Can I Start Taking Baclofen While Still Drinking Heavily?

[TimetoQuit]

I received my very first shipment of baclofen today, and I am thrilled to actually begin taking this medication. I have been looking through the forum for information about how alcohol interacts with baclofen, if you are taking it while still maintaining patterns of heavy drinking. Forum members are great at sharing the amounts of baclofen they are taking daily, but I am curious if people are also still drinking? It's hard for me to imagine quitting or severely reducing my drinking as I start on the low dosages of baclofen from the start...

Is it safe to drink while I begin to take baclofen? Any guidance would be helpful, as I would like to start taking it hopefully tonight, unless large quantities of alcohol (8-10 beers) would have a negative impact, in which case I would wait until tomorrow and reduce consumption if required.

Are there any safe guidelines for alcohol consumption while taking baclofen?

Thank you,

TimetoQuit

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Can I Start Taking Baclofen While Still Drinking Heavily?

I drank (a lot) and took baclofen. All the way up to indifference. I suspect the experience is more painful that way. Seethepony had such a bad hangover that he just up and quit drinking. (Imagine that!? ) I can't remember how long it took him, not long, and it was about 65mg of bac, if I remember correctly.

I guess I would suggest waiting until the morning to start. New dawn and all that. But it won't really matter, I suppose. I couldn't wait. Redthread took hers in the parking lot of the post office. We get it...

However, how much bac you ordered is something you should think a lot about over the next couple of days.

Congrats, Time! It's the first step to freedom and the view from this side is pretty amazing!

[TimetoQuit]

Can I Start Taking Baclofen While Still Drinking Heavily?

Hi Neva Eva,

It's so great to get prompt feedback on this site from such seasoned veterans as yourself, I feel humbled. I will wait until tomorrow before I take baclofen, and at least have a full day of doses in my system before I consume any alcohol. I am starting small, 3 x 5mg and pretty much following the cautious titration schedules, although the thought if reaching indifference sooner than later is tempting, but I will have to let my body be the one to decide how fast/slow I progress, based on side-effects.

When you say that your experience might have been more painful because you were drinking while taking baclofen, can you explain please? If you were drinking quite a lot while taking baclofen, how did you feel?

Also, with regards to how much baclofen I ordered, I think I will be ordering another more sizable batch to allow for the increased dosages over time...I only have 100 x 10mg right now, but I still have to figure out how much baclofen I will use up over time, based upon increasing dosages. I will likely consider getting a batch of 25mg tablets and to help finding the right daily doses.

So, say I start taking baclofen for the first time tomorrow, (likely 3x5mg to start), and I end up drinking the same as I usually do, what might happen? Will I feel symptoms of the alcohol and baclofen interacting, and if so, what might this feel like?

Regards,
TtoQ

[ifulovelife2]

Can I Start Taking Baclofen While Still Drinking Heavily?

Hi TtoQ

I carried on drinking heavily while titrating up. Many/most people do. Some people report worse hangovers on baclofen, although that wasn't my experience.

Go for it, there's no need to delay.

[TimetoQuit]

Can I Start Taking Baclofen While Still Drinking Heavily?

Drinking While Taking Baclofen

Hi Brenda,

Thanks for that message, as I feel less worried about things, and took my first "hit" of baclofen tonight. It has begun....I guess the fear of the unknown is out there, as in what to expect in terms of side effects - I just hope I can function at work, but I have a feeling this won't be an issue for a little while.

Now I think I have to re-order some more baclofen so that I don't have to worry about running out as the shipping times can fluctuate.

Thanks for letting me know about your drinking while taking baclofen... it's going to be my reality for a while I think.

TtoQ

[bobsd]

Can I Start Taking Baclofen While Still Drinking Heavily?

Congrats T2Q!!! You did it...

Definitely have a reserve of bac on hand! Buy it now. There is no need to have to worry about having enough- you have enough on your plate.

PM me with any questions you have. Baclofen works!

[tiptronic_ct]

Can I Start Taking Baclofen While Still Drinking Heavily?

Well done on taking the decision to go the bac route, TtoQ :goodjob:

I was also still drinking when I started on baclofen. I was one of the "unfortunate" ones who suffered from worse hangovers with the bac / AL combination. My approach was to deliberately taper my drinking while I titrated up on baclofen. I thought it would serve me well to reduce the harm I was still doing to myself, and I think it did, given how bad my drinking was at the time.

