Baclofen side effects- be careful

[COSGringo]

I thought I would share my experience with Baclofen.
I have been using it for a couple months under advice of a Dr.
I had some limited success. I do feel calmer and drink less.
Once I hit some different levels especially 160mg I became seriously ill.
I had a lot of issues before it which included but not limited to tinnutis, insomnia, light, and dizziness.
They all seemed worth it and figured they would subside.
However, I had to go to an E.R. last night due to seizures, dizziness, and other sever reactions. I spoke to the Dr. and unfortunately he felt they were in no way tied to the Baclofen.
The hospital felt otherwise. They had an application to check on side effects that I had not found in my research on the Internet (and I can usually find anything).
I will try to continue my use and I will have to lower my dose for now but I felt I should include the complete list of issues that may be important to know in case something bad happens to you. It is from a professional oriented site. Normally they charge for this.
God bless everyone and I hope you are all doing well.
Brian


Hello Dr.,
I had to go the E.R. last evening as I was so ill I was concerned I could be having a serious health issue.
I found there were many more side effects to Baclofen that almost entirely lined up with what I was going through. I am not sure if you are aware of this since I did mention some of my issues Tuesday evening. This is from the Epocrates website and the hospital I went to used this to look up Baclofen reactions. They ran blood tests, urine tests, a CAT scan, oxygen levels, and a urine test. My tests came back as very good. Below is what I pulled from the site they used for reactions.
Thought you might want to know. They suggested I lower my dosage more. The side effects that are in bold were the ones I was dealing with. I was seriously ill. They injected me with Ativan to deal with the issues. The Alprazolam at .25mg did not help me.
Thanks,
Brian


Adverse Reactions .
Serious Reactions
? CNS depression
? respiratory depression
? ataxia
? syncope
? seizures
? hallucinations, visual or auditory
? depression
? psychiatric disturbances
? spasticity exacerbation
? withdrawal if abrupt D/C
Common Reactions
? drowsiness, transient
? dizziness
? weakness
? nausea
? confusion
? hypotension
? headache
? insomnia
? constipation
? urinary frequency
? fatigue
? muscle weakness
? incoordination
? rash
? pruritus
? edema, ankle
? weight gain
? excessive sweating
? nasal congestion

I thought I would share my experience with Baclofen.I thought I would share my experience with Baclofen.
I have been using it for a couple months under advice of a Dr. have been using it for a couple months under advice of a Dr.
I had some limited success. I do feel calmer and drink less. had some limited success. I do feel calmer and drink less.
Once I hit some different levels especially 160mg I became seriously ill.nce I hit some different levels especially 160mg I became seriously ill.
I had a lot of issues before it which included but not limited to tinnutis, insomnia, light, and dizziness. had a lot of issues before it which included but not limited to tinnutis, insomnia, light, and dizziness.
They all seemed worth it and figured they would subside.hey all seemed worth it and figured they would subside.
However, I had to go to an E.R. last night due to seizures, dizziness, and other sever reactions. I spoke to the Dr. and unfortunately he felt they were in no way tied to the Baclofen. However, I had to go to an E.R. last night due to seizures, dizziness, and other sever reactions. I spoke to the Dr. and unfortunately he felt they were in no way tied to the Baclofen.
The hospital felt otherwise. They had an application to check on side effects that I had not found in my research on the Internet (and I can usually find anything).The hospital felt otherwise. They had an application to check on side effects that I had not found in my research on the Internet (and I can usually find anything).
I will try to continue my use and I will have to lower my dose for now but I felt I should include the complete list of issues that may be important to know in case something bad happens to you. It is from a professional oriented site. Normally they charge for this. will try to continue my use and I will have to lower my dose for now but I felt I should include the complete list of issues that may be important to know in case something bad happens to you. It is from a professional oriented site. Normally they charge for this.
God bless everyone and I hope you are all doing well.od bless everyone and I hope you are all doing well.
Brianrian


Hello Dr.d to go the E.R. last evening as I was so ill I was concerned I could be having a serious health issue.
I found there were many more side effects to Baclofen that almost entirely lined up with what I was going through. I am not sure if you are aware of this since I did mention some of my issues Tuesday evening. This is from the Epocrates website and the hospital I went to used this to look up Baclofen reactions. They ran blood tests, urine tests, a CAT scan, oxygen levels, and a urine test. My tests came back as very good. Below is what I pulled from the site they used for reactions.
Thought you might want to know. They suggested I lower my dosage more. The side effects that are in bold were the ones I was dealing with. I was seriously ill. They injected me with Ativan to deal with the issues. The Alprazolam at .25mg did not help me.
Thanks,
Brian


Adverse Reactions .
Serious Reactions
? CNS depression
? respiratory depression
? ataxia
? syncope
? seizures
? hallucinations, visual or auditory
? depression
? psychiatric disturbances
? spasticity exacerbation
? withdrawal if abrupt D/C
Common Reactions
? drowsiness, transient
? dizziness
? weakness
? nausea
? confusion
? hypotension
? headache
? insomnia
? constipation
? urinary frequency
? fatigue
? muscle weakness
? incoordination
? rash
? pruritus
? edema, ankle
? weight gain
? excessive sweating
? nasal congestion

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Baclofen side effects- be careful

Hey, COS. I'm really, really sorry to hear about what happened. (I ended up in the ER, too. It sounds like your experience was a bit more traumatic though! But with the same result, basically. Everything was fine, and they attributed it to panic attacks. In my case they didn't even bother to look up the baclofen. grrr.) There is no question in my mind that it was baclofen, though.

