My Baclofen Blog/Journal

[BacloTim]

My Baclofen Blog/Journal

Thanks Bleep. I get what your saying.
After dosing on the Bac I am drinking slower. I decided to try and watch a comedy to get my mind out of the anger mode I get into. I really hate that. I don't even enjoy drinking anymore so I really think this will work, I just turn into a asshole when I used to be a friendly/silly drunk. Well I do enjoy some drinks but when I have too much access it goes bad and I HATE that.

I will not increase it in odd ways. I know I have to keep it consistent as Dr.L said. I can't go up 1 day on the dose and lower on the other, If I increase I have to keep it steady. I am debating calling him but I told him I'd wait 2 weeks and I haven't paid him yet.

EDIT!
I am slightly debating going into a detox to help chill my drinking while continuing Bac but it has never worked and I've done it 10+ times. what do you guys things? I have time off work.

[LadyLush]

My Baclofen Blog/Journal

[QUOTE=BacloTim;1132550]I think the baclofen has calmed me down a bit. I do have much alcohol in the fridge due to it being payday but I am drinking slowly. I am afraid of what I will do since as I said I am a violent drunk which also causes problems with myself since I get my ass kicked as well as kicking other's asses. It really is a bad deal so I would rather be hardcore sedated than doing my usual actions and I think baclofen could help.

Hi,
Your quote above...have you talked to Murphy or did you steal that from his thread?

The first day, and I SWEAR day number one, I noticed the calming effect with Baclofen.
Anxiety, dwelling on issues and problems, etc. They are not gone but for the first time in forever I can deal with them.
I wish you well on your journey and am intriqued by your journal. Please keep it going; it benefits so many people.

LL:l

[RudyB]

My Baclofen Blog/Journal

could insurance pay for detox? if so, i say go for it! if not, consider it. and maybe acupuncture and lemon water and that's about all i'm good for at the mo. sorry, 'tis not much.

sucks about your ugly drunk state. my dad was that way. i've had the questionably good fortune that i've always been a very happy drunk. had i been an mean drunk, though, i doubt if it would have made it any easier to quit. i guess you're a case in point on that one.

i'm really excited for you, bacloT. it sounds like you're quite motivated and you're seeking answers and posting a lot. you're off to a good start.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

My Baclofen Blog/Journal

BacloTim;1132504 wrote:
Basically I am trying to taper on 2 substances

...

am a dangerous drunk and will hurt people I love. I didn't really explain this to him but I really wish to avoid the danger ...
BacloTim;1132503 wrote: I've been drinking ...
But I don't really want to drink though I feel I need to but don't need to and it's hard to explain. I think I will take 10mg baclofen since it seems my morning dose wore off hours ago.
...
I just can't wait until bed time to take another 5mg so I took 10mg just now.

I really want to stick to the doc's schedule but I feel that the more often and higher Baclofen doses help me curb my drinking. I really don't want to run out so I guess I'll tell him.

BTim-

I've highlighted some of the things I thought to respond to.

The first thing is that bac, as a medication to treat alcoholism, isn't magic. The process takes time, the effects/affects on your drinking may vary. It has been used by a couple of people as a deterrent to help them curtail their drinking, but not very effectively, and ONLY with a real commitment to white-knuckled-sobriety.

The second is that many of us have noticed an increase in our drinking at times, and certainly a variety of different reactions to alcohol. Bac could have the affect of making you feel more drunk, more quickly. It also might have the affect of making you feel more sober than you actually are.

You stated your intention, early on, of following the Good Doctor's advice/protocol. You're correct in assuming that jumping around with your doses will not be of benefit. More to the point, though, is that you can actually take too much. There have been more than one person who ended up in the ER by taking it erratically (at HIGH doses), drinking and using other drugs. Please keep it mind, okay? Be safe.

Being a violent drunk and drinking enough daily to have a real concern about withdrawal are even better reasons to manage this process well. Bac can be a "license to drink" in some ways, to our peril.
Add to that the fact that drinking, especially drinking heavily, may increase the side effects, and some pretty unpleasant ones... Well, I could never in good faith suggest abstinence, but it might/would make the process a lot easier and it's been suggested that it might make it faster.

If I had to do it all over again and had the option of a 3 day detox with follow up, I might have taken that route. In fact, I think I would have, and been better for it. There was a woman here for a year and more (Sunnyvalenting) that was a hard-core alkie, went to rehab for 14 days, took bac, and never drank again. She got up to 110mg and then tapered slowly off of it for a year. Hers is a great story and one to aim for.