Have a look at the Tool Box thread in monthly abstinenece - you'll find great ideas on helping you cut down as you work towards indifference on bac.

Good luck!

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Can I Start Taking Baclofen While Still Drinking Heavily?

TimetoQuit;1209784 wrote:
When you say that your experience might have been more painful because you were drinking while taking baclofen, can you explain please? If you were drinking quite a lot while taking baclofen, how did you feel?
...


So, say I start taking baclofen for the first time tomorrow, (likely 3x5mg to start), and I end up drinking the same as I usually do, what might happen? Will I feel symptoms of the alcohol and baclofen interacting, and if so, what might this feel like?

Hiya, Time. I had terrible SEs and I think they were often related to drinking (and not eating!) I often felt like crap. :H But I didn't feel well in general, because I was a drunk. Every day got off to a pretty lousy, very hungover, start.

Likely nothing will happen. Yes, you might. You'll be able to tell us today!

[Grommet]

Can I Start Taking Baclofen While Still Drinking Heavily?

Congrats on your big step T2Q!

I too am one of the unluckies that experience much worse hangovers on Bac.

This is my 2nd go around on Bac. I definitely had the same fear of the unknown as you the first time. Not so much this time.

For me, taking it slow was the best route - but everyone's different. I have this highly unscientific and unsubstantiated theory that it takes several weeks for the Bac to take hold, then going AF becomes much easier (the brutal hangovers helped as well...)

Definitely place that second order of Bac, then put some emergency sheets in your car, briefcase/purse, etc. I also set aside enough for a safe titration down if my, er, supply chain were ever disrupted. The first go around I was "flying blind", without the guidance of a Doc. If that is the case with you, the extra precautions should provide a sense of safety.

Good luck and I look forward to reading your updates!

[Bill Gorton]

Can I Start Taking Baclofen While Still Drinking Heavily?

This is my second go around as well. The first time, I increased my dosage by 25 mg/day every three days. This time, I'm increasing it by 20 mg every week, and I'm not experiencing any noticeable side effects at 210 mg. Several others have said that the side effects were much milder on their second try. The side effects can seem strange, but they are usually less of an interference than frequent hangovers. BTW, I never experienced increased hangovers while taking bac and drinking.

DEFINITELY order some more ASAP. Although bac isn't psychologically addictive, it is very physically addictive at high doses. Overseas orders can take much longer than you expect, so plan for the worst. Make sure you have enough on hand to safely taper off if your shipment doesn't arrive. I'm not certain, by I would say reducing your daily dosage by 25 mg every three days would be pretty safe. If you run into an emergency, you can call Dr L (some people here can PM you his number if you need it.) In general, the medical profession, including addiction specialists, are ignorant or skeptical of baclofen, so don't count on them to prescribe it.

I reached indifference several months ago, but I started having panic/anxiety attacks shortly thereafter, so I tapered off and started drinking again. I believe bac works, but you probably need a pretty high dose to adequately stem your cravings, so don't expect immediate results.

I'll say this one more time for emphasis: if you're serious about trying bac, place a large order ASAP. This is one of those medications you don't want to be without when you need it.

[TimetoQuit]

Can I Start Taking Baclofen While Still Drinking Heavily?

Hi all,

Well, this is day 3 starting on baclofen, and I am going the slow/moderate route as recommended by many, starting at 3x5mg for 3 days, then increasing to 3x10 for 4 days, and adding 10mg more for each next 4-day increment. I wanted to limit possible side effects while also being able to function at work. I soon realized after my first order of 100 x 10mg, that once I start titrating up, I will burn through much more baclofen. I was actually lucky in Canada to easily get my order from Goldpharma and it only took 8 days from Berlin! I have already placed a second order of 300 x 25mg so I won't run out.

I must admit, that at the low dose I am on to start, I am still able to consume alcohol with out any negative interactions, and the only thing I have experienced is feeling drowsy/tired at frequent intervals, but only lasts less than a minute. I realize I am just beginning this journey, but having all our feedback is very helpful, so that none of us newbies have to re-invent the wheel here.

I am still unsure of how much I will want or feel like drinking once the dosages increase, but that is why I ask here for your experiences, and have heard of mixed feelings, ranging from little or no effects while drinking, to bad hangovers. As a seasoned drinker and functional alcoholic, I no longer get hangovers, just feel more tired and less able to focus during the day, but hopefully all that will one day be a thing of the past.... Ah baclofen... will you be the answer to my problems?