I am sort of collecting other people's experiences with this. I find it very frustrating that he continues to deny the existence of side effects. (Really? How could he not know???) Anyway, my perception about what happened to me and some others is that I was taking bac irregularly and inconsistently. And that drinking really exacerbated the already tenuous position I was in.

Was that your experience? I hope you'll fill us in. For all that I am very grateful that I persevered and found indifference, it was a harrowing journey. I'd like to help others understand and avoid the pitfalls!

I also really hope that you are feeling much, much better. And taking good care of yourself.
:l
Ne

[COSGringo]

Baclofen side effects- be careful

Agreed!

Thanks. I was very ill. My wife thought I was having a stroke. I did not want to go but I really had no choice and there was little they could do. They said it was all the Baclofen I was taking. I followed the dosage regimen precisely.
I did not want to say who the doctor was but yup, that's him. I don't want to be negative but it's tough not to at this point. I have an appointment with him during office hours next week (over the phone) but I have been getting regular bills but he spends about 3 minutes with me maybe once every 3 weeks and I cannot even get a good amount of Bac on my prescription. I have to have Walgreens call almost every week for a refill and he refuses to up the quantity. I don't understand that and I have to travel a lot.
I went through River Pharmacy and it went smooth so I have backup Bac.
I had really bad SE's and I was drinking but about half of what I was so that part is good (the drinking that is). I don't drink at all when I feel that sick. It was not the first time now.
I am not better yet but not as sick as I was. I am lowering my dose and not sure I will stick with Bac. The constant ringing in my ears, horrible congestion which is making it hard to breathe and sleep, mild hallucinations, and dizziness are my normal everyday issues. Yesterday I thought I might be dying and it could not be Bac since Dr. L said no way it was that and just lower your dose 10mg (I was at 160).
I am not sure I even want to go back to him. I have bills from other professionals that are not covered so this is costing me a lot of money.
But again, as far as the dosing goes I was right on the money. I have my pills in a daily plastic container and I good about it for the most part.
Last night was good, I got 4 hours of sleep. That's a recent record for me!
I will get better but looks like I may have to do the AA thing again and do the regular routine.
Thanks for asking!
Brian

[GingerDust]

Baclofen side effects- be careful

COS, I'm sorry for everything you went through. It sounds nightmarish. Will you please let us know if the next discussion with the doc turns out any better, assuming there is one?

Hang in there. There are other meds you could try too, if you are interested.

[COSGringo]

Baclofen side effects- be careful

Bac Issues

Thanks Ginger.
I probably will do an official session with the doc.
I've done Naltrexone and Campral with little success. I am open to ideas but not sure doing meds is going to work for me.
I'll let everyone know. I am certainly open to new ideas.
Brian

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Baclofen side effects- be careful

Morning, COS.
I completely understand, I think, where you are. There were times when the only thing that kept me going was the knowledge that it would take almost as much time to safely get off of baclofen as it would to keep going. Really. I hated the stuff that much. But I also believed in the promise. And there were an awful lot of people around here who had gotten there and offered support. Sadly, it's mostly just me these days. But there are many out there, rest assured. (It's true. I'm not making this up.)

So. I can't decide for you, and don't want to persuade you. But I'll share my experience. When I was up in the high 200s and I couldn't sleep and was having aural and visual hallucinations and thought I was completely losing it, I sent Dr. L and OA an email. I never heard back from OA (though he always responded when I sent him adoring emails) and Dr. L's response was kind, but he suggested that if I was going to give up I should go down slowly. I was FURIOUS. And when I get mad, I get motivated. So I posted about it here, and some people suggested I ignore them and just take more. And I did. And within weeks I was free from alcohol. Completely free. Would I do it again? Absolutely. No question, no hesitation. Would I give it to a loved one? I gave it to my husband. He's free, too. Am I scared of it now? Nope. I've looked long and hard for information about how this might be compromising my long-term health. There are some others that have, too. We can't find anything.

If you've tried the other options, and this is your last go, it might make sense to push through. When I got past that hump (I think it was around 260mg?) I was fine. 300mg was MUCH better than 240-280mg. Much better. Maybe I was drinking that much less? Maybe I was comfortable with just getting the job done? Maybe my body just needed more baclofen? Who is to say? I have no idea.

Shortly after I stopped drinking against my will, I went down. The SEs abated dramatically and quickly. I slept really well. I stopped having panic attacks (or whatever the hell was happening) completely and irrevocably. I don't have any SEs now.

