Announcement

**ik1966** · January 10, 2012, 04:45 PM

first day of Bac for the husband...effexor a no no?

hi,
i am a woman taking baclofen almost a year taking it together with paxil and there is no problem you can take this two together i have an anxiety disorder almost my whole live reason i was drinking and if it helps him i would'nt recomment to let him stop he would have al kinds of se's and it would't help him stop drinking at this stage may be later after stopping dinking when he is a bit stronger maybe i'm wrong but that's my oppinion..

.:welcome:

**thewife** · January 10, 2012, 04:48 PM

first day of Bac for the husband...effexor a no no?

thanks for your reply. is paxil similar to effexor? its like which came first the chicken or the egg thing. if he is anxious and drinking helps calm him but makes him more anxious later kind of thing.

**ik1966** · January 10, 2012, 05:06 PM

first day of Bac for the husband...effexor a no no?

i mean that if he stops taking antidepressants it would make him maybe more anxious and stopping drinking would be more difficult for him paxil is seroxat an antidepressant too..

**Greg** · January 10, 2012, 06:12 PM

first day of Bac for the husband...effexor a no no?

Regarding any direct interactions between baclofen and Effexor, drugs.com just says to watch out for any possible extra sedation caused by the combination, while Medscape reports no interactions.

I have seen SOME medical evidence posted on this forum that "SSRI" antidepressants (which Paxil is one of) can worsen drinking outcomes in SOME alcoholics. Effexor is usually classified as an SNRI antidepressant but its actions still include SSRI effects. There is a chance it could cause a problem due to this, but this problem is not something that affects all alcoholics who are taking these sorts of antidepressants. I'd imagine baclofen would still exert its anticraving effects even with Effexor being taken, although I am not a doctor or other qualified medical professional. The fact that Dr Levin thinks it's ok to take Effexor seems to indicate there is not anything to be too worried about.

If your husband does decide to stop the Effexor, make sure he knows that he has to taper off it slowly, not suddenly cut it out. Withdrawal effects occur with many/most antidepressants if suddenly discontinued or rapidly reduced, and these can be very unpleasant! He should only stop taking it on the advice of a doctor, really.

**Ne/Neva Eva** · January 11, 2012, 04:42 AM

first day of Bac for the husband...effexor a no no?

Hi, Wife!
Yay! Problem drinking is a...problem. If it's near-death experiences it sounds like it's terrifying. That's great that he's able to see Dr. L and get a prescription.

Here's the thing: None of us are doctors. And even if we were we couldn't really advise one way or another, you know?
I had the same concerns that you do when I started out taking bac and eliminated everything but the bac, BUT I wasn't taking any other brain-chemistry type meds. (Except booze, of course.)
Bac can be (but is not necessarily) hard enough without being sure what to attribute where, in terms of side effects, both good and bad.

There could be a big difference, in my humble opinion, on the affect/effect between a med and bac at 80mg/day (the standard) and bac at more than 80mg/day (what we do). Especially coupled with alcohol. I have no medical or scientific basis for this, but it makes sense to me...

How long has he been on effexor? Does it work for him? What does he want to do?

My husband and I have both stopped drinking against our will. It really does work!
Ne

**thewife** · January 11, 2012, 01:58 PM

first day of Bac for the husband...effexor a no no?

I insisted he get back on effexor because living with someone who is depressed and anxious is not fun. It seemed to sometimes help him drink less. If he does drink on effexor it makes him act WEIRD. I have read so much on here about how baclofen eases anxiety and that is what this poor guy has, so kill a bird with one pill not two. He says he wants to stay on the effexor sometimes but sometimes he says he wants off of it. Maybe we will just get the drinking under control and slowly taper off the effexor. I know that it makes him feel like crap if he even misses a dose. in the end I would like to see how he feels on one medication versus two. I am glad you're hubby has quit along with you that makes it a lot easier. so you guys never drink anymore?

**Ne/Neva Eva** · January 14, 2012, 04:47 PM

first day of Bac for the husband...effexor a no no?

Hiya, Wife! I am sorry I haven't been back to see how you guys are doing.

I completely understand about living with someone who is depressed and anxious. It was really fun to watch the transformation my husband made. (I suppose, and people tell me, that I transformed too. But of course I couldn't see it.) He's a new man. And so...content. Sure of himself. Not anxious! Wow!

No, we don't really drink anymore. We each had a beer on NYE. And a glass of wine the last time we went for a fancy dinner. And he's gone out with the boys a couple of times, and had a couple of beers. Basically, we are careful about what we drink, and see no reason to invite that hell back into our lives, but try not to get too uptight about it. I don't ever want to have to avoid someplace or someone because I am scared of booze. I don't have to be scared anymore. Ya' know?

So... What's news? How many days in is he? Is he doing well? Is he following the protocol or is he (like most of us!) jumping in with both feet?

Welcome Guest to My Way Out Forums.

Announcement

first day of Bac for the husband...effexor a no no?

first day of Bac for the husband...effexor a no no?

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment