People who have tapered back to a low dosage?

[RedThread12]

People who have tapered back to a low dosage?

:I've gone down from an all-time high of 240 (except for one memorable overdose) to 80 mg/day. That is, when life is appearing as fairly manageable. Right now I am way in over my head with trying to work and care for an ailing mother and I've upped my dosage to 120-140/day. It's not because I crave alcohol. I don't. But the anxiety creeps in and I get less productive, and find the baclofen keeps me on a more even keel. And I've found that I can alter my dose up to 40 mg/day with ease.

Some people find even the idea of taking 140 mg baclofen/day totally disrupting because of SE's, and the thought of taking it to help with stress seems like a fairy-tale I've made up. But it is truly how it works for me. Maybe my high tolerance and enjoyment of SE's has to do with my past illicit drug usage :H

[DrunkAndTiredInFLA]

People who have tapered back to a low dosage?

RedThread12;1187696 wrote: :I've gone down from an all-time high of 240 (except for one memorable overdose) to 80 mg/day. That is, when life is appearing as fairly manageable. Right now I am way in over my head with trying to work and care for an ailing mother and I've upped my dosage to 120-140/day. It's not because I crave alcohol. I don't. But the anxiety creeps in and I get less productive, and find the baclofen keeps me on a more even keel. And I've found that I can alter my dose up to 40 mg/day with ease.

Some people find even the idea of taking 140 mg baclofen/day totally disrupting because of SE's, and the thought of taking it to help with stress seems like a fairy-tale I've made up. But it is truly how it works for me. Maybe my high tolerance and enjoyment of SE's has to do with my past illicit drug usage :H

Red, I never thought in a million years that I would get up to 120mg's a day. But now that I am there, I understand what you are saying about finding the idea totally disrupting. I, too, feel the idea as totally disrupting, but I would rather keep increasing than keep drinking. Alcoholics taking this medicine, such as ourselves, tend understand this more than others. =)

[DrunkAndTiredInFLA]

People who have tapered back to a low dosage?

Wow, I am reading my post and realizing that I am at 120mg, and I still haven't reached indifference, so I completely understand where you are coming from. Even more now.

[DrunkAndTiredInFLA]

People who have tapered back to a low dosage?

bump =)

[Lo0p]

People who have tapered back to a low dosage?

Anyone remember craving? I followed her story from way back in '09 with her unsuccessful attempt at TSM (over at the TSM boards) through to her amazing recovery with baclofen.

As of April '11 she tapered off baclofen completely without returning to drinking. She's got an amazing story: https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...0-a-42866.html

She is one of those (cured and off to better things) that isn't with us anymore.

[Lo0p]

People who have tapered back to a low dosage?

Anyone remember craving? I followed her story from way back in '09 with her unsuccessful attempt at TSM (over at the TSM boards) through to her amazing recovery with baclofen.

As of April '11 she tapered off baclofen completely without returning to drinking. She's got an amazing story: https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...0-a-42866.html

She is one of those (cured and off to better things) that isn't with us anymore.

[AllyB]

People who have tapered back to a low dosage?

My husband went from a high of 525mg to a regular dose of 275mg to 0. Not being telepathic I can only repeat what he has told me about it but he insists he has no cravings. I thought he got a bit anxious from about 70-50mg. He did drink a couple of times straight after he hit 0 but I suspect that was because he had started a new job and people kept asking him to go to the pub. My gut says that it was a psychological desire to fit in rather than physiological cravings. Though he also went from 275mg - 0 in just over 2 weeks so it's possible the sudden drop threw him a bit. He's been sober since the first week.

He'd probably have titrated down much slower except that we are planning a baby and our doctor was emphatic that he needed to come off baclofen while we tried, due to the risk of DNA fragmentation. Hopefully we'll get pregnant soon as ideally we'd like baclofen to be an option for him over X-mas/New Year.

[DrunkAndTiredInFLA]

People who have tapered back to a low dosage?

bump

[Bminor]

People who have tapered back to a low dosage?

