Can I start Bac while weaning off topa?

[Rosey]

This was my second go around on topa. First time it worked well. Fell off the wagon and second time I tried it and nothin. Added campral to it and nothin. In my experience I can wean down fairly quickly ....I am down to 150mg on topa and can probably be off in less than two weeks. I no longer take the campral. I really want to start Bac 5mg twice daily soon. I know the main interaction can between topa and bac can be respiratory depression. Anyone have experience with this?

[RedThread12]

Can I start Bac while weaning off topa?

Hi Rosey:

First and foremost, I just want to say hi and welcome to the bac pack. I'm guessin' there have have been no responses because no one has taken your particular tight-rope walk to date.

I have had NO experience with Tops. I've been among the fortunate few who had negligible side-effects from baclofen. So If I were in your position I would start bac asap and monitor the effects closely. I started baclofen almost 2 years ago at 3x10/day. Quit drinking alcoholically that day and was fortunate to truly get mey life back , , , like the ext day!!!

This is clearly NOT medical advice! But I see no harm in trying the baclofej as you titrate off the Topa. The good news is . . . if the bac sems to make things uncomfortable, as long as you're at low doses, you can just not take the next dose.

Baclofen saved my life. Read, read, read. There is SO much valuable information on these boards. And let me know how I can help.

[redhead77]

Can I start Bac while weaning off topa?

Hi Rosey, :welcome:

I have to very respectfully disagree with RedT here. I didn't respond initially because truth be told, I know almost nothing about topa and I have no idea how it would interact with bac. If I remember correctly (and this is a big if), 300mg is a dose usually taken of topa, and you are now on 150, is this correct?

I also was kind of thinking, if the responses take a while, maybe it would give you time to wean off the topa before you start bac. I think this isn't the most effective way to get it done. It could potentially leave you feeling ignored or neglected.

My thought on the matter is, two weeks may feel like an eternity to titrate off one drug to start another. Especially, when you're hopeful it could cure this disease. In regards to safety and making sure you are safe, I think you should stick it out, if at all possible.

Respiratory depression is no joke. It's your airway/breathing. The first two of the ABCs. I'm sure there is an excellent chance everything could be fine. I personally wouldn't take the gamble. If you had a doc you could bounce it off of, this would be ideal. I'm assuming you don't because you brought it here. My doc made me wean off my antidepressant before starting bac (this probably wasn't even necessary, it was Wellbutrin and many people take bac and Wellbutrin together safely, it appears). It took two weeks and it felt like the longest two weeks of my life. He is very cautious and won't even allow his patients to start bac with proposed drug interactions. So I get your frusteration with waiting, I really do.

Good luck Rosey. I hope you'll let us know what you decide, and when you start the drug.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Can I start Bac while weaning off topa?

Rosey!
:welcome:
I don't know anything about topa re. bac and weaning. You can call Dr. L for advice about that and have your answer today. He'll also be able to recommend a protocol.
Bruunhilde has a lot of experience with topa, though I think she'd quit before she started bac. She might be a resource, too.
Plus, I think the two can be used together. Not that I'm suggesting that! OA has some pretty sound cautions against topa, and I was never willing to try it.

Good luck, hang in there!

Bluto;1176570 wrote:
Thats it, only a few people have side effects and they post ALOT about them.

Just throw cautiion into the wind. Stop the topa and go with baclofen. I could go on and on from what I read. But topa is an inferior solution compared to baclofen.

Baclofen is a superior agent, topamax should be regarded as secondary.
And Campral is pathetic in terms of results.

The ONLY thing that works is baclofen for long term cessation of alcohol usage.

All that crap about moderation, the Sinclair method etc.. is just crap.
Go heavy with back, go large with baclofen or go home.

