Scared, but going to try baclofen on my own

[redhead77]

Scared, but going to try baclofen on my own

:welcome: Sabby,

I agree with the others, I really enjoyed your first post and I think you're going about this with a cool head. A well thinking scientific head. I hope this will be somewhat smooth sailing for you. You have a good support network at home, and you're in good health, so two big things going in your favor.

[Bruunhilde]

Scared, but going to try baclofen on my own

Hi Sabby, welcome!

I noted you're on aldactone for high testosterone - does it help hairloss? Do you have other symptoms it keeps down?

I couldn't take bac because my blood pressure went too high, so it sounds like you don't have to worry about that.

[SabbyATL]

Scared, but going to try baclofen on my own

Thanks Red and Bruun - I am very much ready to get started. I hope my bac comes in soon (and doesn't get confiscated by customs!).

Bruun - I don't have hairloss with my high test. I, disgustingly enough, grow a BEARD. It's not quite like a man's beard but it's a lot like a teenage boy's beard - spotty. And it's mostly red hair. But it's that thick bristly kind. The spironolactone keeps it under control, but doesn't get rid of it.

I'm hoping to go for laser hair removal in the near future. Because we've all seen old ladies with beards. You KNOW there was a time when they were young and pretty. And when the hair started growing, probably in their 30s, they shaved or plucked. But, they got old and it got too hard and they stopped caring.

I don't want to turn into that old lady and I know I will! I've already gotten cantankerous and I'm just about to be 37!

It also helps with some water retention I would get around my period. The high test made that worse for me than it does for most women, gaining around TEN POUNDS. Now I just gain about three.

But, I have read that spiro has helped other women with male pattern baldness, so you might want to talk to your doctor about it. It's a cheap med, too.

I'm sorry to hear about the bac making your BP go up. That's kind of weird since, as a muscle relaxer, one of it's main side effects is lowering BP. I hope you've found another way out.

For me I'm worried that by BP will disappear altogether! Ha ha, not really but I am worried about getting really hypotensive, passing out, etc.

[redhead77]

Scared, but going to try baclofen on my own

Hi Sabby!

One more post before the carpet. For some reason HDB makes some people have htn. It seems like people are all over the place with their BPs though. In your case, it might even raise it some when you get to the higher doses, we'll see. I'm glad to see you're bac. I was getting worried that you didn't post for a number of days. Keep us updated on your progress. When is your shipment due to arrive? I guess you're one who's online order got through. Some people are having big problems getting their baclofen ordered from abroad, so keep this in mind when you place your next order. I wanted to tell you, we are the same age! Alright, I'm checking out...

[SabbyATL]

Scared, but going to try baclofen on my own

Hi Red,

I haven't gone away. But my shipment hasn't come in yet. I got shipment confirmation on Dec 1 and it says it will take 7-14 days. So, it could show up any day.

Once I start I will be more regular on here, posting it as a sort of diary so I can get input from everyone here.

I here you loud and clear about problems with shipments. I bought 10mg*400. I figured that's enough to see if I can feel an effect. Once I can confirm it's helping AT ALL I will start trying to get more. And once I am confident it's working well I will seek out a legal Rx.

And hey, we're the same age and both with red hair. Though mine is an unlikely color at the moment. My natural red was a light auburn back in the days of my youth. But now it's kind of a brassy brown now.

Thanks!

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Scared, but going to try baclofen on my own

Hiya, Sassy Sabby from ATL! I'm late to the party but wanted to say welcome! I've personally taken a great deal of comfort in the scientific information about bac.

Think about this: Baclofen is prescribed primarily for people with compromised muscle function, sometimes compromised immune systems, and also at risk for compromised CNS function (at least much more than the general population.)
I'm not suggesting it's an easy solution to recovery, or even an easy one for people (including children) who are paraplegic, crippled by MS or have muscle spasms for some other reason. Their boards are also have some people with unpleasant reactions to it. I am suggesting it's safer than your average medication. I hope that brings some comfort!

SabbyATL;1219156 wrote: But I'm so afraid of pulling a Winehouse I get a little freaked.One sure way to do that. Poor woman. It ain't bac. God, I'll be so glad when there is a way out for everyone.

