Diver's TSM and Baclofen Journey ... ???

[Diver]

I wanted to start this thread to keep track of my progress and also ask for some guidance from the many Baclofen pioneers that are on this forum. My background is that I will be fifty next month and have been binge drinking since I was 15 years old. I have somehow been able to remain married and have a great career for nearly 20 years. Up until about six years ago, I would have 3-4 AF days during the week and drink heavy on Friday and Saturday night, and a few on Sunday. This evolved into blacking out every Friday and Saturday night in front of my family. Waking up in the mornings and often starting the day with a couple of drinks to steady my nerves. My wife finally got through to me that I need to make a change because I was out of control - that was April 2011. I tried abstinence but I was miserable and difficult to be around. At the end of May 2011, I began TSM which has given me a much more control and I saw a considerable decrease in the number of units I would drink in a week.
However after 18 months of following TSM, I still am not where I want to be with respect to my weekly consumption. I still have a tendency to binge on the weekend, although I no longer have blackouts I am not drinking like a ?normal? person. I am planning to continue to follow TSM, but I am going to add Baclofen to the mix this week. I plan to read Dr. A?s book this week and have read Dr. Phil?s.

:new:

Which brings up my first question, Dr. Phil recommends having a couple of AF days before starting Baclofen. Is this the recommended practice or is it alright to jump into taking Bac without having AF days?

My second question is, are there other members that are following TSM and using Bac in conjunction?

Sorry for my rambling history.
Thanks

[Xadrian]

Diver's TSM and Baclofen Journey ... ???

Many of us still drank when we started baclofen. It should not be a problem.

[Colin]

Diver's TSM and Baclofen Journey ... ???

Xadrian;1439924 wrote: Many of us still drank when we started baclofen. It should not be a problem.

True. It's worth adding that all posts I've seen on MWO strongly advise abstinence when possible due to a relatively easy journey past the side effects.

[Diver]

Diver's TSM and Baclofen Journey ... ???

Xadrian and Colin,
Thanks for the replys. I drank yesterday but plan on stringing together a couple AF days, I guess that I will start my first dose of Bac this evening.
Diver

[joethelion]

Diver's TSM and Baclofen Journey ... ???

I think it is a great idea to help TSM with a little bac. My wife told me (even when she was drinking 3 bottles of wine per day) that directly after starting bac the cravings were reduced dramatically. I also felt that even at 30mgs it helped; it has a soothing effect on anxiety and related cravings I think.

[Diver]

Diver's TSM and Baclofen Journey ... ???

Just a quick update I started Bac on Jan. 7th, two doses of 5 milligrams each. I have been titrating up and will be taking 50 milligrams today which I plan on dividing into three doses. The only SE to date is some somnolence in the late afternoon, so I am thankful for being able to continue up. I had a couple of AF days, but noticed that when I drink that hangovers seem to be worse. Since I still have a stock of Nal, I continue to take it one hour prior to drinking per TSM.

Next week I will be traveling for work and need to be on top of my game, so I am thinking that I will go up to 60 milligrams tomorrow and hold that until Friday when I will be back home from my business trip.

[Hippyman]

Diver's TSM and Baclofen Journey ... ???

It sounds like you have a good plan. My compulsion to drink became easily controlled at 50 Mg's daily. I think that my maintenance dose with no side effects to speak of.

[Diver]

Diver's TSM and Baclofen Journey ... ???

I came down with the flu a few days ago, and as strange as it is to say I am thankful for it. I was worried that I was having some serious SEs at a relatively lose dose of Bac, like muscle pain, headaches, alternating chills and sweats. But has the days progressed it became apparent that the flu had attacked me since I now have a fever and a dry cough.

Throughout this I continued with my plan to titrate up, currently at 60 mg divided evenly in three doses. I steadily titrated up throughout my first week. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I will stay at this dosage until the end of the week due to a business trip.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Diver's TSM and Baclofen Journey ... ???

Hiya, Diver!
Glad to see you around, and heartened to read that you're on your way out. I don't have any experience with TSM but I'm pretty sure I would have done it that way if I had known then what I know now. Whatever progress you've made with TSM, bac is the home-run-hitter. (I'm not good with the sports stuff. What's that guy called who bats 4th?)

Hope you're feeling better!

[Lo0p]

Diver's TSM and Baclofen Journey ... ???

I did. The link in my signature to my drinking chart starts the day I started TSM. Whether I didn't (absolutely could not, to be precise) give it enough time or it wasn't going to work for me, I will never know.

The first nose dive in my chart was because of baclofen. I ran out and it went straight up. A friend over nighted me what she could while we were waiting 30 days for the next order to arrive. This quelled it as much as it could for how much she sent me. The order came and I went AF for the first time in years within 3 or 4 days (I didn't even titrate).

I vowed to practice TSM at least once a week. But the following few months, starting as the chart ended, even that one night a week was too much a of a hassle to fit in to my schedule. So I stopped TSM.

[Lo0p]

Diver's TSM and Baclofen Journey ... ???

I did. The link in my signature to my drinking chart starts the day I started TSM. Whether I didn't (absolutely could not, to be precise) give it enough time or it wasn't going to work for me, I will never know.

The first nose dive in my chart was because of baclofen. I ran out and it went straight up. A friend over nighted me what she could while we were waiting 30 days for the next order to arrive. This quelled it as much as it could for how much she sent me. The order came and I went AF for the first time in years within 3 or 4 days (I didn't even titrate).

I vowed to practice TSM at least once a week. But the following few months, starting as the chart ended, even that one night a week was too much a of a hassle to fit in to my schedule. So I stopped TSM.

[Diver]

Diver's TSM and Baclofen Journey ... ???

Thanks to all for your replies.

Just a quick update, I am just completing week 2 on Baclofen and I am up to 90mg a day split into 4 doses. The baclofen that I started with were 10 mg pills from River Pharmacy. A few days ago I received my order of bac from Phoenix Research and have been taking only liquid since. I still have some of the pills left but I plan on using those when I travel since it will be more convenient than having to get my liquid bac through the TSA screeners at the airport and customs

[Diver]

Diver's TSM and Baclofen Journey ... ???

I am now midway through week 3 and today I will be up to 120mgs of bac. I have been fortunate to have only minor SEs to date. They are sleepiness in the late afternoon, some night sweats and the most annoying for my lovely wife is snoring up a storm all night. This keeps her awake and she is wondering why I started snoring all of a sudden. I have yet to share with her that I am taking Bac. I am going to try to lower my bedtime dose to see if that will help.

I would appreciate it if anyone has any other suggestions on how to minimize snoring.


I read on MyWayIn's thread that he included some personal info and thought that is a great idea so here is a little more data on me.

49 year old male. 50 next month.
193 lbs.

Typical Alc intake
Monday 5-8 units
Tuesday AF
Wednesday AF
Thursday 5-8 units
Friday 18-20 units
Saturday 18-20 units
Sunday 14-18 units
Consumption is down from 85-100 units thanks to TSM.

Happy Friday to all.

[Lo0p]

Diver's TSM and Baclofen Journey ... ???

That's a new SE. I haven't heard of it causing snoring before. I suppose it's possible.

Have you put on weight recently?

People tell me I snore only sometimes, I found out it's when I lay on my back. Other than that...breath right strips...do they work? I dunno.

[MyNameIs]

Diver's TSM and Baclofen Journey ... ???

Hi. I'm new here, too. Wishing you lots of success.