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    RobinJ's Baclofen Story

    :new:

    I first want to thank everyone who has contributed to this site. I have learned so much based on your experiences and for that I am grateful. I would have quit today due to my scary side effects, but I have seen too many success stories and too many hangovers to give up this journey.

    I am 41 and I drank for about 10 years before Baclofen. At first it was binge drinking on the weekends and then every 4 or 5 days. The days between drinking became shorter until I started drinking every night. I'm sure like most of you, I tried to stop drinking many times, but it would always lead back to drinking. I would start around 6 or 7pm and drink a bottle or bottle and a half of wine a night (about 5 - 7.5 glasses). On the weekends I would start sooner sometimes in the morning. I used to drink hard liquor until I felt an aversion to it and actually thought switching to wine would be better...how wrong I was. I knew I had a problem when I started planning my time around drinking...I even stopped running. My mother died of alcoholism at age 57. My stepfather drinks about 20 beers a night. Most of my uncles and siblings are alcoholics and my grandfather. My great grandfather died of alcoholism as well.

    I started Baclofen last Tuesday 3 April 30mg/day. I drank the first 5 days until I reached 50mg and experienced dizziness, disorientation, coordination problems and terrible nausea the morning after my last drink. I stopped drinking after that due to fear of experiencing further side effects of that magnitude. I Titrated up to 115mg on 12 April with minor twitches, nightly insomnia, forgetfulness and elevated blood pressure which I experienced from day 2 up until now. So my titration was a little faster because of minimal side effects.

    On the night of 12 April I took 20mg at 8pm and an additional 20mg at 11pm with a benadryl to try and sleep. I had started that day taking 12.5 mg every 2 hours from 9am to 5pm. I took both 20mg doses at 8pm and 11pm partly because I was hoping to get some sleep and partly because I wanted to ensure I took the entire 115mg for that day. I awoke at 3am with the worst buzzing sound in my brain, it was loud and awful. In addition I was so dizzy, I could barely walk to the bathroom and I trembled so bad that I could not even type using the keyboard. The side effects lasted until noon the next day.

    I also noticed that I was really out of it all day today. I thought my son, who had gone to visit a friend, had come in my room to check on me around 7pm since I could not get out of the bed. I thought he had given me a kiss and told me he was home, but he called me at 12am and said he was on his way home from his friend's house. Was I hallucinating? Did I overdose with the 2 nightly doses? The forgetfulness was so bad I took four times my normal time to complete any simple task. Thank God I have a job where I can work from home...there is no way I would've been functional enough to work today. It's taken me 20 min to type this email. I just can't concentrate, please excuse the typos.

    What I learned thanks to this site:

    When I had the side effects the night I drank a bottle and a half of wine I was taking 25mg at a time. I started taking 12.5mg every 2 hours and felt minimal side effects. Anything over 12.5 at a time produced horrible side effects.

    I dropped down to 50mg today and felt much better although I still am forgetful and can't concentrate.

    Titrate up slower to reduce side effects and no more big daily or nightly doses.

    Symptoms I have experienced thus far:

    bloating (think that it's related to alcohol withdrawal)
    Extreme hunger some days
    Lack of Appetite some days (Aversion to food sometimes)
    Extreme cravings for sugar
    Aching in my shoulder blades nightly
    Dizziness
    High blood pressure continually although I am on high blood pressure medicine
    Extreme Forgetfulness
    Insomnia (I'm typing this e-mail at 5:15 am with no signs of sleepiness. I go to bed around 12am and sleep for 15 to 20 minutes and then wake up and cannot fall back asleep even with Benadryl or Melatonin)
    Sleepiness around 7pm -9pm and then insomnia
    A little weight gain (3 pounds...I am 5"6 150 pounds/female)
    Tremors in hands
    Time passing rapidly (it seems with my nightly insomnia it's 12am and then it's 4am but it seems as if only an hour has passed).
    Extreme Irritation (Probably due to Alcohol Withdrawal)
    Blurry Vision
    Hearing things (Normal noises sound extremely loud)
    Feeling stoned
    Lack of coordination
    Buzzing in head
    Nausea

    Medicines: I take Norvasc 5mg/twice a day. Lisinopril 10mg/twice a day both for high blood pressure. Wellbutrin 150mg/twice a day for depression.

    Good Side Effects:
    Being AF
    Not obsessing over alcohol
    Decrease in anxiety
    No hangovers
    Exercising for the first time in months. I can't wait to start running again soon.
    "Those who drink to drown their sorrows should be taught that sorrows know how to swim."

    "Many things can be preserved in alcohol. Dignity is not one of them."

    #2
    RobinJ's Baclofen Story

    Hey, Robin!
    Loved the first post. Welcome and congratulations. I was almost jealous about the fact that you had the sense to stop drinking when you realized that it was really throwing you for a loop. Then I got to the part where you've titrated up to 115mg in 10 days! Yowza! :H

    Hang in there, sister. And, um, take it easy! Back tomorrow, I just wanted to say howdy.

