New Here, My Baclofen Diary

[Cassander]

New Here, My Baclofen Diary

SuperBinger;1470714 wrote: ...
Exercise = Jog 225 miles, dance lessons...

Hi SuperBinger...or is it Superman?

I think you are already cured!

Cassander

[SuperBinger]

New Here, My Baclofen Diary

Lol, oops. 2.25 miles. I am doing the Couch-to-5k program and I am on Week 6.

SB

[SuperBinger]

New Here, My Baclofen Diary

Day 36
Baclofen 20-20-20 = 60mg
Exercise = Weights
Alcohol = AF

No hangover at 7 units (between 3 and 4 glasses of wine). Well, maybe a slight blah feeling today, but nothing more than that. 7 units -- that's the point I need to stop at to not impair myself the next day.

I used to be able to drink lots more than that and not even be phased in the least the next day. Oh, to have my young liver back again (I would be nicer to it).

[SuperBinger]

New Here, My Baclofen Diary

Day 37
Baclofen 20-20-30 = 70mg
Exercise = Jog 2.25 miles, weights
Alcohol = 12 units

I decided to increase my baclofen dosage a day early so that I could take the whole weekend to adjust. The side effects of afternoon somnolence are more easily tolerated when I don't have to be alert at work, and can just grab a nap.

I realized last night that I might have been using the word "insomnolence" (insomnia) in my diary when I actually meant SOMNOLENCE (sleepiness). I will go back and fix it, if this BBS software lets me edit past posts.

[SuperBinger]

New Here, My Baclofen Diary

Day 38
Baclofen 20-20-30 = 70mg
Exercise = Walk 6 miles
Alcohol = ?? Had a buddy over this afternoon for "drinkin' and chillin'" Few beers, few glasses of wine...

Felt terrible this morning -- The AL + Balclofen hangover is pretty awful, but I have to say, compared to my previous/typical 18 unit + no baclofen hangover, it's not as bad. My 18 unit hangover (2 bottles of wine) makes me feel like death the next day -- barely able to function. The 12 unit + baclofen hangover is no fun, but it's more a lethargic, sluggish, sleepy feeling. I had to force myself to put on my shoes and embark on a long walk this morning, and for the first mile or 2 I felt like I was in a daze -- simultaneously grateful and disturbed. Grateful for the exercise and fresh air taking my my mind off my yucky feeling, but disturbed by the fact that I had to focus on walking a straight line. Sheesh!

The baclofen is working at reducing my intake, but I am still looking forward to the day it helps me reach an extended period of AF living. Sick and tired of feeling sick and tired every other morning.

SB

[SuperBinger]

New Here, My Baclofen Diary

Day 39
Baclofen 20-20-30 = 70mg
Exercise = Walk 2 miles
Alcohol = AF

Day 40
Baclofen 20-20-30 = 70mg
Exercise = Jog 2.25 miles, weights
Alcohol = AF

Day 41
Baclofen 20-20-30 = 70mg
Exercise = Weights
Alcohol = AF

I woke up with very annoying dizziness today. It was worst while lying down in bed. Every time I would stretch, or roll over, the whole room would be spinning. This persisted throughout the day, but it was tolerable while I was up and around at work. I did move up my dose from 60-70 mg after only three days, wanting to get adjusted over the weekend. But this seems to have backfired, and I'm getting baclofen-related dizziness during the week, after having been on 70mg for 5 days.

Today would normally be a day I would reach for wine at the witching hour, but I didn't have any trouble going AF. I feel like perhaps I'm getting closer to the switch, but also I think I wanted to avoid exacerbating the dizziness side effect that hit me today, so was motivated to leave the wine in the bottle.

Day 42
Baclofen 20-20-30 = 70mg
Exercise = Dance lessons
Alcohol = 9 units

Still have the dizziness, though it seems to be a little less severe today. I was planning to go up to 80mg yesterday, but I decided to go one more day at 70, hoping to adjust and shake this dizziness. Had a beer and some wine after dinner.

SB

[Colin]

New Here, My Baclofen Diary

SuperBinger;1474040 wrote: Day 39
I woke up with very annoying dizziness today.
Today would normally be a day I would reach for wine at the witching hour, but I didn't have any trouble going AF. I feel like perhaps I'm getting closer to the switch, but also I think I wanted to avoid exacerbating the dizziness side effect that hit me today, so was motivated to leave the wine in the bottle.

Dizziness, unsteady walking, slightly scary driving and others are symptoms I and others have mentioned as the dose is being increased. Like you, I didn't worry about it for a couple of days and only if the problem hadn't disappeared did I consider lowering the dose.

You are approaching the problem very realistically.

