Baclofen - When should it be taken?

[AmyC]

Im attempting to get as much information as I camn before I start Baclofen. Im will be starting off at 5mg 3x a day for the first 4-5 days. My question is how many hours apart should the dosages be taken? Is there a time in the evening you should not take it after??

:thanks:

[jaddyday]

Baclofen - When should it be taken?

Hi Amy,

My experience is somewhat limited as I only started Bac a couple of weeks ago but I take mine in three doses at around 9am, 4pm and 11pm. That seems to be working for me and the only side effect I have experienced so far is a little somnolence. I started on 30mg/day and am adding 30mg/day every fifth day (I'm now on 90mg/day). There doesn't seem to be any hard and fast rule as Bac seems to effect everybody differently so I think it really is a case of trial and error and working out what works best for you.

I'm 18 days alcohol free on Bac and my cravings have been greatly reduced even on my current, relatively low dose. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

Justin

[AmyC]

Baclofen - When should it be taken?

Hi Justin. Thank you for responding and congrats on being AF for 18 days. Thats amazing! so your taking it every 7 hours, good to know. I was concerned with taking my doses too close together and increasing too fast but it sounds like you've got it worked out. Im sure Ill figure out a plan that will work. Thanks again.

[COSGringo]

Baclofen - When should it be taken?

Sorry, just saw this thread, glad you got on the other one.

[Bminor]

Baclofen - When should it be taken?

At higher doses, say over 200 mg I found that splitting it up at least 3 times a day was best... to kind of negate that slight baclofen fog. 5 times or even more per day dosing has worked well for several others as well. I even played around with 5 times a day dosing but found it too cumbersome to remember to take the damn pills that often :H 3 was good for me during my journey.

[AmyC]

Baclofen - When should it be taken?

Thanks Bmiror. I think Im going to try starting with 3x a day and go from there. Im sure its different for everyone. Im sure Ill figure out what works. Hopefully!! lol

[StuckinLA]

Baclofen - When should it be taken?

I usually take doses 5-5 1/2 hours apart. When I wake up, mid-afternoon, then evening. I found getting to 150 was fairly easy. Going above 150 now, and just adding a fourth nighttime dose. So 50/50/50/25 right now.

A lot of people have insomnia (myself included) but I'm just sucking that up and watching Netflix until I pass out or, more often unfortunately, drinking. So don't know what to tell you about the evening cut-off...

[AmyC]

Baclofen - When should it be taken?

Hi StuckinLA. It seems like insomnia is a standard side effect with Baclofen so Im sure I wont be the exception. Sometimes I take Melatonin at night to help me sleep but I wonder if it would be enough to help me sleep when Im taking the baclofen? I guess I will have to see. Has anyone else tried Melatonin to help sleep??

[COSGringo]

Baclofen - When should it be taken?

Melatonin didn't quite cut if for me. Well, it still doesn't to be honest. I won't even tell you the lengths I go to.

[AmyC]

Baclofen - When should it be taken?

Hey COS. Now you cant just say that and not tell me what lenght you go to to fall asleep!! LOL I guess Melatonin is fine when your not drinking or taking Baclofen, at least it seems to help but I doubt it will help when Im ramping up the Baclofen. If you have any good suggestions please let me know because Im not one of those people that can function well on only 5 hours of sleep. Even 6 is still iffy.

[COSGringo]

Baclofen - When should it be taken?

Well I have to switch off between things.
Some you probably cannot get or would not want to.
Diphenhydramine helps sometimes. Ambien, sometimes. I use harder stuff other times like nitrazepam or klonopin.
If I wake up and it's early say before 3 am, I will take a small dose of xanax to get back to sleep as that does not stay in your system long.

I do some other things too.

[StuckinLA]

Baclofen - When should it be taken?

Yeah, I take Melatonin. But falling asleep for me is like several mini panic attacks in a row--it's tough to explain, but sort of feeling like I'm dying and popping wide awake at the same time. I get up, pace, smoke a few cigarettes or eat something, and that helps. So I really don't like sleeping pills or other things that put me down because I can't get up and move around. Except for whiskey, of course, whiskey always seems to do the trick.

[COSGringo]

Baclofen - When should it be taken?

@StuckinLA
I used to get that all of the time. Right as you nod off you feel like you are falling or dying. I had the exact same feeling. Horrible to say the least. That was the apex of my insomnia.
I actually like benzos to help with that. Eventually that feeling went away for me. I am sure it will for you, too.
Good luck with that. I remember it all too well.

[AmyC]

Baclofen - When should it be taken?

I can relate StuckinLA. I sometimes have that same problem when Im well into a drinking binge. Thankfully that is the only time it happes. Thats an awful feeling and Ive have to resort to Cigs and food as well. Whats weird is that when I dont drink I have no desire to smoke and never was a smoker until I drank. The good thing is that awful falling feeling doesnt happen when Im not drinking so more incentive to not drink. I just hope that the longer I go without drinking the more "normal" I will start to feel.

[StuckinLA]

Baclofen - When should it be taken?

Oh yeah, totally. When I was sober for a while it went away. Makes me wonder why I'm drinking now. Of course, now that it's back I drink to avoid that feeling. Funny, huh? Anyway, the insomnia really isn't that bad if you have something to do--it's not like you wake up exhausted in the morning or anything.