Just starting Baclofen...Experience and Questions

[APBonLife]

:new:

Hey guys, I am new to the boards and I finally took the next step to register. I wanted to tell you my first experiences with baclofen and had a few questions of great importance.

I started Baclofen 3 weeks ago at 25/day then titrated up to a current does of 125mg/day. In the beginning I would start taking the bac in the morning and another dose at noon and at 5pm(3 times per day). Spreading out the dose this way caused fatigue/somnolence throughout the day and didn't help with the craving which comes on everyday at 6pm when i get home from work. I then tried taking the entire daily dose at the same time around 2pm and that curved my craving when I get home from work...BUT...I could only stay awake until about 8pm...i mean just physically impossible to will myself to stay awake. So my question is where should i go from here? Do I decrease the does and slowly titrate back up or what type of daily schedule should I be taking the bac on? Any recommendations or help would be GREATLY appreciated!!

:thanks:

[redhead77]

Just starting Baclofen...Experience and Questions

:welcome: Bono,

I'm not sure how to shorten your name, so I thought I'd name you after one of my favorite singers. Tell me if that's OK, or if you have something else you'd like to be called. A couple of things here. I probably wouldn't reduce my dose due to somnolence. But that's me, I will and have reduced my dose due other things. Many, many times. You started at 25 mg three weeks and you're now on 125 mg. How have you been titrating up then? Do you increase your doses by the week or every couple of days? It's not unusual to still be craving at 125 mg. Most people don't reach indifference until they are over 200 mg (this is per my Dr, but there have been many different experiences here.) My point is, I wouldn't be expecting to be indifferent, if I were you at this point.

I think you have a pretty good tolerance for the drug in general. The fact that you can take 125 mg at once, and only need to go to sleep tells me as much. This is quite a bit, and most people wouldn't be able to do that without being on this for a long time, and they still might not be able to. It would definately cause drowsiness. I might take less of the drug more frequently (4-5 times a day at first. You'll find your body will be able to tolerate bigger and bigger doses after you are on it for a while.) I think this is your best bet, but I realize you have the 25 mg tabs so cutting them in half and figuring out dosing is tricky. Could you get your hands on 20 mg tabs?

This should not be construed as medical advice. I am not a doctor. Are you working with a doctor?

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Just starting Baclofen...Experience and Questions

Hiya, APB! (Or Bono, if that works? He does rock. Hate the sunglasses thing though. Anyway...)

Welcome! Glad you found us. I would agree with all that Redhead suggested. Which is to say, it's really up to you. Somnolence is a side effect that almost all of us have to deal with. I found that splitting the doses up helped. But maybe that's because I wasn't sure I wanted to take all of it in one fell swoop.

I wouldn't go down.

Is there a problem with going to bed at 8? Seems reasonable to me, but then again, I'm old-ish and I like going to bed early and waking up long before the sun. The somnolence gets easier to deal with. And there are other tools, too. Caffeine and some over the counter stuff, and other prescription meds can help with this. If going to bed early simply doesn't work it seems rational that breaking the doses up again might keep you from keeling over. Some people have found that taking more later in the day helps with the afternoon somnolence.

The craving will subside. It takes time. All good things take time. And then, then it will completely disappear and you'll forget what it was like. Completely.

Edit: Also not a doctor. Just a chick who takes bac.

[ifulovelife2]

Just starting Baclofen...Experience and Questions

Hi APB

Baclofen's not really a good drug to use to try to beat the witching hour. I mean you can and you obviously have, but with the consequence of extreme somnolence. If you just keep upping the dose and spread it out over the day, you'll reach the point of indifference that'll last all day and you'll overcome the witching hour that way.

Lots of people find splitting their dose into many small doses helps beat the side effects. You could try taking it every 2 or even every 1 hour. You may be less fatigued.

Anyway, 125/day after 3 weeks? Cool! You'll be reaching your switch dose in no time, I'm sure.

:welcome: by the way.

[RedThread12]

Just starting Baclofen...Experience and Questions

Firstly, (is that a word?), way to go, Bon. Taking on baclofen, and taking on taking it in a variety of ways, on your own, is laudable.

Nextly, (ditto above), your post makes me curious about how much you are drinking. If you don't drink all day, take baclofen at 2 pm and go to sleep without drinking . . . wowser! I think you just have to wait out the somnolence thing for a while and you'll be golden.