I don't know about the switch but you seem to be approaching a controlling dose where you will feel confident that your drinking is under your control. If you can tell yourself that getting half-drunk is OK but talking complete nonsense (or whatever you consider to be drunken behaviour) is definitely not OK and you rarely get drunk then you are well on the way to complete control.

The "de Beaurepaire 100" paper did not require complete abstinence for success where "low risk" was no more than half a bottle of wine.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

New Here, My Baclofen Diary

Hi, guys.

My drinking wasn't really under control, ever, until after I hit the switch. And by switch, I mean that I didn't want to drink. It seems to me now that I obstinately (in a way) continued to drink, regardless of how I felt about drinking. Right up until the day that I decided that stopping to get something to drink was too much trouble. And then I didn't really want to drink the next day either. It took about a week before I accepted the fact that I'd hit the switch, and it was a good while after that before I tried to exercise some control over my drinking. It worked for me, but it doesn't for everyone.

Dizziness, as Colin pointed out, isn't unusual. Disconcerting for sure, though. I hope it doesn't last! I was never one to listen to my body, particularly since my body was pretty clear that it liked booze more than baclofen, but there is some wisdom to that. And it's pretty clear after reading around here, and in the various articles related to bac, that we (most of us, anyway) go up much faster than those for whom it's not self-prescribed.

Glad you're feeling close, SB! Hang in there!

[SuperBinger]

New Here, My Baclofen Diary

Colin;1474067 wrote: Dizziness, unsteady walking, slightly scary driving and others are symptoms I and others have mentioned as the dose is being increased. Like you, I didn't worry about it for a couple of days and only if the problem hadn't disappeared did I consider lowering the dose.

Thanks Colin -- I'm definitely having the dizzyness and unsteady walking (though slight), but I haven't felt scared while driving yet (whew).

Did you continue increasing your dose in the face of the dizziness? Or did you stay on your current dose until it subsided (which is what I'm doing -- day 7 now at 70mg despite planning to go up to 80mg after 5 days). I will review your experience threads for guidance.

Colin;1474067 wrote: You are approaching the problem very realistically.

Thanks, that is my goal.

Colin;1474067 wrote: I don't know about the switch but you seem to be approaching a controlling dose where you will feel confident that your drinking is under your control. If you can tell yourself that getting half-drunk is OK but talking complete nonsense (or whatever you consider to be drunken behaviour) is definitely not OK and you rarely get drunk then you are well on the way to complete control.

Yes, "Controlling Dose." I wish I had this term in my vocabulary when I spoke with my doctor. He didn't understand why I wanted to keep increasing the baclofen if I had already reached a "maintenance dose" where my AL intake was reduced to the "low risk" level. I couldn't articulate it at the time, but I would have told him I want to be completely "cured," no cravings, no obsessing about wine at the witching hour, no AL for an extended period. I feel like I might be one of the lucky ones who does not need a super high dose of bacofen to hit "the switch." I sense I'm getting close now at 70mg, and this dizziness S/E is an obstacle I have to get past.

SB

[SuperBinger]

New Here, My Baclofen Diary

Day 43
Baclofen 20-30-20 = 70mg
Exercise = Walk 3 miles, weights
Alcohol = AF

I tried to increase to 80mg today, because I felt the dizziness side-effect had slightly subsided. So, I took 30mg at 3:00 p.m. However, the dizziness got very strong again in the evening, so I took only 20mg at bed time for another day at 70mg.

Made it from Sunday through Thursday with only 9 units. This is actually very low for me. Yay baclofen!

SB

[kronkcarr]

New Here, My Baclofen Diary

SuperBinger,

Aside from your dizziness you sound great! Congratulations!

I thought I would be a low dose bac person and then out of the blue at 80 mgs I started obsessing about that bottle of wine. My habit was to drink a bottle or more alone at home. I didn't do it and the thoughts went away after hours of writing. I'm at 130 mgs now and it's been 3 weeks since I've thought of over drinking. I'm thinking I may have flipped the switch.

Keep on! Your posts are inspiring!

kronkcarr

[SuperBinger]

New Here, My Baclofen Diary

Day 44
Baclofen 20-30-20 = 70mg
Exercise = Walk about 2 miles.
Alcohol = ~11 units

Calf cramped up early into my attempt to jog. 2nd time this week it has happened. I will need to shut down the jogging for a while until it heals.

Day 45
Baclofen 20-30-20 = 70mg
Exercise = None
Alcohol = ~10 units

So far still no freedom from my urge to hit the wine on the weekends. It's what I do. But my AL intake per session is lower by about 40% from pre-baclofen.