So I'm still at 60mg per day right now. Two weeks ago I started feeling like complete Sh*t and couldn't sleep more than a few hours a night. I tapered waaaaay too fast I think. There were a few days that I just got lazy and may have only taken a total of 30mg's so I bumped it back up to 80 for a few days and now back down to 60. I think I'll shoot for a 10mg reduction every week from here on out. I am determined to get to zero just to see what happens. No alcohol cravings right now. I think I have my mind pretty well made up that I just don't want to drink.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

People who have tapered back to a low dosage?

Keep us posted for sure! I'm watching closely. Not that I'm going to follow right behind...I think when I go down next time I'll go down verrrryyyy slooooowly, too. Not because of the booze, but because of the other benefits (and risks...depression being a big one, apparently.)

thanks, B!

[DrunkAndTiredInFLA]

People who have tapered back to a low dosage?

Lo0p;1189097 wrote: Anyone remember craving? I followed her story from way back in '09 with her unsuccessful attempt at TSM (over at the TSM boards) through to her amazing recovery with baclofen.

As of April '11 she tapered off baclofen completely without returning to drinking. She's got an amazing story: https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...0-a-42866.html

She is one of those (cured and off to better things) that isn't with us anymore.

Thank you Loop! =) Does anyone else have any success stories after baclofen? I haven't hit the switch yet. However, I plan to only stay on baclofen for a year or less, after I hit the switch. I can't deal with how tired it makes me. I get so tired sometimes that I HAVE to sleep. I work full time, and I am a full time student. And taking baclofen has made studying VERY hard. Any and all success stories are appreciated. Thank you! =)

[NC]

People who have tapered back to a low dosage?

NC here. I have not posted in ages. First posted in late 2009. Went up to 310 mg a day and could not stay at that level because of somnolence. Worked a little bit with Dr. Levin. Tapered to 80 mg a day and have been there for over a year. I have a couple of glasses of wine with dinner nightly. Occasionally a bit more if at a party or sociallizing. Have never been intoxicated since late 2009. I am now trying to decide if I am good where I am or should I increase my dose and try to reach complete indifference again. I am at a point where I fear I may relapse and start drinking more than I am.

I originally posted about doing bac and nal together. I stopped nal because I couldn't tell if my success
in stopping drinking was from bac or nal or a combination of the two. Dropping nal did not effect my success in stopping drinking. I think bac was the key for me. That however is a whole different topic.

So, now I am pretty pleased with where I am. But I have a nagging fear that I might start drinking more than I am. I like being able to go out with friends and have a glass or two without getting drunk.
Maybe that is the ideal situation.

[DrunkAndTiredInFLA]

People who have tapered back to a low dosage?

I feel ya NC. The somnolence is getting to me too. But that's only because I am a student. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have an issue with the somnolence. I can only hope that I don't have to increase my dosage all the way up to 300mg a day. I am currently at 130mg a day. However, I plan on increasing my dosage to 140mg tomorrow. I hope to reach indifference soon. I am sick of drinking, and I am sick of being tired. lol My goal is to reach indifference then titrate down and eventually get off of baclofen forever. I can't live like this for the rest of my life.

[_serenity_]

People who have tapered back to a low dosage?

It's been my experience that titrating down too fast after hitting the switch can lead right back to daily drinking. I think that if a person is interested in moderating, you have to be very careful about going down too far in dosage. I felt no cravings when I got back down to 70-80 mgs/day, but when I tried moderating, the beer I was drinking went down too easily and led me back down the wrong path. I've been at 140/day for a few months. I might try to go back down but if I do, I absolutely cannot stick with "moderating." For me, those low doses didn't work with moderation. My 2 cents...

[help4me]

People who have tapered back to a low dosage?

Great thread!

I hit my switch to indifference at 270 back last Feb, but started experimenting with moderation through the spring and was drinking again through the summer. I finally got serious and decided to go for abstinence, so 65 days ago I titrated back up to 270 and switched again (so lucky!!)

I have not drank since and have been titrating down slowly. I am currently at 180, but I hope to continue down to around the 80-100 mark (like you other success stories )

I just love the control that Baclofen gives me. It truly is a miracle for me and I hope so many others find there way to this miracle.....