Baclofen as a lifelong anxiety treatment

[RedThread12]

Baclofen as a lifelong anxiety treatment

Please note, Slim: I didn't advise anything. I put an option, in the form of a suggestion, on the table just so you know it's there. I promise, I'm 100% behind you for baclofen to work for what you need, and that you never need another option. I guess this is a "just in case," for another time, or another decade, or something.

[slim penguin]

Baclofen as a lifelong anxiety treatment

I'm at 15mg/day and so far no anxiolytic or side effects. The calm feeling I had on the first day was most likely placebo.

[slim penguin]

Baclofen as a lifelong anxiety treatment

I've been upping the dose a little faster than anticipated. I'm on 40mg a day, and still no real effect. I feel a little tiny bit... drowsy? I'm not sure what the right word is. I fall asleep more easily and wake up more refreshed. The effect is very subtle though.

I'm a bit disappointed, I thought I would definitely feel some anxiolytic effect at that dose, according to the testimonnials I've read.

Is it supposed to happen on the long run, as the effects build up, kind of like an antidepressant, or is it more of an immediate noticeable effect once you're at the right dose?

Should I accelerate titration since I'm not really feeling anything so far?

[spacebebe01]

Baclofen as a lifelong anxiety treatment

slim penguin;1359503 wrote: I fall asleep more easily and wake up more refreshed.

you are getting some positive effects then, from my own limited experience with bac I wouldnt reccommend going up for a while. Stick at the dose your on for around 5 days and see how you feel then. This will take time not just dosage so just sit tight and let it do its work.

[slim penguin]

Baclofen as a lifelong anxiety treatment

I think I'm about to discontinue baclofen treatment. At 60-70mg/day I am not relieved of my depression or anxiety. Just feeling a bit drowsy and more lazy. I dont think upping the dose some more will help as baclofen is useful as an anxiolytic at low doses.

I'll keep some as it proved to be a useful sleep aid, it might be used on an as-needed basis.

[COSGringo]

Baclofen as a lifelong anxiety treatment

Good luck Slim.
You may be better off.
If you can do it without meds, I think you would be better off.

You have lots of time in front of you. Just don't do anything hasty.

You will find your path.

[Foliage]

Baclofen as a lifelong anxiety treatment

Hi
I am in a similar situation. Phenibut helped against anxiety. But it got out of control after two weeks. So I switched to Baclofen. It helps against anxiety. But I am at a dosage of 150 mg/day. Downside is the rebound anxiety that I experience after more than 8 hours without Baclofen.
I once tried Benzoes and did not like them. SSRI (escitalopram) and SSNRI (duloxetine) did not help much. Therapy helps as well.
I mention all this because in my experience, quite high dosage of baclofen were required for me to feel the pronounced effect against the anxiety. So you might reconsider stopping. If I feel really anxious, I take 40 mg. I feel the warmth, the relaxation and the peace after about 30 minutes.
For a long time (35 years), I was not even aware of my anxiety.
Good luck.

[jim65]

Baclofen as a lifelong anxiety treatment

Slim how are you? no posting since 8/6/2012. I have all the same wonderful traits as you. Good to hear from everyone. There some really special writers on this site. Amazing to hear from so many people in the same boat because this sure does feel like one hell of a lonely disease. Jim

[slim penguin]

Baclofen as a lifelong anxiety treatment

Hey guys, I haven't popped in here for a while. I've been up to 80mg of bac per day, then decided to stop. After reading your recommendation, Foliage, I once took 40mg of bac in one go.

So far I've only noticed the sedative effects of the drug on my brain. It does calm me in a way, and I notice that I don't feel suicidal on this drug anymore. Yet, as an already low-energy person, this drug does not help me function any better. I'm still very introverted and apathetic on it. I decided that it was not worth continuing.

Jim, sorry for the negative feedback on the drug! Still:

https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...ety-50827.html

check this big thread and see how it has helped many to overcome their anxiety-related issues.

Thanks for you other guy's support! Time for me to check a depression/social anxiety forum and move on to antidepressants. If I ever get better, I'll come back to give some news :thanks:

[jim65]

Baclofen as a lifelong anxiety treatment

Hey slim thanks for the update. Have you heard about the linden method for anxiety? It is getting the most thumbs up from what I have researched. Depression is hell and anxiety is torture. I'll check out your link. Jim

[Otter]

Baclofen as a lifelong anxiety treatment

[QUOTE=Ne/Neva Eva;1349030]The connection between baclofen and anxiety, or baclofen as a primary treatment for anxiety, is very tenuous. So tenuous as to be non-existent.

I mean, seriously, Ne, what on earth are you saying. Baclofen is an anxiolitic. Read what Dr. Ameisen, whose book you revere says about anxiety in the paper he wrote which started this whole thing:

I am a physician diagnosed with alcohol dependence and comorbid anxiety disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition (DSM-IV) (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). I had been hospitalized for acute withdrawal seizures. Anxiety disorder had long preceded addiction.

