HDB roll call!

[dags]

HDB roll call!

started bac 12 weeks ago hit my switch on christmas day at 155mg still suffering with being very tired all the time and a bit depressed but not drinking and not thinking about it i just hope the SE,s will disappear soon. But bacs worked for me like magic when all else failed for over 20 years, and thanks to everyone on here for helping me i wish you all the best.

[ifulovelife2]

HDB roll call!

Not sure if I'm qualified to post here as I'm not on HDB, I was but I've titrated down to 75mg/d (is that counted as ldb?).

Anyhoo, baclofen works...'nuff said.

[Road to Recovery]

HDB roll call!

2009 was a very bad year for me - healthwise. My drinking had managed to take over my life to the point where it consumed my every day thoughts. I was drinking to the point of blackout every single night - faithfully. I was using money that my family didnt have, sneaking and hiding the booze, lying to my wife, my kids and physically I was just in a constant fog. The only thing that seem to make everything better was that first drink of the evening. I couldn't get it into me fast enough. I was in jeopardy of losing my family.
After feeling pain in my abdomen almost everyday, I knew it had to be the alcohol - it was catching up on me. I was now becoming a risk for diabetes, my liver was suffering, and the infamous beer belly.
In November of 2009 I decided I was going to get my life back - oh yes - I am going to give it up or at least get it under control starting Jan 01 - yah right... In February after hearing my doc tell me I was borderline diabetic, I had truly had enough. I was turning 40 this year and I didn't want my life to be like this. AA was never really an option for me as I live in a small town where you know a lot of people. Plus I am a drunk - I am such a failure - weak. And if I went to AA, that would mean I have committed to outing myself as an alcoholic and I would be held accountable. That's when I turned to the internet - there has to be something else besides AA (I have nothing against AA - I was just too embarrassed to admit I had a problem). I stumbled upon a drug which had potential to help one regain control over their drinking and still allow one to keep drinking. Well that's what every alcoholic wants, right? I was so excited. I joined the TSM forum and went to see my doc about Naltrexone. My doctor had never heard of it, but after consulting with a colleague, he suggested Baclofen - A muscle relaxent. Wow, it totally took the wind out of my sails - this isn't going to work! But my doc told me to try it and if there was no success, he wouldd try Naltrexone.
After being on Bac for 4 days, I came home to find that my wife had found an empty liquor bottle... The jig was up. She was very upset and said she didn't want to live like this anymore. I told her that I had went to the doc and am trying Baclofen. I decided that by the 5th day, I would try to get some alcohol free days in. It was hard - the cravings were strong but I pushed through and strangely after about 7 or 8 days, the cravings weren't so bad. I would say that by about the 10 day mark - I was indifferent - I didn't crave alcohol anymore - To good to be true? I also came to this forum everyday and received so much support - I am so grateful for the site - the people here are amazing and so supportive - I am eternally in their debt. As the days went by, it got better and better. I was able to actually see alcohol for what it is - the devil - a monster that just wants to destroy you.
I have been alcohol free since February 8th 2010 - almost 2 years.
After about 6 months on Baclofen (80mg - the highest I went) I decided to try titrating down. I had no interest in alcohol whatsoever anymore. I have not taken any baclofen since November of 2010. No cravings returned - nothing.
Baclofen had saved my life, my marriage, my existance. So how did I handle social situations? I just said I don't want to drink. I would even explain why if they insisted. Because I finally realized - and I wish everyone here could see - We are not weak, we are not losers or failures - we are people that have a disease. And I believe this with all my heart - it can be treated - controlled - by Baclofen. But you have to be committed, you have to want the sober life - which I can tell you, it is the best - not having alcohol control you - it is amazing.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

HDB roll call!

Wow. Thanks, Road. It's been too long since I've read your story.

You, too, LoveLife. I figure anyone who gets up into the HDB range is an HDBer. (High ranging anywhere from 30mg to wowza! That's A LOT of bac! Right?)

Reggie, DANGIT. GET YOUR FINGER OFF OF THE DELETE BUTTON! aaaaaaaargh.

[TimberTim]

HDB roll call!

Hi All/NE,
Yep, still indifferent, ranging at about 220mg/day. The bac has changed my life. I'm mostly active on the baclofen forum, if any of you want to stop by for a look.

Cheers in 2012

[Nutshell]

HDB roll call!

Hello all.

I'm at 375mg, but not indifferent yet.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

HDB roll call!

Hang in there, Nutshell! :l

Hiya, Tim! You forgot to post the link! :l brother. Nice to *see you

[help4me]

HDB roll call!