    Edit: Tomorrow for me. It's already there for you!

    Comment


      #3
      RobinJ's Baclofen Story

      Yeah it's 6:30am and I am still up. Yeah a part of me wanted to not drink alcohol so badly that I thought the faster I went up the less I would want to drink. I really NEVER want to drink again. I have slowed down because the side effects yesterday were horrible. I believe that taking the 40mg within 3 hours was the downfall. I should have stuck to the 12.5mg, but something needed to slow me down. I feel much better now and I'm actually typing faster and have sane thoughts lol. I'm taking 62.5mg today and I have all my pills laid out for 12.5mg/3 hours apart. Thanks for the support...have a good night.:thanks:
      "Those who drink to drown their sorrows should be taught that sorrows know how to swim."

      "Many things can be preserved in alcohol. Dignity is not one of them."

      Comment


        #4
        RobinJ's Baclofen Story

        Hi Robin and welcome to MWO, Ive got no words of wisdom for for Im not on HDB but have tried it before and bloody hell 115mg in 9 days !!!! No wonder strange things were happening.
        Keep posting, xxx

        Comment


          #5
          RobinJ's Baclofen Story

          SpaceBebe01,

          Thank you for the greeting. I am feeling so much better with my current 62mg. I am learning to listen to my body. I read somewhere that if the side effects are not bothersome you can titrate up a little faster...lesson learned.


          _________________________
          I added cool smileys to this message... if you don't see them go to: EXPS Redirector
          "Those who drink to drown their sorrows should be taught that sorrows know how to swim."

          "Many things can be preserved in alcohol. Dignity is not one of them."

          Comment


            #6
            RobinJ's Baclofen Story

            Another good side effect is assertiveness. I have two teenage sons, 17 & 13 that I love dearly. Well during my 10 year drinking phase I let them get away with murder because I felt guilty about not spending as much time with them due to my drinking.

            I cleaned their rooms, washed their dishes, washed their clothes, cleaned the bathrooms and I never asked them to do anything ever. They just watched me clean and just sat there...they have become lazy slobs lol.

            Apparently the maid has left the building. I now make them do almost everything I didn't have the guts to tell them to do previously and I have no more anxiety or guilt about it. These little buggers have been cleaning up all day lol. They appear confused and have asked me how to start the washing machine, how to separate dirty clothes, what do I use to wash the dishes with etc. It may seem simple, but this really is a huge change for me.

            "Many things can be preserved in alcohol. Dignity is not one of them."
            "Those who drink to drown their sorrows should be taught that sorrows know how to swim."

            "Many things can be preserved in alcohol. Dignity is not one of them."

            Comment


              #7
              RobinJ's Baclofen Story

              Well done Robin, that is massive and something I have never achieved, I have a daughter 25 who lives with her bf, and 2 sons who live at home 23 and 12, and I have done exactly the same as you, and am still doing it. My youngest son tho is saving up to buy a new tv for his room so I have told him he can have money for chores and he is happy with that, he does clean his room himself tho, which is something the other 2 have never managed. One of the reasons I had to move house 3 1/2 years ago was I couldnt take the state of the house anymore, I just couldnt cope with the mess we had all made there, I was drinking a lot at the time and unable to do it myself and we had a house full of mice and rats in the garden!

              So well done, I think that is amazing

              I dont understand the last bit on your post about expresso

              Comment


                #8
                RobinJ's Baclofen Story

                Thank you! Don't worry about the expresso thing...that was a smiley gone wrong.

                Apparently drinking alcohol in excess took away my motivation to raise independent kids lol. I have a long way to go, but now that I'm AF I will have more time to focus on them. My son has enrolled in the Air Force so I need to speed up his training so Baclofen could not have come at a better time.

                I think it is best to make positive steps now if you can because it's never too late. Your 12-year-old at least understands that working hard bring rewards and that is a good mindset. Are you still drinking or have you quit?
                "Those who drink to drown their sorrows should be taught that sorrows know how to swim."

                "Many things can be preserved in alcohol. Dignity is not one of them."

                Comment


                  #9
                  RobinJ's Baclofen Story

                  I did quit, using antabuse, but then I went on a bender and now Im taking bac and gabapentin and drinking 1 - 2 lagers a day, I didnt feel ready to go AF again and didnt want to end up on another bender. I am feeling pretty good right now and possitive about myself.

                  It is great about your son enrolling in the Air Force it must be very exciting for him. My eldest son always wanted to joint the Royal Navy but failed the medical. He was devastated. and so was I. in fact it still upsets me to think about it. I need to think about something good instead.

                  xxx

                  Comment


                    #10
                    RobinJ's Baclofen Story

                    I'm sorry to hear your son failed, what a bummer. Hopefully he can do something else he's passionate about.