Take good care of yourself, BTim!
:l
Ne

[BacloTim]

My Baclofen Blog/Journal

RudyB;1132612 wrote: could insurance pay for detox? if so, i say go for it! if not, consider it. and maybe acupuncture and lemon water and that's about all i'm good for at the mo. sorry, 'tis not much.

sucks about your ugly drunk state. my dad was that way. i've had the questionably good fortune that i've always been a very happy drunk. had i been an mean drunk, though, i doubt if it would have made it any easier to quit. i guess you're a case in point on that one.

i'm really excited for you, bacloT. it sounds like you're quite motivated and you're seeking answers and posting a lot. you're off to a good start.
Thanks for the reply!
I don't start as an ugly/mean drunk. I start happy but then I drink too fast/too much and I blackout and turn ugly I don't remember doing it but it happens all the time.

Thanks for the enthusiasm!

LadyLush;1132611 wrote:
Hi,
Your quote above...have you talked to Murphy or did you steal that from his thread?

The first day, and I SWEAR day number one, I noticed the calming effect with Baclofen.
Anxiety, dwelling on issues and problems, etc. They are not gone but for the first time in forever I can deal with them.
I wish you well on your journey and am intriqued by your journal. Please keep it going; it benefits so many people.

LL:l

Yeah I don't think it's placebo either and no I hadn't read all of Murphy's stuff yet but he is a funny guy


Ne/Neva Eva;1132623 wrote:
You stated your intention, early on, of following the Good Doctor's advice/protocol. You're correct in assuming that jumping around with your doses will not be of benefit. More to the point, though, is that you can actually take too much. There have been more than one person who ended up in the ER by taking it erratically (at HIGH doses), drinking and using other drugs. Please keep it mind, okay? Be safe.

Being a violent drunk and drinking enough daily to have a real concern about withdrawal are even better reasons to manage this process well. Bac can be a "license to drink" in some ways, to our peril.
Add to that the fact that drinking, especially drinking heavily, may increase the side effects, and some pretty unpleasant ones... Well, I could never in good faith suggest abstinence, but it might/would make the process a lot easier and it's been suggested that it might make it faster.

If I had to do it all over again and had the option of a 3 day detox with follow up, I might have taken that route. In fact, I think I would have, and been better for it. There was a woman here for a year and more (Sunnyvalenting) that was a hard-core alkie, went to rehab for 14 days, took bac, and never drank again. She got up to 110mg and then tapered slowly off of it for a year. Hers is a great story and one to aim for.

Take good care of yourself, BTim!
:l
Ne

I do want to stick to the dr's schedule and can't wait to get to at least 30mg a day because I know for a fact (well it was used in those studies) that it will manage withdrawal. It will help me mentally to to not drink I hope.

I don't really get any bad side effect at all just yet, just tiredness and that weird hip pain went away magically once I drank. It is still gone. What I do notice with drinking and then taking Bac to curb me is that it makes me black out and then pass out with hardly any alcohol, this could be bad if not at home. That is both good and bad for me, I according to my memories I was only blacked out like 10min and my gf told me I went right to bed with out arguing or being an asshole. So it does work for me since I only drink at home(in order to not get in fights with strangers) I didn't drink nearly what I would have.

The bad thing is that I'm messing with my dosing schedule doing this so I gotta figure out a better way.
And thanks! I'll check out Sunnyvalenting's thread.

Oh and is there a way to do quotes from all over with out editing and piecing it together? I like the way you do it.

-Tim

[bleep]

My Baclofen Blog/Journal

Man, the quote thing took me forever to learn. Click on the post you want to quote, the little button with the " in it, it will turn orange. Click on the next post you want to quote, it too will turn orange. Do that for all the posts you want to quote, and when you get to the last post that you are quoting, click the quote button. All the posts you want to quote should appear in the dialogue box. Still takes ages to do though.

If you've been taking baclofen for a few days and it hasn't turned your world inside out, then, and think about it before you do it, and don't tell anyone I told you, but just go to 30mg's. The only thing we know for sure is that it won't kill you. The beginning is slow, and perhaps unnecessarily so.

[BacloTim]

My Baclofen Blog/Journal

I still haven't quite figured out the quote thing. I am having problems with my higher mind functioning I noticed. I upped the bac pretty quickly but trying to keep on a schedule. I am just drinking way too much and the bac seems to help, plus the side effects are actually welcomed so far and help me calm down/sleep. I do get a weird feeling in my head but I relate it to when I used GHB or phenibut too much, I'm used to it already. It is hard to describe the feeling but I'm used to it and it seems related to any gaba b agonist as Baclofen is.