[QUOTE=Baclofen had saved my life, my marriage, my existance. So how did I handle social situations? I just said I don't want to drink. I would even explain why if they insisted. Because I finally realized - and I wish everyone here could see - We are not weak, we are not losers or failures - we are people that have a disease. And I believe this with all my heart - it can be treated - controlled - by Baclofen. But you have to be committed, you have to want the sober life - which I can tell you, it is the best - not having alcohol control you - it is amazing.
Road, I could not have said it better. Right there with you. Alcohol does not control me anymore. I'm still on about 140-160 a day. Been here since my switch at 270. Just over a year on baclofen. :happy:

[penelope67]

HDB roll call!

wow, thanks, you people give a girl some real hope!

[Road to Recovery]

HDB roll call!

Here is my definition of being indifferent to alcohol: I probably visited my neighborhood liquor store every day - maybe sometimes twice. A couple of months a go, my wife and I were heading to a get together and she asked me if we could swing by the liquor store so she could get something to drink - yes no problem I said. It was only after I pulled in to the parking lot that I realized it - The store was relocated about 6 months ago! She said " I wondered where you were going". That's indifferent - when you don't even realize the store has relocated!

[penelope67]

HDB roll call!

Road to recovery!! That is a GREAT story!! LMAO!

[TexasAg]

HDB roll call!

2013 Roll Call!!

Hi all!

:bump: Found this thread by Ne from last year. Happy to include myself in this Roll call this year!


At this time last year I was still bingeing once to twice a week. I was still paying the price for drunk holidays and was losing marriage, kids, and most importantly hope.

Fast forward to Jan 22, 2013 and I have just enjoyed my first sober holidays in 25 years. Baclofen and this forum have changed my life! Staying steady at 110mg.

:thanks: :thanks: :thanks:

Cheers to 2013!!

[TimberTim]

HDB roll call!

Good idea with the roll call!
I'm coming up on two years on Bac and still going. At about 160mg/day does the trick for me.

[Hippyman]

HDB roll call!

I started on Bac in 2009. I played around at first going up and down in dose and drinking off and on. I guess I wasn't really ready to quit yet. The Bac gave me the power not to drink but I drank anyway. I am now ready to QUIT forever. My last binge in August/September nearly killed me. I got alcohol poisoning. I had a near death experience and made the decision to return to my body and to GET SOBER! I was desperately ill and had a friend move in to help me go thru with-drawls. Now I'm on 50 mgs. of liquid bac and I'm starting to live life again. I'm slowly putting my world back in order and enjoying every minute of it! I truly believe that alcoholism is a disease that in most cases can be cured and baclofen did that for me!

[tiptronic_ct]

HDB roll call!

Thanks for the bump, Texas! :goodjob:

I'm still on 70mg a day, down from a high of 270mg. It still feels like yesterday. I never thought I'd be able to stop. I had tried and failed so many times before.

My health was extremely poor. I'm sure many of you are familiar with a chronically painful and inflamed liver - so much so that clothes rubbing against my upper abdomen on the right hurt). I was losing weight rapidly from chronic diarrhoea. I couldn't hold a cup of coffee without spilling, the shakes were so bad.

My marriage was falling apart. My kids were becoming strangers to me. In fact, they were starting to avoid me.

My career was in danger. I failed a breathalyser test at 11.00 one Monday morning. My last drink had been at 10.00 pm the previous night, yet I had drunk so much that it hadn't cleared my system yet.

I don't think I need to elaborate further. Fast forward to the 21st August 2009. I don' think I'll ever be able to forget that moment that I realised I was free. Forever. I waited a week before I spoke to my wife, told her everything and gave her Dr. Ameisen's book to read (she hadn't known I was taking bac). I wanted to be sure that it was for real. Her tears and the raw emotion that came flooding out will also stick in my mind forever. How much she much love me to have put up with everything I had put her and the kids through, and to be so grateful that the nightmare had ended.

I had decided to become totally abstinent fromthe outset. There a number of reasons, some of which I'd prefer not to share here. What clinched it for me though, was the naked fear in my wife's eyes when she spoke about the possibilty of me picking up a drink again. Regardless of the baclofen "safety net".

Was it easy to learn to live sober? No. I went through a period of fairly bad depression, which lifted after trying various types of ADs and eventually finding a fantastic psychotherapist who worked with me for almost a year.

I have no doubt that I would have been dead (or as good as) if it hadn't been for Dr. Ameisen, baclofen and MWO.

To make a very long story short: baclofen works.:thanks: