No more baclofen for me

[Ne/Neva Eva]

No more baclofen for me

JohnR;1156339 wrote: Hi guys,
Some of you know me and some I see are new. I lurk and post when I can which, due to my occupation is not often possible but I feel I have something to say here.

If you look back through my posts, I have complained as much or more than most Bac SE sufferers. It was almost a deal breaker for me. Even more so was the thought of titrating to 200mg or higher when I was struggling at 50 or 60mg. I knew there was no way I could ever go up much more to reach ‘the switch’ so I reached a fork in the road. I either had to quit bac all together and go back to my life that for me surely meant an untimely death, probably in a year’s time if not less -OR- see if I can find a tolerable dose that could reduce my al intake but where I could still function despite the nasty SE’s.

My first day on Bac was 2/18/11, that’s 5-1/2 months ago and I have not been intoxicated once since. This is a huge success for me considering that my life before 2/18 consisted of being drunk EVERY SINGLE day for more than a decade (at least 10 years, maybe 15, I don’t remember exactly).

For me, the key has been not taking more bac than my body could stand in order to reach a switch that I may or may not ever reach but instead to titrate to the dosage that my body COULD tolerate (keeping in mind that everyone is different), and stay there indefinitely. At this point, I don’t feel like I need to go up or down, especially considering that once one reaches the switch they have to titrate back down and stay on a maintenance dose anyway so what’s the point of putting your body through more hell than necessary? I don’t want to make it sound like it’s been easy. I will always have a potential problem with al and I know I will need to stay on bac in order to maintain success but with the right dosage - which for me is just 75mg - I have so far found a way to reap the benefits and moderate while tolerating the SE’s.

Hi, John. It's good to hear that things are improved for you. I hope you're comfortable with where you are. It sounds like it.
I'm so glad that you shared your experience, I think it's a really important one. I consider not plunging into the abyss a success.

I'd like to copy it on the success thread, or ask you to do it, if you don't mind. It might save some lives, John.

https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...fen-47958.html

Congratulations! And take good care.

Ne

[JohnR]

No more baclofen for me

Hi Ne,
Thanks for the response and I hope you are well. Please do copy my post to the success thread. I posted today because I see my past self where some people are right now. I too wanted to quit because of the SE?s and if I had, I certainly would not be where I am now. I have hypertension and a sensitivity to meds so I had to approach bac titration very slowly but in hindsight, this was the way to go. The highest I ever got was 90mg but that was too high for me so I went back down to 75mg and I?ve been there ever since.

I do consider where I am a major success and I remain cautiously optimistic about the future thanks to bac.

All the best,
JR

[Murphyx]

No more baclofen for me

John, low dose bac can be hugely beneficial to many people; we've seen their stories again and again. It's not necessary for everyone to go to 2, 3, 400mg dosages to find a 'switch', if lower than 100 does enough to allow you to control the beast. Good for you for toughing out the SEs, it's certainly worth it when you consider the biggest SE of not doing it is an early death.

I consider it a major success too. :goodjob:

[bleep]

No more baclofen for me

John, good to see you again, and really glad to hear you've found success!

[JohnR]

No more baclofen for me

Thanks guys

[DrunkAndTiredInFLA]

No more baclofen for me

Bruunhilde;1156270 wrote: What kind of withdrawal symptoms do you all have going AF? I have the white knuckling and sometimes after a few AF days I get a headache which I've read is withdrawal related. Its a constant headache, just goes on and on. A nice side effect of going AF is a more even mood for me.

Feel free to ignore this if I'm hyjacking.

Hilde, you are not hyjacking. No worries. lol

[Bruunhilde]

No more baclofen for me

:thanks:

[DrunkAndTiredInFLA]

No more baclofen for me

To all of you guys. =)

I have been at my lower dosage of 20mg three times a day for 2 weeks. My clarity is still here and I find myself not really wanting to drink. I have drank but I noticed that things are different and slowly changing. I believe a "switch" is happening but not in the way that I expected. I am happier and have some direction. This is such a change from a month ago when I was worrying that going to a higher dosage would make me eventually commit suicide. I kind of what to laugh at that but it's really not funny. I am thankful for this thread and all of you. I am also thankful to have found this medicine. I am not sure where this road is taking, me but this is the first time in 10+ years where I actually feel normal again. I am not sure if I was depressed and drank because I was depressed or if the drinking made me depressed. Either way with each day I have lived these last two weeks, I feel that the depression is gone.

John, it is really good to hear that you also have found a lower dosage that works for you. I am happy at my 60mg's a day. However, I might try to go down to 40 mg's a day in a month or so and see what happens. This is because I would really like to get rid of this damn cough! lol Sorry for saying damn but it's annoying. lol

[DrunkAndTiredInFLA]

No more baclofen for me

Oh and for those of you who might think I am nuts or making up this cough, I found an article today that explains it all perfectly. =)



Inhibition of capsaicin-induced cough by the gamma-aminobutyric acid agonist baclofen

[bleep]

No more baclofen for me

Nobody ever thought you were nuts, at least I didn't. I had it too. Thanks for the link, it's one I haven't come across before.