                    Good to hear that you are doing great. I learned two days ago that being AF is not a sprint it's a trot. []
                    "Those who drink to drown their sorrows should be taught that sorrows know how to swim."

                    "Many things can be preserved in alcohol. Dignity is not one of them."

                    Comment


                      #11
                      RobinJ's Baclofen Story

                      I wanted to give an update on my progress in case anyone is reading this thread for advice or inspiration.

                      I feel great today and I am not experiencing any bothersome side effects. I took 7/12.5mg tablets every two hours for a total of 75mg. I still do not have an appetite and the thought of eating makes me gag. I have been eating lots of junk food though (I crave sugary snacks like I did alcohol). I have not experienced any somnolence today and really very little during this whole process. In fact, I have been up for 32 hours and am still not sleepy. I am going to take a Benadryl and try to sleep...I can't believe it's almost 2:15 am.

                      I went to the German store today and walked past my favorite aisle...the wine aisle. I got my snacks and left the store without giving the wine a second thought. That is amazing. I would have never been able to do that prior to Baclofen. I can't believe I am 7 days AF with very little cravings.

                      I am concerned about my elevated blood pressure which is elevated despite taking high blood pressure meds. The highest I have been was 142/108 which sent me into a panic attack. I realize that it's never gone higher than that so I calmed down. I will admit that I have OCD and check my blood pressure at least 4 times a day. Way more often than that since I started Baclofen. I did notice that when I walked to the store earlier and also walked 3 miles today, my blood pressure dropped down to normal. Over all it is dropping several points a day so it is probably elevated due to alcohol withdrawal.

                      I feel that I am slowly gaining my life back one day at a time. My mind is still a little fuzzy, but I feel close to normal.

                      Side Effects:
                      Forgetfulness
                      Insomnia (32 hour stint)
                      Decreased hunger
                      slightly elevated blood pressure
                      Craving for sugar
                      Slight pain in right shoulder
                      slight fuzziness in my head
                      "Those who drink to drown their sorrows should be taught that sorrows know how to swim."

                      "Many things can be preserved in alcohol. Dignity is not one of them."

                      Comment


                        #12
                        RobinJ's Baclofen Story

                        Wow, Robin. You ROCK!!! Really. I am not given to superlatives and over-enthusiasm, but I am mightily impressed and totally inspired by your story. Actually, that would be . . . by you.

                        I, too, undertook my bac-journey pretty much on my own, after and while lurking extensively here on MWO. If you've been reading, you'll know that my experience may be one of the "easiest," in terms of immediate relief from drinking and very few side effects (weeelll . . . except for the night I over-dosed myself, and some other stupid stuff). All I know is that I could NEVER (ever) have figured a way out by myself; and every single word that members had written, were writing, and are writing, continues to add to and strengthen the role of baclofen as a treatment for acute alcoholism. I've been bac'ing forward since Oct. '09.

                        Thanks for checking in. Looks as if you've prepared yourself well and are headed full-force toward liberation from having to drink alcohol against your will. As you've seen, there's lots of support and experience here for you, and you are adding the same. All the best, RobinJ. It is SO WORTH IT!!
                        "Wherever you are is the entry point." --Kabir

                        Comment


                          #13
                          RobinJ's Baclofen Story

                          Robin -- welcome! Your progress is amazing. Your story about going past the wine aisle reminds me of Dr. Oliver Amiesen's story in his book, "Heal Thyself," about going to a music store and then leaving -- and then wondering where his bag of CDs was. He then realized that, for once, he hadn't bought any!

                          Congrats on where you've gotten so far. Given that you're AF already, are you going to keep going up, or hang out at 75mg or so?

                          Sorry about the insomnia. Hope you get some sleep soon!

                          Comment


                            #14
                            RobinJ's Baclofen Story

                            Robin you are doing so well, not thinking about the wine aisle is great, I had forgotten all about the effort I had to make at first going shopping and keeping out of the drink aisle and your doing it without effort. WOW

                            The sleep thing is worrying, I know some others on HDB have had trouble with sleeping, maybe there is something in their threads you can find that could help for you.

                            Do you think you will stay at this dosage now, or hand about on it for a while or are you wanting to go up, from what you are saying it looks like its doing the tick where you are at the moment.

                            xx

                            Comment


                              #15
                              RobinJ's Baclofen Story

                              Thanks RedThread12. I am very familiar with your story because I printed it out and read the entire thread throughly. Again I would've never had the courage to do this had I not read about the "trailblazers" who have gone before me. You guys wrote the good, the bad, & the ugly which allowed me to prepare for my journey. It is so confusing because the meds work different for everyone and you will never know what will happen until you take the first dose. I can tell you I prayed that GOD would release this burden from me. I just did not want to die early like my mother because of alcohol. I have a chance to make my life better and I pray that Baclofen will continue to help in that regard.
                              "Those who drink to drown their sorrows should be taught that sorrows know how to swim."

                              "Many things can be preserved in alcohol. Dignity is not one of them."

                              Comment

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