Anticonvulsant+muscle relaxant alcoholism treatment : 70-90 percent claimed success

[Greg]

Anticonvulsant+muscle relaxant alcoholism treatment : 70-90 percent claimed success

Just a quick update...

I have started topiramate at 25 mg today, and will stick to what others have recommended, i.e. slow titration upwards rather than rushing it. I haven't taken any baclofen for a while, and will wait about a week before starting it again, just to get a feel for how the Topa is affecting me. I'm hoping to only need 75-100 mg of bac per day, in other words not high-dose. Unfortunately I am back to drinking on and off, although fairly severe gastritis is forcing me to have time off it every 2 weeks or so.

In about a month or two I'll see how things are going, and think about an antidepressant (mianserin) then if my mood isn't improved, although I had started the antidepressant recently and was going to continue it (but stopped out of concern about its interaction and possible ineffectiveness with alcohol). Now I want to initially see if my mood can improve with just the bac+Topa, and I think it will definitely improve if I find myself at least partly freed of this insane obsession to drink heavily at night despite having every reason not to. I had been doing quite well on Antabuse up until about 6 months ago, but then began to stop taking it deliberately so I could drink again....true alcoholic thinking indeed! I have still been taking Antabuse again each time I decide to quit alcohol, but then refusing to take any more so I can wait until it wears off and drink again...I have even been thinking of handing over all my bank books, cards, and cash to my mother so I physically can't buy alcohol, that's how deep into alcoholic thinking I have slumped lately!!

Anyway, if this works, I won't have to resort to drastic money management methods as a way of enforcing abstinence. I don't have daily Internet access, but I'll post about any progress over the next 1-2 months.

[Greg]

Anticonvulsant+muscle relaxant alcoholism treatment : 70-90 percent claimed success

Still no-go with any doctors willing to prescribe that treatment idea down in Melbourne. They all say it's too controversial, including two specialists I have spoken to in person in Sydney. If the drugs don't interact dangerously, don't cause damage, allow the person to function each day, and work without drug tolerance setting in, then I don't see why they couldn't be used together after a careful evaluation of each patient...maybe I should have been talking to psychiatrists instead of alcohol specialists!!

Someone living in Melbourne and willing to go on a waiting list could possibly get involved, but outside of that, I don't think any doctor (maybe apart from a rare shrink) would do this. I even thought about ordering all the stuff in, but I don't want to attract too much attention from customs officials.

This is the last time I'll post about this topic, unless something useful comes up. Sorry for the disappointments folks.

[Sticky]

Anticonvulsant+muscle relaxant alcoholism treatment : 70-90 percent claimed success

Hi Greg

So sorry to read about your recent disappointment. I tried to get topa online into NZ years ago and couldn't. (Apart from a very small amount.) Then did the Sinclair Method using naltrexone which backfired after 17 months. Now I'm on bac. Another poster on here showed info & Amiesen's book to her GP and got it prescribed for her daughter. Now there are 3 of us in Auckland being prescribed bac by the same GP. Why not try that option? See if your GP will read Amiesen's book and prescribe bac and if not try other GPs. Just a thought....

All the best
Sticky

[Greg]

Anticonvulsant+muscle relaxant alcoholism treatment : 70-90 percent claimed success

Sticky;1377011 wrote: Hi Greg

So sorry to read about your recent disappointment. I tried to get topa online into NZ years ago and couldn't. (Apart from a very small amount.) Then did the Sinclair Method using naltrexone which backfired after 17 months. Now I'm on bac. Another poster on here showed info & Amiesen's book to her GP and got it prescribed for her daughter. Now there are 3 of us in Auckland being prescribed bac by the same GP. Why not try that option? See if your GP will read Amiesen's book and prescribe bac and if not try other GPs. Just a thought....

All the best
Sticky

Thanks Sticky, yes it has been an extremely frustrating run-around with this whole thing, and I had told two real-life mates I would try my best to get them into the treatment too! They are in even worse shape than myself. I have had Dr Ameisen's book for a few years but the doctors I know will never go over the limit of 75-100 mg per day...some would not even go up to that. I could try others but truly high-dose bac gives me so many hassles, especially worsened insomnia, that I would rather try other things first, e.g. mirtazapine or gabapentin plus lower doses of bac. I also use a bit of cannabis and/or Xanax at night sometimes as an alcohol substitute, which works with fewer problems than I get with bac, and luckily I don't have any compulsion to use more and more of either drug. I don't recommend these publicly however, as some people end up with serious addictions to benzos, and cannabis can cause its own problems with some (and is illegal in most places).

