Need Help - Thinking of going off Baclofen

[diehard spirit]

I've titrated to 275mg baclofen a day and am not totally surprised I haven't hit the hit switch yet. But the side effects are killing me - the nausea, increased anxiety, the feeling of being zonked all the time, even the inability to drive my car.
I know other members have been through this and reached indifference to alcohol, but at the moment I feel like giving up on baclofen and returning to a "normal life", and its alcohol-related problems, so overwhelming are the side effects.
I'm hoping that someone who's been through all this stuff can give me some advice.:thanks:

[StuckinLA]

Need Help - Thinking of going off Baclofen

Devil you know vs. the devil you don't? Wouldn't wish that on anybody, you know?

Sorry. Point is, at 275 a reasonable, rational titration down will take you a month or two anyway. Why not stick with it for a little while yet? It's worth it.

Not very loquacious at the moment, sorry. But I'll be around tomorrow.

[rangiatea]

Need Help - Thinking of going off Baclofen

U may need to go down slowly and find a dose that has fewer side effects.High dose baclofen can be unpleasant.Do not increase dose if u are uncomforable.Step down slowly to avoid withdrawals.

[diehard spirit]

Need Help - Thinking of going off Baclofen

Thanks for the advice

Thanks for the advice, guys, but at the moment baclofen is making me so sick I have give it up. Maybe it works, but the side effects are too much for me. I want my life back, alcohol dependency and all it entails.

[Warnie]

Need Help - Thinking of going off Baclofen

diehard spirit;1384543 wrote: Thanks for the advice, guys, but at the moment baclofen is making me so sick I have give it up. Maybe it works, but the side effects are too much for me. I want my life back, alcohol dependency and all it entails.

just get yaself off the grog buddy. work on your thinking. if ya think your missing out when you give up your stuffed. your missin nothing but headaches and anxiety and depression. keep it simple. stop whingin and bite the fucken bullet. a few days of detox discomfort and your right. good luck.

warnie

[spacebebe01]

Need Help - Thinking of going off Baclofen

diehard spirit;1384543 wrote: . I want my life back, alcohol dependency and all it entails.

Hi diehard, Im sorry but your not really making much sence, you say you want your life back with alcohol dependancy in it?! But you also managed to get to 275mg of bac which must have took some doing so I dont understand. Alcohol dependancy isnt getting your life back, its just getting your addiction back full force and thats not pretty.

I cant telly you what to do, Id say go to 260mg and hang around ther a while see how you feel, you may start to feel more possitive and want to carry on, if not then go down, but that will take time, there are threads around with schedules on. Find a slow sensible one and if possible tell someone what your doing.

Sorry I csant be more helpful, but good luck

[StuckinLA]

Need Help - Thinking of going off Baclofen

Are you working right now? What's your situation like? Is bac interfering with life-stuff or more like uncomfortable/awful? Do you have people supporting you? How're your cravings right now? Are you drinking/wanting to drink? You may have hit the switch and not really realized it because you feel so terrible.

If not, and if you can, I say go up before going down.

I know it's been quiet around here lately, but there've been people in your place before. There comes a point where you just have to say screw it, and go for the goal.

[tiptronic_ct]

Need Help - Thinking of going off Baclofen

Hi Diehard

You provide very little background to your titration - the rate at which you increased your dose, how you split your doses etc etc. I know this is your 2nd attempt with baclofen.

I can really emphathise with what you're going through. Initially, I had zero side-effects and thought it was going to be an easy ride. Then I hit 180mg and upwards. Life became really difficult - I had an accident because I fell asleep at the wheel in rush hour traffic. I fell asleep in meetings and at my desk. Sleep was severely disrupted. I felt extremely dizzy at times. Getting up in the mornings was like climbing a mountain.

It was all worth it in the end, though. The freedom that awaits on the other side is indescribable.

What helped me manage the SEs and get through it all was a combination of
amitriptyline (an anti-depressant prescribed off-label for sleep issues) and ritalin. The AD helped me to get better sleep, and the ritalin allowed me to function during the day. I know a number of HDB users here have used benzos to help with the high levels of anxiety that some experience, but I cannot comment on that, since I've never used them myself.

I've also seen you mentioning l-Glutamine. I used that daily as well. Not so much as an aid to manage cravings, but to ensure that my blood sugar levels remained stable throughout the day. You can take up to 16 000mg a day, with the powder form being preferable. And finally a good vitamin and mineral supplement. Alcoholics tend to ave deficiencies of things like magnesium, which is essential for sleep. And B-vitamins - without those, you're bound to feel like your batteries are drained and anxiety will tend to be worse.

I would encourage you to keep taking bac, but to look at the picture holistically - you need to tackle this on all fronts.

I wish you the best of luck!

[AL Fiend]

Need Help - Thinking of going off Baclofen

Baclofen stimulates the GABA system which may be throwing your other neurotransmitters out of balance. Have you considered adding to your supplements L-tyrosine (to stimulate your dopamine system) and 5-HTP (to stimulate your serotonin system)?

From Neurotransmitter Repletion :

For years it has been known in medicine that low levels of Serotonin and/or Norepinephrine can cause many diseases and illness. Some of the diseases and/or illnesses caused by or associated with low levels of Serotonin and/or Norepinephrine include:

Depression/Moody
Anxiety
Panic Attacks
Insomnia/Sleep disorders
Premenstrual Tension
Fibromyalgia
Obesity
Anorexia
Bulimia
"Hypoglycemia"
Chronic pain states
Migraines
ADD/ADHD
Restless Leg Syndrome

[diehard spirit]

Need Help - Thinking of going off Baclofen

Once again thanks for the advice offered by various members.

Sorry to take so long to reply but my life's been in a bit of a mess. I tried to tough it out at 275mg but the side effects were too overwhelming. It got to the stage where I was having panic attacks driving my cars and when I was in shopping malls and other public places.

So titrated back to 200mg, at which level I could function but it is a Nowhereland. All I as doing was wasting my baclofen supply. And worst of all, the cravings got worse so I started drinking more and spent a lot of the time feeling sick.

So I've decided to bite the bullet and titrate up again, hoping to use some of the member' advice about handling side FX. And just as importantly, realizing that baclofen on its own will not cure me by itself. It will require effort from me if I'm ever going to hit the switch.

StuckinLA asked if I'm still drinking. Yes I am, and I know it will make things harder but it's hard (not to mention) dangerous to go cold turkey after thirty years of alcohol dependency.

Tip asked about my titration rate when I was 275mg. It went like this:
75mg at 8 am.
75mg at I pm
75mg at 5 pm
50mg at 10 pm

I titrated up in just over four months.

Let me know if you have any opinions on this.

Tip, I really appreciate the thought and insight in your post. That's why this such a good site:thanks:

[Lo0p]

Need Help - Thinking of going off Baclofen

What brand are you taking?

[diehard spirit]

Need Help - Thinking of going off Baclofen

A couple - Stelax and and a generic GenRX. Depends on which pharmacy I use.