SabbyATL;1219156 wrote: Is it true that even before you hit the switch you have reduced cravings?

Maybe. It varies. I drank right through any cessation of craving I might have felt at lower doses. Silly me. Look for it! I wish I had!

It's great that you have some support and a bit of understanding from your husband. It's really great that you are talking about it and planning ahead. Alleviating some of your anxiety and trepidation prior to your own bac journey is a good idea! And dealing with the anxiety head on, by wearing a heart rate monitor for instance, might be good too. Unless that will make you crazy! (It would make me crazy. Like those people who watch the stock ticker tapes seeing impending doom or gonzo wealth with every % point. I have an uncle like this. oy.)

Looking forward to hearing more about you and your experience! Glad you're going to share!

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Scared, but going to try baclofen on my own

suneelca;1218909 wrote:
As has been said before, the titration schedule is a guide. I got to 200 mg a few weeks ago and dropped back for a bit, and still haven't gotten back. (One of NE's posts makes me wish I had just gutted it out, but c'est la vie.)

Hey, you know what? I was ALL over the board. We all were bac(k) then. I don't know now if doing it head on, straight up and down, would have made that much difference other than decreasing my substantial discomfort.
I do know for sure that going back down is sometimes necessary when the eyes are on the long-term goal. It's just time... That's the only difference. The end result remains the same.

[SabbyATL]

Scared, but going to try baclofen on my own

Hi Ne/Neva Eva, I've been reading some of your posts, too. Thanks for coming by to say hi. I haven't even started yet and I'm feeling the love.

I am getting less worried about crazy side effects as I read more.

I am VERY fortunate to have a good marriage. We've been through some rough times but we stuck through it. I know I can rely on him during this phase.

Confession time: I seem to be on kind of a bender. I think it's related to the fact that I've decided to really try to stop drinking as soon as I start taking the bac. Like I have to hurry up and get some last minute drinking in. And I hate that I'm like that. I can't wait until this kind of psychosis (that's what I'm calling it) is gone.

When I say bender I don't mean I am drinking from morning to night. But for the past 5 days I've had a LOT to drink each night - more than a bottle of wine or a whole 6-pack. Enough to pass out for a little while, then wake up and go to bed. But I'm still getting up and going for a run or going to work, etc. So I guess it's a mild bender. I ran a 10K race on Saturday and because the race didn't start until 10am I drink on Friday. Normally a race starts at 7-7:30 and you have to get up by 5a, etc, so I manage to abstain. But push the race back? Time for a drink.

Can't wait until I have control.

I've resolved not to drink tonight with the goal of having a great 5am run tomorrow. I think I can succeed in this resolve.

[spacebebe01]

Scared, but going to try baclofen on my own

Hi sabby just wanted to say welcome and wow, I admire your organisation, I wish I had thought about some of that before I started on bac, that way I wouldnt have been up and down and still be at 50mg after weeks now. Im pleased to hear that youve got your husband on board, I think that will help you a lot, and also be a reasurance that if you do get any bad se's he will be able to ensure you are ok. Probably the only was any of un are likely to follow poor Amy is if we say f*ck it and not bother with any of this and just drink and let the addiction take over, on here we are all in with a great chance I think.

[SabbyATL]

Scared, but going to try baclofen on my own

Hi spacebebe01 -

Thanks for stopping by and leaving kind words!

It's 9pm and I am AF so far. I drank a LOT of beer last night. Was up very very late with my husband just chatting about politics and stuff. He was drinking Long Islands. He doesn't have a problem with drinking in that he only drinks a couple days a week and usually not to excess. But we were both drinking way too much last night.

Made for a tired day. But I didn't feel sick and even went out for a 5 mile run around 5pm.

I've been reading a lot of threads and I have to say I go back and forth about being scared about going to sleep and not waking up because my body stops breathing.

I'll have to figure out how to get around this fear when my bac arrives.

[redhead77]

Scared, but going to try baclofen on my own

Have a good run tomorrow, Sabby. As far as the bender goes, I don't want to trivialize it since it's bothering you. I will write that those days are numbered. There's no need to stock up on the sauce because the way you quit will be relatively easy. I mean, you won't be forced to stop drinking, you'll just do it because you want to. It's just plain not necessary. I'm very excited to read about your bac titration, and the way you'll do it. I have a feeling this is going to be the answer for you. I think because you're a scientist, you'll do it systematically, and try to do it as perfectly as possible. It's going to make for a good read!
Not that there's any pressure here. :H I wouldn't want you to feel that. You've got enough on your plate. Just sayin.

I've got to retire now. Nighty night.

[SabbyATL]

Scared, but going to try baclofen on my own

Hi Red -

I'm about to go to bed. Tired. It's going to be an AF night and I haven't really had any cravings thought Al is on my mind, mostly about my problem and wondering if this will work for me.

I hope you're right about my scientific experience and training helping me do this successfully.

Good night!

[RudyB]

Scared, but going to try baclofen on my own

oh my god, just as i was about to sign off on my post to you, it highlighted and deleted itself!!! how annoying! here i go again, abbreviated this time... (who can tell me how to 'undo' when something like that happens?)

sabby, i was happy to read that my posts have been helpful to you.

we have running in common, though i have yet to run any races. i'm planning for 5k's in the spring. i recently heard that most marathoners were once addicts. it's hard to believe, but it does make sense. sadly, you and i don't have the organizational thing in common. my finances are a bit of a mess at the moment. i'll pull through, but it seems that anything involving numbers on paper gets put into a pile to be dealt with later. sometimes later is very late. even though i'm quite good at math, i have a more scatterbrained, artistic nature. could you please send me some of your sciency, spread-sheet mind?

don't worry about not waking up. i had a few days of sleep apnoea, but it went away. (i had a thread on it: sleep apnoea. i'll find it and see if i can figure out the highly technological problem of how to post a link to it on your thread.) folks here assured me that i wouldn't die, and, as you can see, they were right. it was scary, but i pulled through.

you mentioned that you'll stay at a dose until se's subside. it's counterintuitive, but sometimes going up to your next dose can actually make the se's go away.

i did experience cravings reduction early on on bac, but it's different for everyone. i also went crazy with drinking right before i switched. some smart people called that 'the last kicks of a dying horse'. maybe you're experiencing an early wave of that. don't sweat it. you'll find yourself gliding through to sobriety in jig time, i imagine.

ok, now i'll close the computer and my eyes (sometimes bac does funky stuff with sleep patterns), and hope that numbers and unfiled papers don't torment me away from sleep.

good luck, sabby. your bac should be here any day...

xo rudy

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Scared, but going to try baclofen on my own

SabbyATL;1221003 wrote:
I am getting less worried about crazy side effects as I read more.Yay! oh. wait.

SabbyATL;1221003 wrote: I am VERY fortunate to have a good marriage. We've been through some rough times but we stuck through it. Me, too! But we didn't know it until after we were indifferent. I can only imagine how much richer, deeper and more satisfying yours will be when the disease is subdued! woop!

SabbyATL;1221003 wrote: Confession time: I seem to be on kind of a bender.

You probably would not believe how prevalent this experience is. I think Edostan summed it up best on his thread lo those many months ago. His is a fun journey to read, if you get the chance. It ended rather abruptly because of a quake and a tsunami, but I heard much later that he was sober, doing well, and had moved on...

SabbyATL;1221179 wrote:
I've been reading a lot of threads and I have to say I go back and forth about being scared about going to sleep and not waking up because my body stops breathing.

I'll have to figure out how to get around this fear when my bac arrives.

I was very, very scared, too. :l

[RudyB]

Scared, but going to try baclofen on my own

i wanted to add, sabby, that you shouldn't psych yourself out about the sleep apnea. not everybody gets it, and building up fear around it will not help one bit. in fact, the fear could make it more likely to occur (we attract what we think), and fear definitely won't help in the moment if it does happen. in fact, i recommend that you don't even bother to read my thread on it, unless you skip my posts and just read the encouragement i got. i pulled through in a matter of days, i'll remind. and yes, you're much more likely to die from over-drinking!