I have to do some hardcore javascript programming to make a paycheck this week and I'm having trouble even figuring out how i'll do it. Usually on drugs or alcohol I just move forward and do it but the bac is holding me back in a way. I can't explain it and I am sort of depressed about it. I really wish I had a month of no work to get out of this rut.

About all I have to say so far.

[RudyB]

My Baclofen Blog/Journal

baclo tim, help me find a nick-name for you, would you please?

i can't figure out the quote thing either. i'm planning on putting some time into figuring out this stuff, as i have some songs i'd like to share among other things, but meanwhile i'll stew in mutual frustration with you. wish i could offer help, but obviously i can't.

i don't know what are ghd or phenibut, please enlighten.

i think i'd speak for most in saying that bac will help, but be careful with it. please do read around, try to learn as much as you can about this wonderful drug, treat it with respect, and ya de ya de yaa.

good luck with your work. your posts are very articulate and provide an uncommon tale, so please keep sharing. and i'm sure that we on here will keep giving input. right guys?!

[bleep]

My Baclofen Blog/Journal

To quote a single post, just hit the "quote"button. That will take you to a screen where the post is displayed. Just edit out the unnecessary bits, making sure to leave the [QUOTE] tags at either end untouched.

Rudy, someone with more experience may chime in, Tim for one, but as far as I know, GHB and phenibut are also GABA agonists, so they would feel similar. When I looked like I was going to run out of baclofen, a small part of wondered if I could hold off withdrawal by going on a week long GHB trip! I very much doubt it would work!

Tim, a few people have struggled with high mental functioning going up on baclofen, so you'll have to see how it goes. Keep us informed, and good luck! Your experience with other drugs will help in this regard, I'm sure.

[BacloTim]

My Baclofen Blog/Journal

RudyB;1134185 wrote: baclo tim, help me find a nick-name for you, would you please?
....

i don't know what are ghd or phenibut, please enlighten.

Rudy,
How about btim! I think some one else called me that already

I love talking about drugs so i'll chime in here for sure.(not a good thing hehe)
This will be pretty long so skip over if no one cares about this stuff.

GHB and Phenibut(Phenibut - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) are very similar to Baclofen but work a little different. I think Phenibut feels VERY simlar to Baclofen and would work to avoid withdrawal well in a rut and it's available all over the net, there are tolerance issues with it though. I used to use Phenibut to avoid GHB or alcohol withdrawal all the time and it works for that. It isn't well known since it was only used/created in russia for alcoholics and for anxiety. It is available all over the net in the USA at least. The chemistry I think is that it is GABA(plain old GABA like the neurotransmitter) with a phenyl group attached to it and Baclofen is simlar but a bit more complicated(like a chlorinated phenyl group attached but maybe more). I was looking into manufacturing and it seems pretty simple but didn't go far into it. That is in case the supply goes away

Phenibut and Baclofen are both heavy GABAb agonists with some slight GHB activity I feel. I know I read elsewhere that Baclofen doesn't work on the GHB receptor but I can feel it if that makes sense. Also on some articles it says it does work on that receptor so it is at least disputed. Give me that.

Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
GHB is illegal yet also prescribed for narcolepsy as Xyrem. Not sure how they can do both, it is schedule 1 as in no medical use yet prescribed as the brand name Xyrem it is fine, they call it sodium oxybate but it is really GHB, same chemical. Sort of means it should be schedule II at least. It is also a chemical that is in your body already and you can drink it and it is VERY intoxicating at 1 capful(tastes like strong salt water!) and feels like you drank 10 shots of liquor without any bad side effects plus a boost of sexual induced energy. I'll admit it makes you feel F'n great it is one of the bests feelings in the world and could be good for suicidal depression too, it'll lift ya right up without any hangovers. It's hard to describe but it isn't good to take it long time I don't think since there are HUGE tolerance issues and you end up doing it every hour 24/hr a day including to sleep(I mean wake up dose, wake up dose just to get a nights sleep). I know some alcoholics say they have luck with it but it seems very short term. If I wanted to avoid withdrawals I would go with Phenibut if I couldn't get the Baclofen. GHB is also VERY simlar to GABA. Just 1 hydroxy group in place of the NH2 group on GABA. It is easily manufactured from GABA but that isn't the popular way they do it.