I, and a few other members have recently stumbled on this amazing forum, and it has literally changed my life in terms of opening my eyes to the latest treatment options for dealing with alcohol use/abuse, and having this wonderful forum is often more fulfilling than my infrequent doctor appointments, where I feel I have to do all the research but still don't get anywhere with her prescribing baclofen. Thankfully I, and most of you are able to embark on this journey simply by acquiring it ourselves and helping each other understand titration schedules, and Dr. Ameisen's "The End of My Addiction" was a huge help in helping me realize there is real hope.

TimetoQuit

[Dosage0]

Can I Start Taking Baclofen While Still Drinking Heavily?

Hey Time,

Good luck on your journey! I can chime in on the hangover parts. I NEVER got a hangover and almost NEVER threw up (I would always black out -- flex!) prior to taking Baclofen. After getting up to ~200mg I started feeling more "normal" and less anxious without booze. As a result, I drank less alcohol. I still can tie one on if I want to, but it requires a lot more effort on my end. On most nights I will get to 3-4 and decide that it isn't worth the effort of getting drunk. Also, if I do push forward and keep drinking, the hangovers are much worse! I used to actually like being hungover, because it gave my head more to concentrate on than feeling anxious. Now when I normally go about my day I am generally much less anxious so I have time to think about how badly my head hurts.

It is a strange feeling and a strange trip, but just keep at it.

[spacebebe01]

Can I Start Taking Baclofen While Still Drinking Heavily?

Hi Time, I had already stopped drinking using antabuse when I started ban both this time and the last time, (although I didnt take antabuse then) so cant really comment on how it goes taking bac and drinking and then hoping that you will somehow just stop drinking as a result, if that is the idea. Would you consider cutting down on the alsohol as you increase the bac, from what ive heard on here it helps the bac work better the less you drink I think. Whatever way you choose to do it I send my best wishes that you carry on and make it work.

[TimetoQuit]

Can I Start Taking Baclofen While Still Drinking Heavily?

Curious about the pros/cons of taking it slow...

Ok, so I have decided to stick to the slow approach, titrating up only 10mg every 4 days, which looks like this:

Day 1-3: 15mg/day
Day 4-7: 30mg/day
Day 8-11: 40mg/day
Day 12-15: 50mg/day
Day 16-19: 60mg/day
Day 20-23: 70mg/day
Day 24-27: 80mg/day
Day 28-31: 90mg/day
........etc.....

From what I have seen around the forum, this is likely a very slow approach, which I understand, but my reasons are to eliminate the effects of the side effects, and to allow my body to adjust to this new drug. I have heard of people that have reached indifference to alcohol within 8 days, but at some cost with regards to side effects, etc... I am in no rush, but I pose these questions to the forum for going this slow route:

1) Can you possibly go TOO slow, where you are reducing the likelihood that baclofen will work its magic?
2) If I am drinking during this entire process of slow titration, does this have an impact - good or bad?
3) If you think this approach is too slow, can you tell me why, and also if you think this approach is NOT too slow, then I would also like to hear about that.

Thanks!
TimetoQuit

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Can I Start Taking Baclofen While Still Drinking Heavily?

TimetoQuit;1212877 wrote:
1) Can you possibly go TOO slow, where you are reducing the likelihood that baclofen will work its magic?
2) If I am drinking during this entire process of slow titration, does this have an impact - good or bad?
3) If you think this approach is too slow, can you tell me why, and also if you think this approach is NOT too slow, then I would also like to hear about that.

1. This has been warmly debated, but I don't think so. That titration is definitely not too slow. Never met anyone that achieved long lasting indifference in 8 days, except our favorite anomaly. (Lo0p)
2. um, yes. :H Booze affects everything, right? Some of us had terrible hangovers, some had terrible SEs related to alcohol consumption, some didn't.
3. IMHO, it's a marathon not a race. Overcoming anything habitual takes time, effort and practice. Overcoming something habitual that is related to an imbalance in brain chemistry, a driving need, and physical dependence means, well, that it's going to take time, effort and practice. Seems to me, anyway. Differences between bac and conventional approaches to recovery from debilitating disease are vast, but there are similarities. Again, just my opinion.

Planning and thinking ahead would have really helped me, I think. Woulda, coulda, shoulda... :upset: Bottom line? It works. You will not want to drink anymore. Pretty amazing stuff.
You're well on your way!