens is fantastic, got set up on the web in about 15 minutes over the holiday weekend and they called me very soon afterward to verify insurance and shipped it to me, so never needed to leave the house.

Good luck WTBS, with the help of this great forum you can do it.

[wanttobesober]

Need help with Baclofen

Hi here.i.am,

Great to hear your success!
I have to back down a little bit, as well. I guess we all would like to push it a little bit harder,
and get rid of the devil from our head, but your body can take only baby steps at a time when you learn how to walk. It is like learning how to walk again. Your brain needs adjustments, and your body needs to get used to this drug. It is too bad that there are so many bad side effects with this drug. I hope I can play with the dose, but it that does not help than I will add antabuse or Naltrexone to the picture and will try to increase the dose very slowly.
Let me know your progress!
It is great to hear from you.
How much you were drinking on the daily basis?

Cheers,

Brian