I think Baclofen would work GREAT for GHB addicts since it is so similar but without the intoxication. I know doing GHB long term really messes up your gabaergic system just like alcohol does. You shake and hallucination way worse coming off that one, I mean you can't even hold a glass without dropping it. I was actually telling my girlfriend back when I was trying to come off GHB that I thought I had fried my gabaergic system and needed to find a special neuro-scientist to fix it hehe. Now we know Baclofen is that medication that fixes that.

Ok let me wrap this up.. Baclofen and Phenibut are so similar that I used Phenibut as what I am using Baclofen for now, and it was used in Russia(well Soviet Union) for the same thing. They seem to be more into the GABAb thing then the other countries ever were(maybe it's all that vodka . I haven't been on Bac long enough to see that there really isn't a tolerance issue(can't see how there isn't really) but if it doesn't have the tolerance problems Phenibut has nor the crappy side effects at high doses that it has. I would get these multicolored dots when I closed my eyes! Also my head, really my brain and shoulders and inside of mouth would just feel so weird like swishy/electric sensations it is hard to describe. I think Bac will work out way better and with less side effects. If so I am in love with Baclofen

bleep;1134210 wrote: To quote a single post, just hit the "quote"button. That will take you to a screen where the post is displayed. Just edit out the unnecessary bits, making sure to leave the tags at either end untouched.

Thanks Bleep!
I got the regular quoting down pat but I am doing this crazy thing where I quote one post then post it.. I quote another and copy that text then I go back and edit my post and add the other quote. I guess that is the only way to quote multiple posts or I can't figure out the other way you said to do it.

Also my mental functioning seems better today, I had to cut back a little on my titration though. I am just too eager to get up in dose and stop my drinking.

Oh! and thanks for the replies guys. I thought I was ranting or complaining mainly for my own needs but you guys are interested and that's cool

-Tim

[bleep]

My Baclofen Blog/Journal

Man, what a post, thanks for that. Anyone who talks about manufacturing their own baclofen is a friend of mine!

Let me return the favour: To quote multiple people, go through the thread and click the button next to quote, the " button. It will go orange. Click this on all the posts you want to quote, except the last one. On that one, you click the "quote" button, and when you go to the quote screen, all the posts you want to quote will be there.

[BacloTim]

My Baclofen Blog/Journal

Damn I feel dumb. I just overlooked that button over and over again. At least I figured out a way around it though so I got that. You told me before but I didn't think it was like a graphic I don't use forums much other then for reading.

Oh and I love writing about anything related to chemistry since it has been a hobby of mine for many years, I've ran a few home labs for fun but got in trouble with that once already. It is so hard to do nowadays, what happened to basement science? They think your a terrorist or drug dealer or something now if you want to learn things on your own. I wish I had went to school for it when I was younger I bet I would have been good at it.

-btim maybe that will stick

[bleep]

My Baclofen Blog/Journal

Hey Tim,

I see from your blog that you went up to 60mg's and then back down to 30. If you've been to 60, I wouldn't bother coming back down. The whole point of gradual titration in the beginning is to let your brain adjust, so if you coped at 60mg's, just use that as your new level and go from there.

The reason we say to go slower when on the higher levels is so that you don't overshoot your switch, but at 60mg's that's not really an issue.

[BacloTim]

My Baclofen Blog/Journal

I may do that but I have my boss/coworkers and my mother watching the blog and they are so insistent that I follow the doctor's orders strictly. I kind of wish others were not watching for my own good but hey it is because they love or care about me.

I agree that going to the next dosing level would be the best thing to do. I'm talking to DrL this week to get my prescription switched to 10mg instead of 20 since I found out that with the walgreen's saver program I can get the meds for dirt cheap. I'll bring the dosing increase up when I talk to him.

Thanks for replying and keeping with me!

[RudyB]

My Baclofen Blog/Journal

i'm with you, tim. isn't the support here just spiffy?!

i told my mother about my 'work' here, and at some point she'll read what i've written. good thing is that i tell her pretty much everything, and she is very supportive and deeply spiritual in her walk here on earth, so all i ever get from her is love. i am so blessed.

i hope that, to some degree anyway, the same is true for you. didn't you say, though, that your family want to see instant results? they must know that it's a process, and that years of habit-forming and -reinforcing take some work to undo. are they reading here, too? of course, i hope that you get some measure of support from them. as you say, they care about you and want to see you well, so that's the main thing.

stay strong, tim. you're doing great!
xo rudy b