:new:
Hello all,
I discovered this forum in November and have been lurking since. I started on Baclofen in early Dec 2011.
I'm a 44 year old professional woman. I didn't have a problem with alcohol in my 20s. But then in my 30s I was living with a guy who was a heavy drinker and got into the habit of drinking wine every night. I've been drinking a bottle of wine every night for the past 10 years - more at weekends. I was a functioning drinker as I managed to do very well at work, although I was down and sick a lot from the AL. I was tired of the lifestyle, but unable to give up the wine habit.
So, I went up 20mg a week (at the lower doses it was 10mg every 3 days) on Baclofen and had very few side effects all the way up - except mild somnolence after lunch every day. Luckily I never had the insomnia SE. However, at 180mg the SEs did kick in, but not as badly as those I've heard described on here.
I hit my *switch* at 220mg on 28th Jan, but went up to 240mg and then to 260mg (however could only stay at that level for 3 days as I was barely functionioning - it was a w/e so I slept most of the time).
I also drank the whole way up, but maybe 50%-75% of my weeknight normal amount. The only time I had a big binge, was the night before I hit my switch.
I stayed at 240mg for two weeks. Even though the SEs were not pleasant, I was actually able to do a lot of business meetings during that time. I was gauging people's reaction when I spoke and got a positive response/no sign that there was anything untoward in my outward communication. I probably was a bit slower and relaxed (impossible to get the adrenaline going, even when I was running late lol!), which wasn't a bad thing as sometimes I'm a bit high-energy and intense in work meetings.
Despite that, I felt very removed from reality, buzzed and like time was whizzing by (if that makes sense?) since I began Baclofen in December so made the decision to titrate down. Strangely, the SEs are worse coming down.
I am now at 120mg and plan to say here for a while (although there are much more SEs at this level than at 120mg going up). I've had no urge to drink since 28th January - even though I've had some very stressful/upsetting days. I haven't decided if I will remain entirely AF or have a drink every now and again. For example, my office has arranged a wine-tasting event for our clients at the end of April and I'm the main 'host' so it might be too obvious that I'm not tasting - although I've no urge to do so (i.e. it's the social pressure). I'm thinking right now that I will just sip on sparkling water and say I'm on antibiotics or something. If I have to take some sips I'm not panicked about it - having read Dr A's book, I'll just dose up 40mg the next day.
I don't plan to become a poster on MWO but did want to put my success story here because of the help I got from reading all of your accounts. I might come back to update in 6-12 months on my progress. I'm going to cut and paste this into the 'success' thread too, if I can find it.
Most of the SEs have already been covered on here, but to highlight a few:
- waking in the middle of the night thinking my alarm has gone off and getting up to make breakfast etc, then after 5 mins wandering around realising it is only 2-3am.
- my throat became very relaxed and I had nasal drip - which could be annoying
- titrating down, I've had diarrhoea a lot, didn't on the way up. frequent trips to the bathroom at night too, which seems to be a common SE.
- numbness in my toes and sometimes my fingers. some drooping in my face ('relaxed').
- I had a 'hair-loss' stage that lasted a couple of weeks. My hairdresser commented on it, but it seemed to stop.
/>- I put on weight - even tho I'm a chocoholic and on the 2nd day of baclofen I became indifferent to chocolate or anything with sugar in it (that lasted until i had the *switch* and stopped drinking wine, then I started on choc again, but much-much less than before)
- I had no energy to go to the gym from day 1 of baclofen - but restarted at 180 and I'm now killing it - lifting bigger weights, much more stamina, and no muscle ache/stiffness, even after the most strenuous workout.
- my taste buds seem to have changed and I'm making healthier food choices - salad suddenly tastes delicious!
- I'm hypothyroid and my body temp appears to have changed from Baclofen (or being AF). Despite the diagnosis, when I was drinking I was very sensitive to heat (preferred to be in cooler rooms/no heating at night, wore lighter clothes than everyone else etc) - which is not typical of someone who is hypo. Since this bac journey, this has changed and I now need the heating more, and on a cold day brrrr I'm freezing
. I also no longer sweat profusely at the gym. Maybe this change in body temp is temporarily causing the weight-gain? I'm not too worried about it as with my healthier diet, lots of exercise, a big reduction in my chocolate habit, and no drinking, my weight will come down eventually (I'm not 'overweight', just want to be slimmer).
- very dry skin on my body, but that is resolving now I'm at the lower dose of 120mg.
Anyhow, thanks again:l I'm also posting this for other lurkers like me.
Hello all,
I discovered this forum in November and have been lurking since. I started on Baclofen in early Dec 2011.
I'm a 44 year old professional woman. I didn't have a problem with alcohol in my 20s. But then in my 30s I was living with a guy who was a heavy drinker and got into the habit of drinking wine every night. I've been drinking a bottle of wine every night for the past 10 years - more at weekends. I was a functioning drinker as I managed to do very well at work, although I was down and sick a lot from the AL. I was tired of the lifestyle, but unable to give up the wine habit.
So, I went up 20mg a week (at the lower doses it was 10mg every 3 days) on Baclofen and had very few side effects all the way up - except mild somnolence after lunch every day. Luckily I never had the insomnia SE. However, at 180mg the SEs did kick in, but not as badly as those I've heard described on here.
I hit my *switch* at 220mg on 28th Jan, but went up to 240mg and then to 260mg (however could only stay at that level for 3 days as I was barely functionioning - it was a w/e so I slept most of the time).
I also drank the whole way up, but maybe 50%-75% of my weeknight normal amount. The only time I had a big binge, was the night before I hit my switch.
I stayed at 240mg for two weeks. Even though the SEs were not pleasant, I was actually able to do a lot of business meetings during that time. I was gauging people's reaction when I spoke and got a positive response/no sign that there was anything untoward in my outward communication. I probably was a bit slower and relaxed (impossible to get the adrenaline going, even when I was running late lol!), which wasn't a bad thing as sometimes I'm a bit high-energy and intense in work meetings.
Despite that, I felt very removed from reality, buzzed and like time was whizzing by (if that makes sense?) since I began Baclofen in December so made the decision to titrate down. Strangely, the SEs are worse coming down.
I am now at 120mg and plan to say here for a while (although there are much more SEs at this level than at 120mg going up). I've had no urge to drink since 28th January - even though I've had some very stressful/upsetting days. I haven't decided if I will remain entirely AF or have a drink every now and again. For example, my office has arranged a wine-tasting event for our clients at the end of April and I'm the main 'host' so it might be too obvious that I'm not tasting - although I've no urge to do so (i.e. it's the social pressure). I'm thinking right now that I will just sip on sparkling water and say I'm on antibiotics or something. If I have to take some sips I'm not panicked about it - having read Dr A's book, I'll just dose up 40mg the next day.
I don't plan to become a poster on MWO but did want to put my success story here because of the help I got from reading all of your accounts. I might come back to update in 6-12 months on my progress. I'm going to cut and paste this into the 'success' thread too, if I can find it.
Most of the SEs have already been covered on here, but to highlight a few:
- waking in the middle of the night thinking my alarm has gone off and getting up to make breakfast etc, then after 5 mins wandering around realising it is only 2-3am.
- my throat became very relaxed and I had nasal drip - which could be annoying
- titrating down, I've had diarrhoea a lot, didn't on the way up. frequent trips to the bathroom at night too, which seems to be a common SE.
- numbness in my toes and sometimes my fingers. some drooping in my face ('relaxed').
- I had a 'hair-loss' stage that lasted a couple of weeks. My hairdresser commented on it, but it seemed to stop.
/>- I put on weight - even tho I'm a chocoholic and on the 2nd day of baclofen I became indifferent to chocolate or anything with sugar in it (that lasted until i had the *switch* and stopped drinking wine, then I started on choc again, but much-much less than before)
- I had no energy to go to the gym from day 1 of baclofen - but restarted at 180 and I'm now killing it - lifting bigger weights, much more stamina, and no muscle ache/stiffness, even after the most strenuous workout.
- my taste buds seem to have changed and I'm making healthier food choices - salad suddenly tastes delicious!
- I'm hypothyroid and my body temp appears to have changed from Baclofen (or being AF). Despite the diagnosis, when I was drinking I was very sensitive to heat (preferred to be in cooler rooms/no heating at night, wore lighter clothes than everyone else etc) - which is not typical of someone who is hypo. Since this bac journey, this has changed and I now need the heating more, and on a cold day brrrr I'm freezing
. I also no longer sweat profusely at the gym. Maybe this change in body temp is temporarily causing the weight-gain? I'm not too worried about it as with my healthier diet, lots of exercise, a big reduction in my chocolate habit, and no drinking, my weight will come down eventually (I'm not 'overweight', just want to be slimmer).- very dry skin on my body, but that is resolving now I'm at the lower dose of 120mg.
Anyhow, thanks again:l I'm also posting this for other lurkers like me.
but that's got more to do with lack of time...
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