Simple as that. Make a real change and baclofen is the only that works

Bluto, it's very difficult not to start screaming about this medication from the rooftops if it works for ya'. I get that. I still struggle with it. It rocked my world and changed my life, too.
But, dude, I hope you'll chillax a bit. The truth is almost exactly opposite what you've posted and what your experience is.
The majority have SEs. Throwing caution to the wind is a great way to have a terrible experience and give up the ghost, rather than the bottle.
Bluto, you don't know this, but I think you're cool and very brave. I also think that perhaps you should read around a good deal more. Find me a thread, any thread, where people weren't/aren't struggling with SEs (yours included) and I'll give you a wooden nickel. Find me a thread where these SEs aren't something that have to be managed if one is working, taking care of kids, taking care of life and I'll give you an honest-to-goodness virtual quarter.

Also, please, please don't start with the whole bac-is-the-be-all-and-end-all. That's simply not reflected in the statistics. As I say, it worked for me and my husband. In earth-shatteringly wonderful ways. But I try not to close doors for people. I had to try everything else before I got to bac. Didn't you? And there is nothing wimpy about taking it the way almost every doctor, and OA himself, recommends.
It took me 4 months, Bluto, of going up and down, trying to find some kind of balance in life when I was completely bushwhacked by bac. I couldn't have done it without support and understanding.
just sayin friend!
(Think of it this way: Not many of us have any need or interest in starting a workout regimin that would require hours at the gym every day and meals of plain ol' chicken breast. Weight loss goals etc... can, in fact, get in the way of doing the real combat--the one that slays the beast. Especially if one is working 40+hours a week. Right? You wouldn't tell everyone that they must do that in order to find relief. 'Though I'm guessing it really, really helps to have all those happy endorphins running around. You've certainly inspired me to keep 'em coming!)

KOKO, brother. And you too Rosey!
Ne

[missyabby1]

Can I start Bac while weaning off topa?

Scarey Stuff

Hey Bluto. T totally concur with Ne here. There is a time and place here, but you are new at this medication and there are plenty of people here who cannot and should not follow your titration schedule. Just cool it man. People can, and will, find there own titration and it is seriously not up to you to encourage a gung ho approach.

Missy

[RedThread12]

Can I start Bac while weaning off topa?

Ne's idea to call Dr. Levin is a good one.

But I still say give it a try if you're ready and willing. Start your baclofen titration low, and pay attention to what happens every time you take 5 mg. Start no higher than 5 mg 3x/day and pay close attention to what happens. Stay with that for 5 days. Some people have strong side effects at low dosages . . . just as many, don't. See what happens for you. There are no side-effects from stopping baclofen after taking it at low dosages for a short period of time.

Full disclosure: I take 2 other meds that carry exactly the same warning regarding respiratory suppression along with my baclofen. I breathe just fine, thank you.

Caution is a good thing, but several of us have definitely NOT been cautious and it's the only way we've survived. I don't know what your desperation-threat level is today. Go with your gut and keep checking in. There IS the "other side!"

[Rosey]

Can I start Bac while weaning off topa?

Sorry, been workin. Didnt think I was gonna get any takers on this thread. Thanks for all your input. I am a RN and I did read alot before I made the choice, but I have quite a tolerance to meds, even sedating meds. I decided to try this. I started at 5 mg BID and 200mg of Topa. Then yesterday...after 3 days, I reduced to 150 of Topa and Bac 5 mg tid. Other than having achey joints I have done fine. Figured if I woke up gasping for air I would go call dibs on my husbands Bipap machine.

[redhead77]

Can I start Bac while weaning off topa?

Ah good Rosey. We are in the same business.

[redhead77]

Can I start Bac while weaning off topa?

Ah good Rosey. I had some downtime at work today and after a brief nap, was going to write a lengthy post on what I found. I guess I don't need to do that. I'm grateful because I'm feeling a tad under the weather today/night. I'm glad I looked, I forgot what amazing search engines we have for drugs in general, and all the other stuff I found on bac. We share a mutual craft.

I get worried about telling others what they should do with drugs in general, if there are potential interactions. What I may be willing to risk for myself, may not be what I think they should risk. I'm not sure if that makes sense.

I'm glad your husband has a bipap machine for backup if necessary. :H

Keep us updated on your progress. I am looking forward to reading about it.

