Ten years at 70 UK units a week. Now on baclofen.

[amalie1309]

I used to think I was a heavy drinker but about 3 weeks ago I realised I am an alcoholic. Nothing terrible happened. No terrible session or blackouts or argument. I thought I just drank heavily because I liked wine. I kept trying to cut down but there was always a party or stressy day which meant that it was too easy to open a bottle of wine. I just realised that I could not cut down let alone quit and that it is only going to get worse. My husband also drinks a bottle of wine a day but he does not think he has a problem and will not cut down. This is why I have started baclofen. My will power crumbles. I hope that it might help me to not drink even while he is drinking. I have started on 3x10mg yesterday. I am 133lbs and plan to go to 3x20mg on day 4, 3x30mg on day 8. I bought novartis 10 mg because they are well known in the UK. I would really appreciate some titration suggestions, especially from similar sized women for whom baclofen is working.:new:

[tiptronic_ct]

Ten years at 70 UK units a week. Now on baclofen.

:hallo: Amalie and :welcome:

I think your titration schedule needs adjustment - you'll be going up too fast. I'm on my phone at the moment, so it's difficult to post a link to an example titration. If someone else doesn't come along and post the info for you, I'll do so later.

Your weight and sex is immaterial, by the way.

[tiptronic_ct]

Ten years at 70 UK units a week. Now on baclofen.

Hi again, Amalie

Have a look at this thread: https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...log-34166.html (see page 10, post #95). That is the titration schedule Dr. Ameisen originally followed.

I hope someone who is under Dr. Levin's care will share their titration scehule with you. I'm not sure if it's the same or not. I'm afraid I'm one of the old-timers who followed the DIY route based on Dr. A's self-case study.

[gotta stop]

Ten years at 70 UK units a week. Now on baclofen.

Hi Amalie, welcome!
My titration started as 5-5-5 for 4 days then bumed up to 5-10-5 and up little by little. Your body will let you know if you are going to fast, you will feel the effects. I dont believe a fast titration is dangerous (unless you were jumping by 100mg or something) but you may find the SEs harder. Anyway, just my opinion and again:welcome: - Welcome!

[RedThread12]

Ten years at 70 UK units a week. Now on baclofen.

Hi Amalie:

Since Tip is busy, I'll jump in and tell you how/where most people start with their baclofen titration. I, personally, started taking it 3 years ago, and kind of made my own way, and it looks as if I did roughly half of what you posted. I was one of the extremely lucky ones who never had any serious, off-putting side effects. Not even somnolence. No explanation for that, but I'm proof it can happen!

I may have this part wrong, but I think that Dr. Levin, whose name you will come across a lot as you read the posts, suggests starting out at 5 mg 3x/day for 5-7 days, then 10 mg 3x/day for 5-7 days. If things are going well at that point he suggests going up by 20 mg/week every week until you reach a point of indifference.

I actually could be completely wrong about that and he may suggest something even more conservative. Someone will come in and correct me if that's the case.

I started by taking 10 mg 3x/day. I was desperate and I took my first pill in the parking lot of the post office :H. But it worked! I only had 2 drinks that day and never got drunk again. I stayed at that dosage for several days, then started titrating up according somewhat closely to Zenstyle's early post (I'll see if I can find it for you) and how my body was reacting. I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but I rather enjoyed the SE's as I titrated up, and you'll see plenty of bac threads where that was the case for others, too. First, a visceral release from anxiety, then a release from craving, then spaciness and a general feeling of well-being. I took sleep-meds, so I never lost a night's sleep and never suffered from somnolence. But I digress onto my own story! Sorry. Back to titration:

The overall consensus seems to be that the turtle wins this race, although plenty of people have rabbited to success. If you are one who gets hit hard by side effects, probably even if you're noticing any at the dosage you mention above, slowing down is not a regress, but a progress.

Ahhh . . . I see Tip has offered some direction, so I'll leave it here. I, too, was an early adapter and used my own body's information to tell me what to do next.

Good luck! Baclofen works!!! And welcome!!

And I also see that Tip has already found Zen's thread. Faster than a speeding bullet, man. Or maybe I'm just too wordy!

[amalie1309]

Ten years at 70 UK units a week. Now on baclofen.

Thank you guys. I have looked at your suggestions and appreciate the advice about a slow titration. I have been on 3 x 10mg for 2 days with no SEs so will stay on this but for 10 days or so. I have seen reference to p.r.n. What is this?

[DrunkAndTiredInFLA]

Ten years at 70 UK units a week. Now on baclofen.

Hey Amalie! I work with Dr. Levin, and his dosage goes as follows :

First four days 5mg's (in the morning)
Next three days two 5mg's (once in the morning and once in the evening)
The next week 10mg three times a day eight hours apart
Following week 20mg three days a day again eight hours apart
Increase your dosage 10mg each time (three times a day) each week

However I will say that due to side effects, you may not be able to increase your dosage as I have listed. This was my problem. I am now just going with how my body feels. When the side effects subside, I increase my dosage. Good luck and stay on track. =)

[gotta stop]

Ten years at 70 UK units a week. Now on baclofen.

amalie1309;1187812 wrote: Thank you guys. I have looked at your suggestions and appreciate the advice about a slow titration. I have been on 3 x 10mg for 2 days with no SEs so will stay on this but for 10 days or so. I have seen reference to p.r.n. What is this?

Hey,
I dont think you will need to stay at 10-10-10 for 10 days, 4-5 should be long enough - but that's your call PRN - while I do not know what it stands for, I believe it means once and a while or as needed - like tylenol for a headache - you dont take it all the time, just when you get a headache. Make sense? Keep posting!

[DrunkAndTiredInFLA]

Ten years at 70 UK units a week. Now on baclofen.

gotta stop;1187841 wrote: Hey,
I dont think you will need to stay at 10-10-10 for 10 days, 4-5 should be long enough - but that's your call PRN - while I do not know what it stands for, I believe it means once and a while or as needed - like tylenol for a headache - you dont take it all the time, just when you get a headache. Make sense? Keep posting!

Gotta, I was told by the pharmacist not to take aspirin for a headache while on baclofen but to take Motrin aka Ibuprofen. Just a note. =)

[amalie1309]

Ten years at 70 UK units a week. Now on baclofen.

The 10-10-10 dosage for 10 days or so was partly about bringing it into line with the dosage Tip's Zan link suggested. I've started off a bit aggressively (altho' unintentionally as I thought I'd read something similar elsewhere in the forums) but am now persuaded that slower is better.

I have noticed I am pretty headachy today. Is this an SE or have I just got a headache? I only had 2 small glasses of wine last night.

On a different note, my friend is training to be a GP. A man of 30 came in to see her complaining of very bad headaches over the previous month. He thought he had a brain tumour. After asking him lots of questions about his habits and any changes in habits he said that he'd been on holiday recently and had started drinking every day (he was previously teetotal). She asked him if he had had any more alcohol since returning from holidays 2 weeks ago and he said that he had carried on drinking every evening. He was stunned to find out that his wasn't a brain tumour but a hangover!

It occurred to me that even though my doctor friend is the kindest, most non-judgemental person you could wish to know, I couldn't bring myself to ask her about baclofen or treatments for alcoholism.