Xadrian's Baclofen Experience

[Xadrian]

Xadrian's Baclofen Experience

Since a few days, I'm very, very tired in the early evening. I cannot keep my eyes open at 9 PM. When I go to sleep early, I still don't feel fit when I wake up.
I have to say that I have been ill last week, so probably that will be te reason.
I don't suspect baclofen has anything to do with it, but it could be a combination of baclofen and having been sick.

Anyway, being "cured" from alcoholism for over 6 months now and staying at 50 mg baclofen per day for quite a while, I decided that from today I will try out 40 mg per day.
I tried 45 mg quite a while ago and that didn't work out for me then, so 40 mg surely doesn't seem logical.

But I hate to cut the pills in half. I never get a good cut in the middle and I allways can give it a try, right?
In a day or 4 I will see if I can do with 40 mg. If not, I will increase to 50 mg again. That's the good thing about baclofen. If you blow it, you don't have to start over again, but just correct the dose and the cravings will disappear.

I will post the results when there's reason for it.

[PhotoMan]

Xadrian's Baclofen Experience

Excellent Job

Fantastic stuff Xadrian. Maybe baclofen is particularly efficacious for us tall guys (I'm 6'5" too) Keep up the good work.

PhotoMan.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Xadrian's Baclofen Experience

That's great, Xadrian. Thanks for the update!

[joanna_d]

Xadrian's Baclofen Experience

thanks Xadrian, for the detailed posts.
i'm so sorry about you losing Anna, especially suicide is so hard to deal with..

[Xadrian]

Xadrian's Baclofen Experience

I have been on 40 mg since my last post and no cravings appeared.

Because the (preliminary) highest point of the house I'm building was reached, yesterday evening I throw a small party, called "rafter beer".

Because the majority drank beer or wine, I decided to drink also beer. The party didn't last very long (from 5 PM and I think the last guests left 9:30 PM), but it was really enjoyable.

I didn't count the beers I drank, but a rough estimate is 12 beers of 22 cl. (almost 8 fl. Oz.)
As well as I enjoyed the party, I also enjoyed the drinking.
I expected to have a huge hangover this morning, being on baclofen, but except from a dry mouth I didn't experience any problems. By the way, before baclofen, I also hardly had any hangovers.

I do not regret drinking beer yesterday, but I have no intention or need to repeat it any time soon.
It feels like when I was around 20 years old, when I was sometimes drinking in the weekends, but wasn't addicted (yet).

I'm glad I have that control back and don't HAVE to drink.

Anyway, I'm thinking about staying at 40 mg baclofen for quite a while and not titrating down any time soon. I don't want to invite the addiction monster.

[joanna_d]

Xadrian's Baclofen Experience

glad for you too Xadrian, and congrats on your house!

[Xadrian]

Xadrian's Baclofen Experience

A lot happened since my last post. A friend of mine came over from abroad for 2 weeks and as per December 1, I took over the hire-purchase of a house and 4 apartments next door.
Only problem was that the previous hire-purchaser had not left the house and were moving in a sneaky way, trying to get the rent of December from the tenants of the apartments and leaving the tenants without electricity and water.
Even while they were responsible till December 1, they pulled out the cable-TV and the internet, stole contents that did not belong to them, tore trees out of the ground, wanted to steal the roof of a lean-to, put diesel fuel in the washer to nag the tenants, removed the electricity meters, etc., etc.

It's a good thing I am calmer than before baclofen, because I don't know what I had done to them, but I have some wild fantasies about it.

The only thing I could do is warning the police, try to fix everything they did to the tenants as fast as possible and wait till they finally did a moonlight flit on November 28.
For one and a half week I have not been able to work, because all my time (and the little money I had) was consumed by trying to avoid and correct their tricks.

They left everyting pretty neglected and broken. They never spent a dime to repair anything and only had been cashing the rent.
Finally for the last week, I have been able to make an inventory of everything that has to be repaired.

In that hectic period I was being lived instead of living my own life and forgot to eat and drink at times and it affected the quantity and quality of my sleep.

Due to the stress i also messed up my baclofen intake. 1 pill, 2 pills, no pill and mostly not on time.
This, in combination with the friend drinking beers and offering me some too, resulted in me drinking beer every evening. Not exessively, but 3, 5, sometimes 8 (25 cl, 7 Oz or so).

After my friend left and after the relative rest returned, I still drank some beers every evening, even after I took the baclofen on time for a few days in a row.