Glad to hear that a low dose is proving effective, and that you're winning!

[Murphyx]

No more baclofen for me

That study shows the opposite. Baclofen stops coughs, it doesn't cause them.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

No more baclofen for me

Murphyx;1157161 wrote: That study shows the opposite. Baclofen stops coughs, it doesn't cause them.

Which is really fascinating. Glad we got the article.

DandT, Baclofen does, in fact, cause nasal congestion. It also causes post-nasal drip. These side effects can be found on the information given to you at the pharmacy.

From Wiki:

Post-nasal drip (PND), also known as Upper Airway Cough Syndrome (UACS)

, occurs when excessive mucus is produced by the nasal mucosa. The excess mucus accumulates in the throat or back of the nose. It can be caused by rhinitis (allergic or non-allergic), sinusitis (acute or chronic), laryngopharyngeal acid reflux (with or without heartburn), or by a disorder of swallowing (such as an esophageal motility disorder). It is frequently caused by allergies, which may be seasonal or persistent through the year.

(of course, and to the point, it is caused by baclofen as well as the other things.)
If you take an allergy medicine, or a benadryl, it will stop. Today.

I'm not being snarky, though I am being a little bit impatient.

If you need baclofen to help you stop drinking, and you are using the services of a physician, and you are committed to finding a solution to your alcoholism, then it is really wise to use the tools you have to get the job done.

I'm very glad that you have found some clarity. I suspect you are taking the doses at regular intervals and consistently. If that is not the case, would you let me know? I'm simply curious. This is often not the case with people who are having issues at lower doses.

Take good care, DandT. It's an important struggle your facing.

[redhead77]

No more baclofen for me

DrunkAndTiredInFLA;1156145 wrote: Keep your head up DH. Literally. lol I know how baclofen can make you sleepy. I cannot agree with your repeated statement of "Alcoholism is not a one size fits all disease. It is multifaceted." We should all keep that in mind when we are thinking of others with this disease. Though, I refer more to it as a chemical imbalance. =) I can only hope that in the future that researchers find a medicine that truly works for everyone (without all the crazy side effects, lol).

I've been meaning to address this, but Ive been hard pressed on time. I believe alcoholisms roots are a "chemical imbalance" of sorts, or at least an imbalance in our dopamine rewards system. I also believe addiction is multifaceted. Some of us were born alcoholics. Some have suffered tremendous loss, anxiety, depression, and extreme stress. Some of us have other comorbid conditions that make alcoholism more likely. This is why I think it unlikely, that one drug will work for every alcoholic. This wouldn't be any different than say depression, which can be multifaceted too. Cassander posted a link to an excellent article which pretty much sums it up. It's the NY times article.

[Bruunhilde]

No more baclofen for me

Ne, I've experienced that drip and the symptoms of a bad cold that bac brings, as have many. Its real.

Redhead, I agree there are many types of alcoholics, or at least a few. Seven Weeks to Sobriety categories based on genetic pool, and has very good reasoning. For example, if you're celtic, you need Omega 3 oils because your ancestors evolved on a diet high in fish and you are likely deficient. If you're Asian, you may not be able to metabolise alcohol. Etc. For each type, there is a slightly different list of supplement to help the type recover, heal, gain control over the addiction.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

No more baclofen for me

redhead77;1157203 wrote: I've been meaning to address this, but Ive been hard pressed on time. I believe alcoholisms roots are a "chemical imbalance" of sorts, or at least an imbalance in our dopamine rewards system. I also believe addiction is multifaceted. Some of us were born alcoholics. Some have suffered tremendous loss, anxiety, depression, and extreme stress. Some of us have other comorbid conditions that make alcoholism more likely. This is why I think it unlikely, that one drug will work for every alcoholic. This wouldn't be any different than say depression, which can be multifaceted too.

hmmm. What about, just for the sake of discussion, if a more apt comparison for alcoholism is diabetes rather than say, depression. Interesting thought, isn't it? A little genetics, a little epigenetics, a little trauma or drama... oy, the options are endless, aren't they?

Point is, maybe, that there could in fact be a medicine that takes care of the ... chemical imbalance(?). I'm not for a moment suggesting that it's one we know about. I am suggesting that the disease of alcoholism might be aptly compared to something physical and treatable, like diabetes, rather than ephemeral and misunderstood, like depression. And that even (or especially) in the case of diabetes, behavioral changes go a long way toward long term success. Right?

Fun stuff to think about. For me anyway.