[Rosey]

Can I start Bac while weaning off topa?

Thank you Red for researching for me.... sometimes reading and knowing too much makes me crazy. I need that input from those who have experienced it to validate. So to pay it forward to those who are coming off Topa and want to start Bac....here is my experience. I now am on Topa 50mg BID and BAC 10mg TID. I feel nothin except an in cravings. Yes, I am still drinking. Maybe 10percent less. No side effects. My joints ache badly, that has been gone for quite a while, but I chaulk that up to hormones. I cant wait to feel the bac work. I do have my doctor on board, I dragged him through my antabuse, campral and topa journey too and now he has a few others on topa since it did so well. I had quit for a year and a half before I hit major stress and went back to my first learned coping skill ..... mind numbing drunkeness. It has taken a few appt to talk my Dr into Bac ....printing off articles. Insisted I was off topa before starting bac at 10 mg only.....its a start, but going to take some insistance to get him to go high dose. I had to do the same thing with topa, but more research there. Soooooo coool Dr. A was here today and on Reds thread

[redhead77]

Can I start Bac while weaning off topa?

Yes, it was cool he stopped in. His message was to all of us, and he didn't know how to start a thread. I had just written about him on mine, regarding a visit to Dr L, so I guess it was a good place for him to start.

I'm really glad you have a prescribing doc Rosey. So many people here don't. I'll be curious to see what you think of bac after you've been on Topa. A comparison of how they make you feel so to speak. I'm really glad you've joined us. I'm hopeful this is going to work for you. :l

[Rosey]

Can I start Bac while weaning off topa?

Update.....I weaned off topa without difficulty. Baclofen I am at 30mg TID. Not sure what I think yet. Feel spacey and times, tiredness and insomnia wax and wayne daily. My lips, tongue, fingers and toes feel kinda numb. Weird. I feel like I am in a constant state of PMS. When do I get my antianxiey feeling. I cant say I feel good. i cant stay I am drinking less, At this time I think I liked topa better, although I thougt its effectiveness had declined. Maybe I will feel better once at the switch pointl

Topa was a good drug when I felt it was working. I was on it for a year and a half and remained AF. I got used to the feet and hand parasthesia. Sometimes that made it difficut to sleep. It always got worse with cold wether and vibration. My family got used to my word finding problems and work ..... well they just thought I was a blonde ditz. Calculations were also a problem. Used a calclator and had things double checked.

Going to keep with the bac for now, but am not enjoying it as others have noted. Anyone else had these probs w bac?

[redhead77]

Can I start Bac while weaning off topa?

Good Morning Rosey!

I know it's morning for you, we're in the same time zone. I'm glad you came back with an update. Yup, these are all pretty typical SEs. I noticed you're on 30mg TID now. You've jumped from 5mg BID just over 2 weeks ago, to 30mg TID. This is a rapid titration. I know the doc who is treating many of us here, and some of the others who have been self medicating, are doing better with a slower titration. I think it is recommended to titrate about 20mg a week. What is your doc recommending?

I've done even slower, 10mg a week. With my last titration I did fine for a while and then I didn't. Dr L recommended I drop back down for a while. He thought I should wait a month to try to go up more (my drinking is well controlled, but I'm not indifferent). I feel 2 weeks is long enough, so I decided to go up last night by 10mg again. I have a couple of days off, so now is as good a time as any. It sounds crazy, but there was a time when I couldn't tolerate 200mg (my first time around), but now I can.

If you're having a lot of trouble working or living, you may want to come down by 20mg now. And then start working up more slowly. The other thing is, some people need to take smaller doses more frequently. I didn't tolerate 30mg at a time for a while. I had to take 10mg and then work to 20, and so on. Now I take 40mg 5 times a day, and even more before bed, if I've forgotten a dose. This isn't ideal. It's best to take your doses as consistently as possible (which is true for any drug and I'm sure you know that. ).

My anxiety was reduced almost immediately. When I was having bad SEs (like you are), I didn't notice an anti-anxiety effect. I felt too crappy to notice anything but those.