Hang in there and don't stop fighting, no matter what you decide about baclofen. Sobriety is absolutely beautiful.
:l
Ne

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Baclofen side effects- be careful

Meditation, or some sort of thought-control-thing.
Exercise. That may be vital!
Protect your sleep. Guard it. Covet it. Do whatever you need to do to get it.

(Xanax helps. I know, I know. I didn't take it either, because I was scared to death of taking something that was addictive and mind-altering. I didn't even take ibuprofen. I kid you not. But it does help a lot of people. Almost everyone that has actually taken it. If you do that option, take it as he prescribes it. And figure out why the hell he isn't prescribing enough baclofen. That's weird.)

The above things are true for any program of recovery, minus the xanax. I wouldn't take a benzo if I wasn't on bac. just sayin'

[GingerDust]

Baclofen side effects- be careful

COS, some of us are combining the meds in lesser amounts. I'm on low dose baclofen for anxiety and cravings and antabuse to prevent impulse drinking. I think I've found my way out with that, and there are several on MWO going the antabuse route. Another women here is having good success with low dose baclofen and naltrexone. A lot of people are not supplementing with meds at all on the general discussion forum, but a lot of them can't stay sober, so it's a quandary. The med-free path never worked for me before, and I have little reason to expect that it would work for me now. I guess there is still no one size fits all solution for people like us, but people are finding their own ways.

I hope you find yours too.

[COSGringo]

Baclofen side effects- be careful

Thanks all. I am really confused on what to do. I am so sick of the SE's it's making my life unbearable. I am upset that the doc does not return my e mails but sends me bills. I have heard some info that he is a quack and a Freudian analyst. Lord. I am sick of these bizarre horrific dreams when I do get any sleep.
I have Naltrexone and I can get that through a normal doctor so perhaps that's an idea. I guess if I thought there was light at the end of the tunnel I would go on but I am at the point where I would like this to go away. I am more miserable than when I had a drinking problem and well I still do to be honest.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Baclofen side effects- be careful

I can attest to both the light and the non-quackery. (I can't for the life of me imagine what being Freudian has to do with anything. Nor do I have any idea what his position is on Freudian analysis. very ) Anyway, I've looked into him in depth. He's got some books on Amazon. And is a bonafide member of the staff at NWU in Chicago.

I would add that the guy who posted that is...not well. He also sells his own baclofen.

The doctor doesn't do email. It's frustrating as hell. I don't know what to tell you about him. I stopped talking to him about my SEs and started trusting people here. It's a leap of faith, I suppose.

The light? It's there.
https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...fen-47958.html

That is not to say that you should continue to suffer through this. It sounds completely unmanageable. There are ways to manage it.

I'll leave it at that, because I don't want you (or anyone) to think I have a vested interest in what you decide. I don't. I sincerely hope you don't give up. Period. If it's encouragement or information about baclofen you're looking for...You know where to find me! But there are a lot of people here. And a lot of options.
:l

[COSGringo]

Baclofen side effects- be careful

Thanks. I have an appt with Dr. L and will see where that gets me. I am open to how I deal with the waking nightmares, insomnia, tinnutis, and dizziness. I do want to get better believe me.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Baclofen side effects- be careful

Go down. Or up. Find a comfortable place. Stay there for a few days. Then start up again. It's never the same. Neva eva. (forgive!)

I hope it's a productive conversation. In the meantime, read around here some, if you haven't.

[ifulovelife2]

Baclofen side effects- be careful

Ne/Neva Eva;1263854 wrote:
I hope it's a productive conversation. In the meantime, read around here some, if you haven't.

But be aware this is an open forum, which means that any old nutter can post any old type of crazy, rambling gibberish when they have a downer on a particular doctor. (Phew, fishy!).

As the others have said, I hope you find your own way out. I'll add: THIS SHIT REALLY WORKS! If you titrate up, take enough baclofen, ride the SEs and let the med do its thing, you will (probably) become indifferent to alcohol. It's worked for many, many people including me; I just celebrated my 1 year anniversary of indifference ... not with champagne, but a nice cup of tea!

Baclofen works, baby!

[COSGringo]

Baclofen side effects- be careful

I am going to stick with it some more. At least I know when I had the twitching and felt like I was having a stroke it was all SE's. Can't wait to see how my primary doctor reacts when he sees my E.R. information.
backed down to 140 and will see what happens. Have an official regular hours phone appt with Doc L next week. I don't think he likes my e mail but I never know since he doesn't respond.

[Jaxees]

Baclofen side effects- be careful

"Meditation, or some sort of thought-control-thing.
Exercise. That may be vital!"


Thought control CBT I just posted a post about that.

Brian , I hope you are feeling better. I found a while back the the Kudzu was a tough punch if one drinks while taking it, alcohol amp-ed up! That was enough for me not to do that ever again.

Having a beneficial distraction is a great thing. ie; hobbies.