[nancy]

Anticonvulsant+muscle relaxant alcoholism treatment : 70-90 percent claimed success

depressing town

Hi Greg,
I know you are pursuing a multiple medication solution and you are facing roadblocks. My advice is go see your mother in Sydney and see if you improve once you get out of your depressing small town! Make the arrangements ASAP!

[Greg]

Anticonvulsant+muscle relaxant alcoholism treatment : 70-90 percent claimed success

nancy;1377401 wrote: Hi Greg,
I know you are pursuing a multiple medication solution and you are facing roadblocks. My advice is go see your mother in Sydney and see if you improve once you get out of your depressing small town! Make the arrangements ASAP!

Hi Nancy, thanks for giving your opinion. I am already lucky enough to be only 2 hours' drive from my mother's flat, and I spend time there regularly as a break from being in a small rural city. It does help, as there is much more to see and do there. Due to the fact that I care for my grandmother on a part-time basis in my home town, I am unable to move to my mother's area on a full-time basis, but I go for day drives for extra variety when still at home.
I am going well at present, just detoxed myself at home which went totally smoothly (I don't recommend anyone else do this but I was trained in this by a nurse who was also an experienced drug and alcohol counselor). Am now on supervised Antabuse each morning...my nan watches me take it and tells my mother that I have indeed taken it. I am not looking to be on a huge array of medications personally, just something to treat alcohol cravings and stop me feeling a need to use pot in place of alcohol, and something to help with my lifelong depression and sleep difficulties. I would be reluctant to try the treatment method (in full) that I first wrote about here, as the doctor doing it sometimes uses 10 to 14 drugs per patient, which is too much outside of a closely monitored setting I think.
Anyway, I hope you are doing well. Thanks for your concern.

[nancy]

Anticonvulsant+muscle relaxant alcoholism treatment : 70-90 percent claimed success

isolation

Ok I see your situation. I think isolation can be hard to deal with. I can't remember if I suggested this before, but have you ever tried to meet other local MWO members in person? I wonder if that might do a lot of good for you.

[Greg]

Anticonvulsant+muscle relaxant alcoholism treatment : 70-90 percent claimed success

nancy;1377779 wrote: Ok I see your situation. I think isolation can be hard to deal with. I can't remember if I suggested this before, but have you ever tried to meet other local MWO members in person? I wonder if that might do a lot of good for you.

I don't know of any local MWO members, even in Sydney (where my mother lives), but it would be interesting to meet any who may be in this part of Australia.

[On.Bac]

Anticonvulsant+muscle relaxant alcoholism treatment : 70-90 percent claimed success

Greg;1349897 wrote: I honestly don't know how you and others have been able to take 200-300+ mg of it every day and still function in some way, but I admire you all for doing so. That, to me, takes more courage and determination than I will ever have.

I know i fall into the paradoxical effect category, but baclofen gives me so much damn energy and motivation it's easy. It kills my anxiety, removes fear, removes cravings for drugs/alcohol and binge eating. No thoughts of PTSD, anxiety, ocd etc. Without baclofen i'm timid, crave anything to get high to stop the obsessive worry and am almost agoraphobic. I was never a big alcoholic. Longest period I've drank in my entire life was 4 months, and even then i took breaks.

On baclofen, I lost from 356 to 286, gained muscle mass and a lot of money due to my confidence. Before i looked to anything for comfort. Never was addicted to any drug before baclofen. Trying to taper off baclofen i went from 286 to 227 and lost all my muscle tone. I'm contemplating going back on it, because now that im at 15mg and not experiencing withdrawal, all i think about is getting high or taking klonopine, xanax or all the other crap that's prescribed to me for my panic disorder. Baclofen doesn't fog my memory and allows me to live anxiety free, be quick and witty, removes my depression and gives me hope for life. I really wished there was a better understanding in medical literature to support this drug for people like myself. I need an extended release version so i can take it once or twice a day. Baclofen makes me get things done and enjoy doing them. Like going to peoples houses. I have a fear of that because i've been setup and jumped. All the traumatic experience caused anxiety is removed. I'm continueing my taper and missing living at the same time. Also considering drinking. Anything other than baclofen takes away from my life, tranquilizes me, dumbs me down. Baclofen is my wonder drug and just because some can take 200-300mg and function doesn't mean you have to take that much if your body won't function with it.