Day 46
Baclofen 20-30-20 = 70mg
Exercise = None, but on feet most of the day doing household chores
Alcohol = AF

I may have found a reason why I have been having dizziness lately. I did not mention when I started this diary that I take Lisinopril/HCTZ 10/12.5 for high blood pressure. My BP has been under control for some time, so I do not check it regularly. I decided to get out my cuff today and my BP was 105/65. Hypotension (below 90/60) can cause dizziness. I know some people report that baclofen lowers BP, so I am wondering if the combination of balcofen and the Lisinopril/HCTZ is lowering my BP enough to cause the dizziness.

I have decided to go off my BP meds while tracking my BP more closely. Hope to rid myself of the dizziness so I can move up my baclofen dosage.

SB

[UBTeacher]

New Here, My Baclofen Diary

Love your diary here, very realistic

Hi SB,
I just read your whole diary with Baclofen. I just found this forum yesterday. After missing two Mondays from work due to being too hungover to go in (I'm a teacher, I love my job!!) I was looking to get Antabuse to force myself into sobriety for a while. However, I am going to Mexico in two weeks and am hoping to get it cheaper there. I did order Baclofen after reading about it here. I got the liquid version from Phoenix and it should be here in a couple days.

I identify specifically with your brand of drinking habit. It is my weekend habit and I usually don't ever drink heavily or at all on school nights. Obviously, Sundays have been hard for me, generally that hair of the dog gets out of control, hence my past two Monday call-ins. I don't think anyone at work doubts my stories and I have, as yet, an untarnished reputation. However, I HATE lying and I have terrible anxiety about missing work (even though I got it covered). I get super down on myself for my own lack of self control. I fear getting more out of control, rather than gaining more control.

Anyway, I'm glad I found your diary, as I am hoping Baclofen will lead to considerable reduction. I know that AF would be best for me, but there are certain activities (camping, Spring Break in Mexico, moving back to Asia in August- and they DRINK there!) that I can't make the mental commitment to be the sober, boring girl. Especially with my new job in Asia, I will need to make new friends, etc. I don't want to avoid Friday night teacher happy hour type situations. However, I WOULD LIKE to moderate! I also hate being hungover on my days off. But this hatred of feeling ill is hardly enough to squash my Friday/Saturday night binges...

Thanks for the diary, it is good to read another person's similar experience.

UBTeacher:new:

Sorry, I realize that after rereading my post that title sounds cynical. It wasn't meant to be.

[kronkcarr]

New Here, My Baclofen Diary

UBTeacher,
Welcome. Yes, this is a good thread. Keep reading all the threads here. I'm on bac and almost in my 4th month. I can say that I have no obsessive thoughts of drinking. I do have 1 or 2 drinks every couple of weeks with friends because that's our ritual. It's a new world for me!
You mention anxiety about calling in sick. I was anxious and didn't even know it. I'm no longer anxious. I'm more patient.
If you haven't read Dr Ameisen's book The End of My Addiction (in paperback it's Heal Thyself) please get it. Phoenix is great and I do prefer the liquid as I have no side effects with it at 130 mgs/day.
SuperBinger, sorry to hijack your thread, but I wanted to welcome UBTeacher.
kronkcarr

[SuperBinger]

New Here, My Baclofen Diary

Day 47
Baclofen 20-30-30 = 80mg
Exercise = Weights
Alcohol = AF

Day 48
Baclofen 20-30-30 = 80mg
Exercise = Weights
Alcohol = 11 units

I am going to pay tomorrow oh yes I am.

Day 49
Baclofen 20-30-30 = 80mg
Exercise = Weights, only made it through bench press and flys. Felt awful.
Alcohol = AF

Good lord, worst baclofen+AL hangover yet. My head felt like it was spinning all morning. I didn't start to feel even a bit better until about 2:00 p.m. Did not sleep at all last night. Demon AL! I can NOT go over 9 units while taking the baclofen. The hangover is too dreadful. REMEMBER THIS!!

Day 50
Baclofen 20-30-30 = 80mg
Exercise = Walk 4 miles, weights
Alcohol - AF
BP = 130/85

The dizziness from last week seems to have subsided, perhaps because I stopped my BP meds. Unfortunately, my BP has shot back up after having been off the meds only for a couple days. Sigh.

Day 51
Baclofen 30-30-30 = 90mg
Exercise = Walk 2 miles, weights
Alcohol = 9 units

Moving up to 90mg today! I still have weird dizziness when I am in bed. If I lift my head or roll over, the room starts spinning. But it doesn't seem to happen during the day when I am up and around, so I will move up the dosage. My doctor finally called me back and left me a voicemail, but I have not called him yet -- too busy at work last couple days.

SB