High Dose Baclofen: Insufferable Anxiety!!

[TX Git Slinger]

I started having acute anxiety at 350 and went up to 370, titrating 10 mg per week. It only got worse at 370. I mean, I've had anxiety and panic before but it's always been situational. This time I have horrible gripping feelings in my chest and stomach, numbness in my face, unspeakably horrible obsessive thoughts that make me scream at myself.

They get worse at night. I've never suffered like this, even in the lowest of lows of my alcohol and drug addiction.

I went down to 330 two days ago on my worst day ever, then only did 300 yesterday. Is this only going to make the situation worse??? I can't really call Dr L because it's the weekend. I procured some xanax .25 and that calmed me down but I feel groggy today and some of the anxiety is returning. It comes in huge waves at night. I can barely function.

This is my second time titrating up. The first time was much easier. Hit the switch at 350. Went down to 200 and started craving again, so Dr L had me go back up. This time it has been hell.

What is a safe titration down? I can't feel this way anymore. I won't be able to function as a human.

[StuckinLA]

High Dose Baclofen: Insufferable Anxiety!!

Egads, man. I have no experience with those dosages, so I'm not going to be of any help, but I wanted to make sure somebody responded right away. Because it sounds like you're having a hell of a time.

I also do not yet have any experience with Dr L, so no clue what he would say even if this wasn't the weekend. Hopefully someone with answers/suggestions/anything helpful will jump in soon.

I definitely get the stuff at night, on the nights I don't drink heavily. For reference I'm only at 175 and have not hit a switch yet. But during the day at random? I may have had some of that at 210, which is why I backed off and sort of cut down on booze.

I'm also having a tough time quantifying my cravings. I mean, do I need those drinks? Or am I tired of being in my head and staring down the barrel of another night?

Hopefully the Xanax will help, and grogginess is better than anxiety? I know you want to come down, but probably not the best idea to do that quickly. Others, again, have a lot more experience.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

High Dose Baclofen: Insufferable Anxiety!!

Hi, TX. I'm sorry.

First of all, you will absolutely feel better and soon. Really and truly.

If you aren't taking (EDIT) regularly please do that starting today. Every morning, every night, just like (EDIT) prescribes it. (EDIT, EDIT, EDIT)

You know, from previous experience, that it doesn't have to be like this and that it won't stay this way.

I don't know what to tell you about going down. I would. That's all I'll say about that. Pay attention to what your body is telling you.

Are you drinking? Lay off the sauce if you are.

As far as managing the terror, especially the night terrors, getting on here really helped me. There are people on here from Europe and Africa (7 hours ahead of you) and Ignominious is in Asia. He's 12 hours behind. They'll help you if the rest of us are asleep. It really helps. StuckinLA is in...LA. He's got insomnia too.
Reaching out will help you manage it. Why am I so sure? Because I have talked (or written) to a lot of people when they are going through what you are going through. A lot of people. What I'm suggesting (adamantly) you do, has worked time and again.

One last thing: Breathe easy. It will stop soon. It takes about 24 hours. Take the pills. :l

[Ne/Neva Eva]

High Dose Baclofen: Insufferable Anxiety!!

(EDIT) would say what I'm saying. Coupled with the fact that it is not a baclofen side effect. :H and :upset:
Gotta love the guy, still.

[TX Git Slinger]

High Dose Baclofen: Insufferable Anxiety!!

Thanks for the reply. It's just puzzling. It was tough the first time titrating up but it was bearable. When I hit the switch at 350 back in Sept of 11, I laid in bed for about a week. Guess that was a sorta alcohol withdrawal. But the bac got me thru it and kept me tired enough that I could just sleep it off. In one week from hitting the switch, I went outside to get some sun by the pool. Felt good. Then I jumped in for a swim, felt better. I hadn't had physical activity in over a year at that point, although before I was an avid yogi--even thru much of the drinking. Then I went into the exercise room and struggled thru some weights, went to yoga that night--didn't turn back. Felt great for months! Titrated down to much and started craving again, so at advice of Dr L went back up. This time has been horrible, since up around 350. I decided to go up to 370 and has made it even worse. YOu can read my thread High Dose BAclofen- insufferable anxiety.

[TX Git Slinger]

High Dose Baclofen: Insufferable Anxiety!!

