Baclofen honeymoon

[Nutshell]

Baclofen honeymoon

I should be more descriptive though. When I say two beers, I mean two half-litre 5% beers. The equivalent of three regular size Heineken bottles.

[Cinders]

Baclofen honeymoon

Nutshell,

I just wanted to say I have been watching your journey and am getting just a bit excited for you.

Here's to reaching your switch and being able to get on with learning to live your life free of this addiction. (I toast with a glass of iced tea.)

Cindi

[Otter]

Baclofen honeymoon

One theory of dosage supported by doctors is to spread out the dose as evenly as possible throughout the day and night so as to avoid spikes and troughs so you don't crave as it wears off and the side effects are kept to a minimum. You play around with the levels and the timing until you get it right but the idea is to keep it even and level. I know there is a difference of opinion on that and some take fewer but bigger doses. I know that some who are involved heavily in this form of treatment are getting results at much lower dosage, under 100mg per day just by splitting it into lots of small doses.

[Nutshell]

Baclofen honeymoon

Cinders;1240332 wrote: Nutshell,

I just wanted to say I have been watching your journey and am getting just a bit excited for you.

Here's to reaching your switch and being able to get on with learning to live your life free of this addiction. (I toast with a glass of iced tea.)

Cindi

Thanks, Cindi. I toast you with an empty hand (for now).

[Nutshell]

Baclofen honeymoon

Otter;1240336 wrote: One theory of dosage supported by doctors is to spread out the dose as evenly as possible throughout the day and night so as to avoid spikes and troughs so you don't crave as it wears off and the side effects are kept to a minimum. You play around with the levels and the timing until you get it right but the idea is to keep it even and level. I know there is a difference of opinion on that and some take fewer but bigger doses. I know that some who are involved heavily in this form of treatment are getting results at much lower dosage, under 100mg per day just by splitting it into lots of small doses.

That's an interesting thought. I tried to split it into four doses before, but found that the side effects were bad. I also found myself more likely to forget a dose. Maybe I would have found indifference sooner if I had tried to stick with that. Currently, I take three doses, six hours apart.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Baclofen honeymoon

As Otter mentioned, Nut, there are lots of options for when and how you take it. I stick with recommending a version of the titration mentioned here most often. Particularly when it comes to taking it at night. It's so important to sleep, and sleep well when you can.

The important thing to remember is that you'll hit indifference when you hit indifference...Ya' know? It doesn't really matter as much how you ingest it, so much as that you ingest it.* If splitting it up 3x/works, stick with it. You'll get there, of that I have no doubt.

*a caveat: taken regularly, in stable doses, etc...Switching it up regularly, in terms of amounts or times, seems to be counterproductive, just based on my experience and those I've seen here.

I don't know that I have the experience of it taking a couple of days for me to feel the effects of a change, either. However, I think I am...sensitive. and

[Nutshell]

Baclofen honeymoon

Good morning all by the way.

I don't make a habit of switching around the daily doses. I have been fairly consistent with taking it three times a day, doses six hours apart. The only thing I wonder is if I had upped the doses more quickly, would I have reached indifference earlier? I have only been increasing my daily intake once a week, and so I have experienced relatively mild side effects, but it I do wonder if that has made it take longer for me to get to the end.

I have read through your thread Ne, and other people's threads, and it seems as though you have all experienced worse side effects than me, but that you have also found indifference at much lower doses. I think that if I didn't have to drive to work, I would have experimented with quicker increases.

[bleep]

Baclofen honeymoon

Nutshell;1240356 wrote: The only thing I wonder is if I had upped the doses more quickly, would I have reached indifference earlier? I have only been increasing my daily intake once a week, and so I have experienced relatively mild side effects, but it I do wonder if that has made it take longer for me to get to the end.

I'd disagree with that. I reckon everyone has a number, and how you get there is irrelevant. Going quickly means you are likely to overshoot this number, but you'll get there quicker, is all. I've played around with my daily doses more than you would believe, in quantity, timing, split, etc., and after all this, it seems to come back to one number all the time.

All my opinion obviously, we don't actually 'know' very much at all, and it's very frustrating.

Oh, morning to you as well

[Nutshell]

Baclofen honeymoon

Thanks, bleep. I am really envious of people who are able to get a prescription through someone like Dr. Levin, but having a forum like this where people are able to offer reassurance is invaluable.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Baclofen honeymoon

Nutshell;1240356 wrote: Good morning all by the way.

