Baclofen: Another High Anxiety Post. Please Help1

[jaydi501]

I am going through something similar in another post . I was on 7 Grams of Phenibut a day and was prescribed bacloflen about 6 weeks ago or so by our Dr L. I goal was to tirate up on the baclofen and then tirate down on the phenibut. From the start it was good. I got all the way up to about 160 mg of baclofen and I was starting to really see the anti anxiety effects...the light at the end of the tunnel. I actually didn't drink for 2 nights because I felt super calm. That was Up until last week. On Saturday I started to have more and more anxiety. I figured it was because I was lowering the phenibut too much so I went back to a higher dosaage. Nope nothing. I kept feeling like this was some kind of withdrawal because the symptoms were there. No sleep. Nausea through the roof. Hard to breath. Complete restlessness. Anxiety sky high. So I figured it had to be the phenibut. So I upped my dosage of baclofen and then upped my does of phenibut to try and knock out these withdrawal feelings (stupid). I eventually went to the Emergency Room because I felt like I was going to pass out. They prescribed me Ativan and told me to go home and slowly get off the baclofen.

That was the first time I thought it could be the baclofen. How? I was adding 20mg a week and didn't feel anything until 70mg. I was starting to think this was week. Once I hit 160mg I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was really looking like this was it! Then before I had the chance to go to 180 I started to get sick.

That night was the worst. As the next day went on I took NO baclofen and I started to feel better. I took 40mg at 10pm because I know you are supposed to tirate down. At this time I could feel manageable. Sure enough after 2 hours or so I start getting those same feelings of nausea, anxiety, heart racing. How? I haven't taken baclofen for 24 hours to let it clear my system so to speak and taking 40mg when I'm supposed to take 160mg in a day makes me feel this way. That was last night. It's 6:00pm Est and I don't know what to do. What makes me so sad is that maybe for people like us baclofen doesn't work. I was getting extremely amazing effects at 140/160mg in a day. Then only 40mg after abstaining for most of the day makes me sick again?

Any advice?

[StuckinLA]

Baclofen: Another High Anxiety Post. Please Help1

I am not a doctor and this is not advice. I also don't have all that much experience with, or even done all that much reading on bac withdrawal.

But it sounds like you're in bac withdrawal. It feels about the same as alcohol or benzo withdrawal--in other words, what you're describing. I think it usually takes several days and can be (no joke, very) dangerous. The only--literally, only--solution is more bac. The ER would give benzos to help, but it will not really help. Might make you feel a little calmer, though?

So, if you were at 160 I think going back to 140-150/day would feel better. If it is bac withdrawal you're in it should sort itself out in like 2 or 3 days. Then reduce (if that's what you want) slowly. Like -20mg/week.

Yet another DISCLAIMER: I know you're feeling very anxious and terrible and probably more than a little vulnerable right now. Which is, again, why I hate even jumping in here. I hope others will follow up as well.

And I'm not sure what would cause that anxiety at 160. Maybe depends on how quickly you were going up? I think I got anxiety when I tried to get there, and I was stuck at 150 for a long time...

[jaydi501]

Baclofen: Another High Anxiety Post. Please Help1

I appreciate your response but it isn't. I was taking MORE AND MORE baclofen when this happened. After the 5th day of almost passing out and going to the Emergency Room they told me to lower the baclofen dose. It was there that I thought that it actually might be the baclofen causing it. I was only 6 weeks into it and starting to feel better than ever. Then it hit me. So after getting back from the Emergency Room, I layed down wide awake until the next day. I stayed in bed all day and didn't take ANY baclofen. I slowly started to feel a little bit better. I finally take 40mgs at 10pm (That's about 24 hours of NO baclofen) and about an hour later the syptoms start popping up again. Since then I have not taking any baclofen and it's getting time for bed and I'm feeling and might take some more baclofen just in case I didn't taper right. I am just bummed because I was doing so well with it and then all of a sudden this!

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Baclofen: Another High Anxiety Post. Please Help1

jaydi501;1353148 wrote: I was taking MORE AND MORE baclofen when this happened. After the 5th day of almost passing out...

...

I am just bummed because I was doing so well with it and then all of a sudden this!

Hiya, Jaydi.

I think you've written what you're looking for! Increasing doses, and increasing phenibut, in the initial attempt to feel better--it may seem like a good idea in the moment (God knows I've been there, but with booze) but it doesn't really work out.

And here's the thing: Bac withdrawal, just as with ANY drug, can be very serious. Or it can just be really, really uncomfortable. That might not happen immediately, but it is not an unlikely scenario. I've seen some people get profoundly depressed, although there is really no telling if it was the baclofen withdrawal or the fact that they lost hope, or the fact that they returned to active addiction. No one can know that...

You're going to need to titrate down off of the baclofen. Really. No matter what. If you haven't taken any by the time you read this (even if it's tomorrow, meaning on Sunday) you'll likely want to take some. If you opt not to, I hope you'll keep a good eye on your mental health and well being.

On the other hand, if you decide to go back to a level close to what you were taking, and then titrate down, you'll be able to find a comfortable dose AND continue the process of dealing with your addiction. Baclofen works. It just does. The anxiety comes from overdoing it. You can find a comfortable place with baclofen, and it will still work to combat your addiction.

We can talk more about that if you want to explore that. Or any of the rest of it! I hope you'll check in and let us know what you decide and how you're doing. Take good care of yourself.
:l

[Greg]

Baclofen: Another High Anxiety Post. Please Help1

I'm only guessing here, so don't take this as advice, but I have read that phenibut also has GABA-A agonist properties and may affect other systems besides GABA-B too. If so this would make it a very tricky drug to get off.

I know that does not explain the whole story you have told here, but I am just thinking of how long some people say benzo withdrawals can last for...way way longer than alcohol withdrawal. It could at least be a component of the problem, which I assume baclofen would not address. I can personally attest that benzodiazepines, if taken in large daily doses, can be rotten drugs to get off after a while on them...like an alcohol withdrawal that goes on and on and on, although at a reduced level of severe DT-like symptoms.

Neva Eva and others have the most experience with bac, so they are most likely to give you the most useful advice. I just wanted to wish you good luck, as much as anything.