Have been drinking a bit, no more than three or four. Finding it does little to calm my nerves at this high of a dosage. I found i was trying to slam two or three beers just to combat the anxiety even tho i wasn't "craving" alcohol. Crazy quandry: i was WISHING i was craving booze so that it would cure my anxiety like it used to.

Even when I titrated way down to 190 I was craving some but could manage it and keep the daily consumption at 4 or below (with a couple exceptions)--that is compared drinking 15 at the nadir of my addiction! So still wonderful progress. I am gonna have to Call Dr L tonight even tho it is an off night. I did once before and he was amenable. I have one more 25 xanax from a friend. That will get me thru tonight when the terror really seems to kick in.

Thanks again for the kind replies!

[Ne/Neva Eva]

High Dose Baclofen: Insufferable Anxiety!!

He is also going to tell you not to go down.

I strongly disagree. I have stated this many times and started many threads about it. Staying at the switch dose, or at any dose that makes you completely miserable after you are indifferent is not wise.

[StuckinLA]

High Dose Baclofen: Insufferable Anxiety!!

I'm not trying to throw stupid questions or (God forbid you take these as) accusations, but when you say cravings, how do you mean?

You're stopping at 3 or 4, with a couple exceptions, and that sounds pretty great. But was it craving or habit?

Right now I'm not beyond wanting to drink. Because that's what I do, it's how I see myself, and I'm avoiding thinking about a lot of longish-term work I don't want to do/think about. So I'm boozing it up, and hell, will probably be day-drinking in a few minutes down at the bar where the bartender is bringing in seafood soup. I haven't reached indifference, and the thought of indifference kind of scares me, but that's another story.

Anyway, just putting some stuff out there... I know bac is supposed to be completely effortless re: AL, but maybe there is a balance between willpower when it comes to changing habits and the elimination of cravings? I dunno...

Either way, hopefully you'll be Xanaxed out tonight and resting, but I'll be up and around so if it helps to type it out--either here or on my thread--that's cool, I think I'm an hour behind you. Anyway, it usually helps me.

[TX Git Slinger]

High Dose Baclofen: Insufferable Anxiety!!

@ NE
Dr L said to pull back to 300. I'm beginning to think that it may not be the bac causing the panic. I can't sleep, having awful body pains, numbness etc. He wouldn't write a xanax script, said it would worsen the condition.

Are you sure I won't get hooked if i'm on this high dose?

[Ne/Neva Eva]

High Dose Baclofen: Insufferable Anxiety!!

Yes, I'm sure. I have no interest in creating more enslavement. I think being dependent on chemicals to live is not really living. I also think chemicals are a tool that one can use to live well, if one treats them, understands them to be just that-- a tool.

But regardless of how I "feel" about it all, I believe it and know it to be true.

Out of absolute desperation I practically force fed my husband xanax (.25mgx4 the first day or two) when he had a complete meltdown. I mean anxiety so severe that he walked out of his job (of six years) in the middle of the day and swore he'd never go back. He was utterly hopeless, borderline suicidal, and I've never witnessed anything like it. It was more terrifying than the many times I've seen him hopelessly drunk, hopelessly hungover, and hopelessly sober.

That was a Friday. By Sunday he started to see that the future was not bleak and worthless and on Sunday afternoon he mentioned, for the first time, going back to work on Monday. Monday morning he got up and got dressed and did just that. 6 weeks later he had a 'review' of sorts from the CEO. The CEO told him that he had performed better in the previous six weeks--not just better than expected, but better than the person they'd hired to replace him. Then the CEO fired him. :H But that is a whole 'nother story. (It was a hostile take over of the entire company, and my husband was one of two senior executives that were kept on after the transition, but clearly only to help with the transition. So being on bac was not a deciding factor. Being a drunk, apparently, was. :H)

Anyway, again! Ed stayed on xanax for about 6 weeks and then stopped cold turkey. He takes it now when he has to go on television or for other public appearances. That's it. And he takes .25 or less.

One more thing about him: A couple of years ago he took the dog's xanax. All of it. Over about four days. That was likely the second scariest event (related to him) in my life. He has been known to abuse just about anything close by, and smoked pot every night for as long as I've known him (10+ years) and basically more than that for his entire adult life. (It is a conundrum how he was able to be so damn successful, but there it is.)
He quit smoking pot cold turkey, too. After he quit drinking, and after he stopped taking xanax.
This stuff works.