I don't make a habit of switching around the daily doses. I have been fairly consistent with taking it three times a day, doses six hours apart. The only thing I wonder is if I had upped the doses more quickly, would I have reached indifference earlier? I have only been increasing my daily intake once a week, and so I have experienced relatively mild side effects, but it I do wonder if that has made it take longer for me to get to the end.

I have read through your thread Ne, and other people's threads, and it seems as though you have all experienced worse side effects than me, but that you have also found indifference at much lower doses. I think that if I didn't have to drive to work, I would have experimented with quicker increases.
:blush: to the reading the thread. I am still annoyed with myself that in a fit of pique and paranoia I erased the beginning. Then again, the end is bad enough. Nothing like airing your dirty laundry for the entire WWW to see. It's one of the reasons I use "bac" instead of "baclofen." I don't want people to google baclofen and find my thoughts on the matter.

And I dunno about how much lower is much lower. I took 320mg (or 340mg, I can't remember and have written both.) So...Not too much lower! Anyway, it's not the number. Or the time. It's the goal.
I'm glad you don't play around with your doses/amounts. It is probably one of the reasons you can actually take 375mg and function, you know? And were you the one that mentioned that the SEs are much more bearable (for you) at the high doses? That was totally true for me, too.

Nutshell;1240751 wrote: Thanks, bleep. I am really envious of people who are able to get a prescription through someone like Dr. Levin, but having a forum like this where people are able to offer reassurance is invaluable.

Agreed. On all counts.

bleep;1240451 wrote: I'd disagree with that. I reckon everyone has a number, and how you get there is irrelevant. Going quickly means you are likely to overshoot this number, but you'll get there quicker, is all. I've played around with my daily doses more than you would believe, in quantity, timing, split, etc., and after all this, it seems to come back to one number all the time.

All my opinion obviously, we don't actually 'know' very much at all, and it's very frustrating.

Oh, morning to you as well

[Nutshell]

Baclofen honeymoon

Ne/Neva Eva;1241381 wrote: :blush: to the reading the thread. I am still annoyed with myself that in a fit of pique and paranoia I erased the beginning. Then again, the end is bad enough. Nothing like airing your dirty laundry for the entire WWW to see. It's one of the reasons I use "bac" instead of "baclofen." I don't want people to google baclofen and find my thoughts on the matter.

And I dunno about how much lower is much lower. I took 320mg (or 340mg, I can't remember and have written both.) So...Not too much lower! Anyway, it's not the number. Or the time. It's the goal.
I'm glad you don't play around with your doses/amounts. It is probably one of the reasons you can actually take 375mg and function, you know? And were you the one that mentioned that the SEs are much more bearable (for you) at the high doses? That was totally true for me, too.



Agreed. On all counts.

It is a shame that you can't read your entire 'Baclofen diary', but I think that it's okay for us to make mistakes along the way. Something I am working hard at is to not be too critical of myself over little errors that I have made.

I think it probably is true that I have observed fewer side effects because of the gradual increases, and the consistent dose schedule, though I am not sure if I am experiencing fewer side effects at a higher dose because I am not someone who has experienced the 'game changing' side effects that other users have reported on here.

[Nutshell]

Baclofen honeymoon

Well...

Back to the drinking again. I think I'll avoid making any more proclamations until I have had at least a week or two alcohol free.

Today, I have increased my daily intake by adding half a 25mg pill to my morning dose.

06:00 - 137.5mg
12:00 - 125mg
18:00 - 125mg

Total = 387.5mg

The idea here is to increase my dose more slowly so that I hopefully don't 'skip over the switch', as bleep talked about.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Baclofen honeymoon

My husband and I had a long conversation about what it was like to reach indifference for each of us. In his case, he became really averse to the idea, and simply didn't want one. (There's more, but it's his story.)

I remembered some things about my own, that you might relate to. (Or not? :H) I sometimes found it kind of yucky to think about drinking. But drank anyway. Toward the end I was only drinking a couple a night, with some humdingers (that's a lot of booze) thrown in on occasion. (omg, I do not wish those hangovers on ANYONE.)
The night that I stopped drinking against my will was cold. And dreary and rainy and I just didn't feel like stopping to get a 6 pack. (The fact that we did not have a huge stash of booze in the house, and that I was buying my booze 6 at a time, is very telling.) So I didn't. I had a really fun night. I vacuumed. (Livin' large, I know!) And cleaned and had music on and was la-la-la-ing through my night when I got a phone call from a MWOer! WOW! Now that was cool. I'd talked to one other MWOer before, but he and I had exchanged tons of emails, etc... This call was out of the blue, and I was so excited...But anyway.