Being on 40 mg per day, which I knew it was on the edge, but just went good before all the stress, 4 days ago I decided to go back to 50 mg.
I haven't drank beer since then and do not have the urge to drink and haven't had thoughts about beer.

Luckily cravings can be suppressed by a small correction in dos, without having to go to the switch (in my case 90 mg) all the way up.

[joanna_d]

Xadrian's Baclofen Experience

well that sounds pretty horrible and tiresome... have these persons been committed in a mental hospital by now?
i was wondering how you were doing. good for you, you seem to have taken charge in time! what a relief that must be!

[Xadrian]

Xadrian's Baclofen Experience

Today, after 3 months, I had a follow-up appointment with my psychiatrist. Three months ago, he referred me back to the GP, but wanted to see me back out of curiosity.

I gave him the fresh from the press copy of the results of the 2-year study that DonQuichotte posted a few days ago and was very pleased. He even joked (at least I assume it was a joke) and asked if I wanted to become his assistant, because he never has time to look such things up.

He told me he started baclofen treatment on another patient too and will tell me the preliminary result in three months, at our next appointment.

Then he asked me to tell my story to his new co-assistant, which I eagerly did. I hope it will save some lives here and there.

I left with a new prescription for a three month supply of baclofen.

My psychiatrist is a very open-minded doctor. I'm very lucky to have him as a doctor.

Four months ago, he thanked me for the lesson and told his assistent that he learned a lot from me. Can you believe that?

[joanna_d]

Xadrian's Baclofen Experience

great story!!!! hear hear!!

[Xadrian]

Xadrian's Baclofen Experience

Stopping Baclofen

While Baclofen greatly has reduced cravings and alcohol intake, it doesn't reduce my stress.
Last few weeks heve been extremely stressful to me and I'm close to getting a burn-out.
My mood sucks and I'm sulky all of the time. I cannot relax anymore.

Being 8 months on baclofen now, I can't really remember anymore how I felt before baclofen. I will try to quit the baclofen to see if my recent mood has anything to do with baclofen and also want to find out how different it feels with or without the baclofen. At least for a while.

So yesterday morning I took a last dose of 20 mg and I decided to stop cold turkey.
I know, I have to disagree strongly with myself and are aware that it can be really dangerous. So don't don't be as stupid as I am and don't try this at home.

But except from that, I lately have been on a relatively low dose of 50 mg per day and besides I drank too much, there wasn't so much wrong with me (I think).

I hope I can handle it, but will keep the baclofen at hand for use when necessary.
By the way, I have been a guinee-pig starting baclofen and now I will become one too for stopping it.

So far, I didn't experience withdrawal symptoms, except for a slight head-ache and tired leg muscles.
As it normally took 3 to 4 days after increase or decrease to notice the effect, I expect more severe withdrawal effects by Wednesday. In the event the effects become too severe or even dangerous, I will take some baclofen.

I will keep you all updated.

[Xadrian]

Xadrian's Baclofen Experience

Yesterday in the afternoon, I got a severe headache. I took 1 pill (10 mg. baclofen) and in half an hour the headache was gone.

For the rest, I had no severe withdrawal symptoms so far.
Only the tired leg muscles. I did not become sleepy already early in the evening, which I did while on baclofen. I had a good night of sleep, but had a few weird dreams. Not very vivid though.

I woke up at 6 AM. Still no severe withdrawal effects.

No desire for beer so far and my mood changed a little for the better.

I'm very curious if I can get away with it this easy.

[terryk]

Xadrian's Baclofen Experience

From Baclofen withdrawal and neuropsychi... [Compr Psychiatry. 1986 Jul-Aug] - PubMed - NCBI:

[Xadrian]

Xadrian's Baclofen Experience

Yesterday around 10 AM I got a severe headache and at noon I again took 1 (10 mg) pill baclofen.
The rest of the day only slight headache and tired leg muscles.
In the evening when I opened the fridge, I saw 2 beers that were leftover from the "rafter beer".
The thought of beer made me want to puke. I hope that will stay so without baclofen.

I went to sleep 11 PM and woke up at 6:30 AM. No headache, but still some tiredness in the legs.
If the headache doesn't return, today I will go without baclofen.

[Lo0p]

Xadrian's Baclofen Experience

How many hours has it been since you went from 50/day to this? It doesn't mention time to withdrawal in terryk's paper. I can't quote or reference what I remember reading but it was something like this "precipitation of withdrawal symptoms occurred between 24 hours and 105 hours after last dose."

I've got a nearly photographic memory.

Keep posting Xadrian and do not travel, k?