You don't say from where you started, but when I began baclofen, I was losing most of every day to some form of unconsciousness. I guess you could call it sleep, or somnolence. Or passing out. So not knowing your exact position, I'd just encourage you to weigh the benefits of not drinking against going to sleep at 8 pm.

I know which hand would be higher for me, just a few days into baclofen. I have no idea how things might "weigh out" for you. It might depend on how far gone you were/have been with alcohol.

Above all, I totally agree with Ne. Don't go down. If you're not drinking, see how long the 8:00 lasts. It might very well change dramatically w/in a few days. That would be the time to add some more mg earlier in the day.

Of course, this is all easy for me to say. I never experienced somnolence from taking baclofen. Go figure.

Best of luck to you, Bon. Who knows . . . maybe you're just catching up on all the sleep you lost staying up late closing bars when you drank!!

[tiptronic_ct]

Just starting Baclofen...Experience and Questions

Hiya APB and :welcome:

Don't have much to add to what the others have said. Have you read up on people's descriptions of what indifference feels like? Unless you're sure that you've reached that point, I wouldn't even think about tapering down again yet.

Good luck on this journey! It's all worth it.

[APBonLife]

Just starting Baclofen...Experience and Questions

Thanks SOOO much everyone for getting back to me and I think you answered my questions very well and with much information to take away!!!

To answer some of your questions...

Redhead77... Yeah I was using APB in the username (as in police term for a lookout for something or someone)...but I am sure you already know that, just reaffirming . ALSO it is so crazy you mentioned calling me Bono LOL. You hit it dead on because U2 is my favorite group!! I love them! I have been basically titrating up by 25mg twice per week for a total of 50mg per week. I am going to try what you suggested and not decrease my dose but to tackle the somnolence head on and spread my dose out by taking it every couple of hours and seeing how that pans out. And, No..I am not seeing a doctor.

Ne/Neva Eva...I actually like the sunglasses look. If I could get by with it, I would be wearing a different color everyday...kinda cool to see things through different shades of color. OK, I will STOP there because this is delving into more than this post should be heading :H. As far as the side effect of somnolence that i am having...I guess it is not as bad as stomach aches or vomiting. I do have some Methylphenidate that I will try to use throughout the day to see if that will combat the fatigue but not decrease the effects of the BAC. The reason I said that going to bed at 8 is hard on me is because I don't have anytime to get things done around the house because me my wife and daughter get home at 6 and we spend time with her and feed her dinner at 7 and she goes to bed at 8. So all my time is spend playing with her and then preparing dinner for her and then me and my wife. After 8 is the only time I get to keep things in order at my home lol.

RedThread12...yeah i experienced the sleepiness, passing out and unclear thinking...and balance issues when titrating up initially. I would pass out at my desk at work at random times (briefly and then catch myself doing it and try to take short walks around my building to regain my consciousness). As far as my alcohol intake..I drink every day. During the weekdays I start drinking when i get home from work and until about 9:30pm. On the weekend, I would start about 1 pm and drink up until about the same time, 9:30pm. I have been on that schedule for about 3 years now. Definitely something I knew I had to turn around!

tiptronic_ct...no I haven't red up on what indifference feelings are. I will need to look into that so I can have a clearer path of what to start to look for. Thanks.

[DrunkAndTiredInFLA]

Just starting Baclofen...Experience and Questions

Hey APB! =) It has been in my experience that if I continue on the amount that I am currently taking the somnolence subsides. Or it isn't as bad as what you are talking about. I am no longer passing out while trying to do homework (I am a 32 yr old college student). This typically takes about two weeks. Anyway once the somnolence subsides, I increase my dosage. However, I am only increasing my dosage by 10mg's a week. I have found the side effects to be too extreme if I increase my dosage any higher. I know that you want to be sober right away, but this is a medication, and it will eventually happen. There is no reason to rush things and lose your job, because you were sleeping at work. But to each their own. =) Just be weary of any sudden side effects that would be my concern sometimes they don't hit you right away. Good luck to you! =)

[spacebebe01]

Just starting Baclofen...Experience and Questions

Just wanted to wish you well, and suggest that going to be at 8pm may be a good thing in that it will leave you less drinking time