That was it. No bells and whistles. But the fat lady was singing LOUDLY. It was over.

What I've realized since then is that I didn't really want to quit drinking. Or rather, it's all I wanted in life, to quit drinking against my will. BUT every time I'd quit drinking before I'd been miserable. And I'd failed miserably at being a non-drinker. THAT was terrifying and traumatic--to not be able to do the one damn thing I wanted and willed with every fiber of my being. And that is the difference that baclofen makes. I have been completely indifferent about booze; about it's existence on our planet, about how it smells and tastes and feels, about ALL of it. Drink? Or not drink? Whatever. It doesn't matter to me. And THAT is what will happen when you're ready, and your brain chemistry is not out of whack anymore.

One last note: For the last month (or more) during my titration up, people kept wondering what the hell I was doing. Why didn't I just quit drinking, for God's sake? I was never going to get there...blah. blah. blah. And I kept going up. And up. And up. Because what I thought I understood is that I wouldn't want to drink. That's the promise. And it's true. You won't want to drink.

Staying right where you are, or going up, is up to you and exactly right, whichever you choose. But don't lose hope. You won't want to drink. How cool is that?
:l

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Baclofen honeymoon

And I've got to add some laughter, because typing that makes me smile. My life, every single day, is free from booze and it still makes me do a little dance. And laugh. A lot of laughing around here.

:H:H:H YAY!

[Nutshell]

Baclofen honeymoon

Ne/Neva Eva;1244665 wrote: My husband and I had a long conversation about what it was like to reach indifference for each of us. In his case, he became really averse to the idea, and simply didn't want one. (There's more, but it's his story.)

I remembered some things about my own, that you might relate to. (Or not? :H) I sometimes found it kind of yucky to think about drinking. But drank anyway. Toward the end I was only drinking a couple a night, with some humdingers (that's a lot of booze) thrown in on occasion. (omg, I do not wish those hangovers on ANYONE.)
The night that I stopped drinking against my will was cold. And dreary and rainy and I just didn't feel like stopping to get a 6 pack. (The fact that we did not have a huge stash of booze in the house, and that I was buying my booze 6 at a time, is very telling.) So I didn't. I had a really fun night. I vacuumed. (Livin' large, I know!) And cleaned and had music on and was la-la-la-ing through my night when I got a phone call from a MWOer! WOW! Now that was cool. I'd talked to one other MWOer before, but he and I had exchanged tons of emails, etc... This call was out of the blue, and I was so excited...But anyway.

That was it. No bells and whistles. But the fat lady was singing LOUDLY. It was over.

What I've realized since then is that I didn't really want to quit drinking. Or rather, it's all I wanted in life, to quit drinking against my will. BUT every time I'd quit drinking before I'd been miserable. And I'd failed miserably at being a non-drinker. THAT was terrifying and traumatic--to not be able to do the one damn thing I wanted and willed with every fiber of my being. And that is the difference that baclofen makes. I have been completely indifferent about booze; about it's existence on our planet, about how it smells and tastes and feels, about ALL of it. Drink? Or not drink? Whatever. It doesn't matter to me. And THAT is what will happen when you're ready, and your brain chemistry is not out of whack anymore.

One last note: For the last month (or more) during my titration up, people kept wondering what the hell I was doing. Why didn't I just quit drinking, for God's sake? I was never going to get there...blah. blah. blah. And I kept going up. And up. And up. Because what I thought I understood is that I wouldn't want to drink. That's the promise. And it's true. You won't want to drink.

Staying right where you are, or going up, is up to you and exactly right, whichever you choose. But don't lose hope. You won't want to drink. How cool is that?
:l

Thanks for that, Ne. You seem to be able to put more into your posts than I ever could.

A lot of my habits sound similar to yours. I tend to start the day looking in the mirror, and seeing 30-40lbs I have put on because of 900-1500 extra calories I consume every day through beer. Then I still find myself stopping off for the equivalent of your six-pack. Round and round again. Over and over. Then I come on here and read all of your stories, saying exactly the same things that I have been thinking. It keeps me going.

I will never understand the people who say, 'Why don't you just stop drinking?'. It's just shows a total lack of empathy.

I have noticed a significant change over the last couple of days. Since I increased my daily intake, I have been able to stay up a lot later. For the past couple of months, Baclofen has been dictating the time I go to sleep at, and it has usually been a couple of hours earlier than I otherwise would. So it's not the change I'm necessarily looking for, but it is something positive over falling asleep really early.