I had tried recommended dosages of medications proposed for promotion of abstinence and reduction of craving (see Patient and Methods). I had achieved prolonged abstinence with and without medications. But I had always experienced cravings and preoccupation with alcohol, and achieving abstinence in such conditions required daily planning as well as constant and full attention.

Baclofen is a potent gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAB) receptor agonist clinically used to control spasticity (Davidoff, 1985):
i.
In alcohol-dependent patients, low-dose baclofen at 30 mg/day (∼0.5 mg/kg) was shown to be effective in promoting abstinence, reducing alcohol craving and consumption, with no limiting side-effects (Addolorato et al., 2000, 2002a,b).

ii.
In rats, at doses up to 10 times higher (5 mg/kg), baclofen suppresses cocaine self-administration, motivation to consume alcohol and attenuates self-administration of cocaine, alcohol, heroin, nicotine and d-amphetamine (Roberts and Andrews, 1997; Shoaib et al., 1998; Xi and Stein, 1999; Colombo et al., 2000, 2003; Fattore et al., 2002; Brebner et al., 2004). Effects are dose-dependent for each substance. For alcohol, up to 3 mg/kg are required.

iii.
In multiple sclerosis, neurologists safely use long-term high-dose oral baclofen (270 mg/day), to control spasticity, in order to protect patients from risks of invasive intrathecal therapy (Smith et al., 1991). Given the safety record of baclofen since 1967, neurologists with experience in spasticity do not hesitate to use up to 300 mg/day of baclofen, as long as somnolence and/or muscular weakness do not limit treatment (John Schaefer, Cornell University Medical College, personal communication). In the highest recorded baclofen overdose (acute ingestion of 2 g), the patient survived (Gerkin et al., 1986).


I postulated the notion that dose-dependent suppressing effects could be transposed to humans and that by using baclofen in dose ranges used in animal studies, one might reach a critical dose at which craving and motivation to drink alcohol might be suppressed in alcoholics, thus substantially reducing relapse risk.

Baclofen has also been used successfully in anxiety disorders (Breslow et al., 1989; Drake et al., 2003), "

[COSGringo]

Baclofen as a lifelong anxiety treatment

Agreed. All good points.
You seem like an early person as I am or you are in another part of the world.

I do see a big link. Sadly, I feel like my link is dissipating. Not so much nervous but I was at a point where I could take on the world.

I am feeling a bit more introverted once again. I am fine with that to be honest.

I am not depressed at all. Anguish is subjective in my book. Look at some of the real pain others go through. Fear of life and death and I mean like those sitting in Africa somewhere. Who am I to complain? That helps me come back to reality.

Me, I am growing up. Fear of public speaking, it's back and I am not going to worry about it. This is not the career for me now. Just a money maker.

I digress and this is about me now which is silly.

Thanks for putting the med back in perspective. I see the link but I think I always have. I just don't always consider it. I now know it won't be my life's answer. That will come elsewhere.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Baclofen as a lifelong anxiety treatment

Hiya, Otter!

The section you quoted from the book doesn't have any response from OA about the effect baclofen had on his own anxiety. It has to do with craving cessation and ability to achieve abstinence.

The Drake study was 11 patients over 8 weeks at a maximum of 80mg. No follow up other than a call for more research.

You'll note in my original responses to the original post that I was optimistic, if not enthusiastic. I've found that baclofen has helped to treat my own anxiety, which I didn't recognize prior to taking baclofen.

The connections between anxiety disorders and alcoholism are still being studied. The connection between baclofen as treatment for anxiety (the original poster's issue) without alcoholism is so tenuous as to be non-existent.

Hope it's a good day!

[desperados]

Baclofen as a lifelong anxiety treatment

Hiya Neva, in regards to anxiety we all know that you're such strong benzo advocate 'for short period of time only' (you've never specified your definition/ length of short period of time)... to combat HDB SE such as insomnia, increased anxiety

What a joke...what 'short period of time' are you talking about???...(on one hand you advice very slow baclofen taper on the other brief specific benzo intervention)

I'm soo ... how could you possibly achieve that, taking HDB to achieve 'switch' while struggling often with severe SE: such as insomnia, anxiety takes waaaay longer than 'short period of time'...(sometimes takes just literally a couple of weeks for a benzo habit to form!)
Which couple of weeks takes to slowly tapper up HDB to the 'switch' and stay on it for unknown period of time...the first..couple...or the last...

You've mentioned in one of your posts that certain benzo being such safe medicine as one of the most prescribed in states, for some reason you hesitate to admit the part of being...one of the most addictive ones...there must be a good reason that is such controlled substance!

And btw where's the proof that while taking HDB would make anybody immune to xanax addiction...???

This is my past experience with benzos:...oke:

[COSGringo]

Baclofen as a lifelong anxiety treatment

How was your coming out party?