I have recommended xanax on a number of occasions to people (12? 20? Who knows?) who actually followed through. Every single one of them has had a similar experience except one. And she was a very unique situation. She did not become addicted to xanax. She did stop taking bac and started drinking again.

Finally, I'll share this with you and delete it soon: I love (EDIT). But he is more often wrong than right. He doesn't believe in side effects because OA didn't experience them. But OA had taken bac for a year before he titrated up. And he was completely sober.
What you are experiencing is HDB. Period. Read the threads. It's all here.

(EDIT) also believes that OA has told him that we should stay at the switch dose. (EDIT)
Take (EDIT). Not too much, but regularly.
Meditate. Or masturbate. Find a way to soothe yourself.

You don't have to take my word for it, and you don't have to listen to me. I understand and would probably feel the same way.
But you damn sure better figure out a way to get a handle on the anxiety, panic and insomnia. Because I have never heard of anyone experiencing that without giving up.

Hang in there. This is a blip. Really. I lived through it, and so did many others. (bleep, Murphy, just about all of the people I titrated up with--and the last 'group' to find indifference as a group, all experienced something similar.)

[StuckinLA]

High Dose Baclofen: Insufferable Anxiety!!

I think there's a practical as well as philosophical component here. How does one acquire all these Edits?

[Ne/Neva Eva]

High Dose Baclofen: Insufferable Anxiety!!

It isn't up to us, is it? I can't say why a doctor prescribes one thing for one person and not for another. I wouldn't presume. :H Well, obviously that's not true.

I'm going to delete much of my previous post because there is something very contraindicated about biting the hand that feeds...And I owe the man my life, or at least my freedom to decide about what to do with that life. 'cause there was NO WAY I was going to be able to take the overseas stuff bac(k) when I started. It was much too scary.

How are you today, TX?

[Grizzy]

High Dose Baclofen: Insufferable Anxiety!!

Hey TX -

There are so many people on this forum who can relate to your experience. Myself included. It's seems counterintuitive and Dr. L seems to not want to believe that it's real or caused by bac (one of the reasons I'm glad for this forum).

I think the staying at 300 is a good idea, Dr. L told me the same thing when I got up to 340 and had daily meltdown panic attacks. I actually went down to 280 and I've held there for a couple months. The anxiety has diminished greatly (as have all of my SEs actually). I have a heightened general anxiety but no more meltdown panic attacks. I feel like at this point using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques is a feasible way for me to control my anxiety.

The difference maker though was when I titrated down and held I took .25 mg xanax everyday, usually at least twice, sometimes 3 or 4 times a day, sometimes 2 at a time, etc. Just enough to feel back in control and like I could manage.

I did this probably for at least a month. I don't take any now, I quit taking it quite easily. I'm baffled as to why Dr. L would not give you a prescription. I hope he changes his mind. It was an absolutely essential part in me getting to a sustainable dose. I think a lot of GPs will just give you .25 xanax if you tell them you're having panic attacks, probably wouldn't mention the HDB tho.

[Grizzy]

High Dose Baclofen: Insufferable Anxiety!!

Oh yeah that's a gorgeous Tele too

[Ne/Neva Eva]

High Dose Baclofen: Insufferable Anxiety!!

Hey, Griz!
If you're still experiencing anxiety you might want to go down a little bit more. Here's my reasoning: I hit at 320mg, and take 140mg. My husband was around that and he takes 140mg. I know several other people who have had similar experiences. Even the ones that have stayed closer to their switch dose (and there really are only a couple) have moved around a bit looking for the right balance.

AND the kicker: You can always go back up. There's no need to go WAY down, and then have to titrate back up. (Who wants to go through that hell again? not me!) But there is (as we well know) no hard and fast number.

I really wouldn't want to live with a pervasive side effect from a medication. I mean, I would if it meant my life looked like it does now as compared to then. But if there's a better way, then it's worth a try!

Thanks for your input. Would you mind putting it on the following thread as well? I'm afraid that the good doctor's insistence on the fact that it is not an SE and that we should stay at super-HDB levels will continue to make this an issue. :upset:

https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...ose-63618.html

What's a tele?