I've been up for 2 days in worry, sorry for my stupidity, I'm sure it shines through with my sentence syntax. Just remember, everyones body chemistry is different. Drugs effect people very differently because of that.

[spacebebe01]

Anticonvulsant+muscle relaxant alcoholism treatment : 70-90 percent claimed success

Hi Ms Innerwest

sorry I didn't notice this before, this is a very old thread. Maybe you would be better off starting your own thread to see if there is anyone else in Australia out there still. Im assuming there would be.

good luck

space

[Annonn]

Anticonvulsant+muscle relaxant alcoholism treatment : 70-90 percent claimed success

Old thread...but

most of 2013 I was seeing Jon Currie, he does use bac, but too much for most have them feel ill, it's also gabaab, the combination used by proffessor currie got me clean a full year, when I thought I knew better I ventured this year and stopped his meds. Now back on and just hope I can get in to see him again in the next 24hrs. ( Now pancreatic pain and hep) we all learn, what I have learnt is this guy (Proff Currie)is getting better at piecing everything together and dedicates his life to changing not only our understanding but also the publics awareness.

[Greg]

Anticonvulsant+muscle relaxant alcoholism treatment : 70-90 percent claimed success

Annonn;1704832 wrote: most of 2013 I was seeing Jon Currie, he does use bac, but too much for most have them feel ill, it's also gabaab, the combination used by proffessor currie got me clean a full year, when I thought I knew better I ventured this year and stopped his meds. Now back on and just hope I can get in to see him again in the next 24hrs. ( Now pancreatic pain and hep) we all learn, what I have learnt is this guy (Proff Currie)is getting better at piecing everything together and dedicates his life to changing not only our understanding but also the publics awareness.

Do you mind me asking what particular combination of medications Prof Currie treated you with, and what doses were used? I was never able to find out EXACTLY what he used to treat his patients, only general guidelines. Fortunately I am not in deep trouble with alcohol at the current time but I was a severe alcoholic (20+ standard drinks every night) only a few years ago. In case I ever revert back to my old ways (hopefully I won't) it would be handy to know more about the Professor's treatment.

[Annonn]

Anticonvulsant+muscle relaxant alcoholism treatment : 70-90 percent claimed success

Thanks Greg

Sometimes it's nice to simply not someone has taken note of our existence.
BAC- only up to 50 mg
Sodum valproate to stabalize the fluctuations in mood- more so post withdrawal
Melatonin- to help bring the sleep pattern back into line. ( I was advised sleepless nights play a big factor in compromising the "F#IT", I need the bottle again.
+ 2 more that dont come mind right now as I have am home detoxing so a little confused. Just trying to get out what i can. Thanks again for taking notice Greg it means a lot at this stage. I am up to my my 7 withdrawal in 5 years and it is more frightening and aggressive every time. It provides at least some comfort to be noted.

Nick.

[Annonn]

Anticonvulsant+muscle relaxant alcoholism treatment : 70-90 percent claimed success

oh, also small dose of edronax to couter bal the fatigue of BAC and and fall into a depressive state of isolation. That's all I remember but packs are tailored depending on circumstance. he is a believer in the use of BAC, but is taking steps further, I have trust because he almost saved my life. I hope to come back and make some friends here when I have cleaned up, will probably make more sense also. I haved helped many yet have fallen back again. It.s fortunate sites like this are here.

[Lostinspace]

Anticonvulsant+muscle relaxant alcoholism treatment : 70-90 percent claimed success

Hi Annonn :welcome: You certainly don't have to wait until you're done with detox to hang out here. You're making plenty of sense and this is a great community with a lot of support. I wish you the best as you muddle through these first several days without alcohol. Be gentle with yourself and treat yourself to anything that makes you feel better, whether that's watching crap tv all day or trying to stay active to keep your frazzled nerves at bay. Keep posting