Hi All,
I think it‘s time to add another story to the Baclofen road to success stories.
In late November of 2012 I decided that I had it with my lifestyle of drinking for 25+ years. Wow, where has my life gone?
I drank in mini-binges that would typically start after I was over my last hangover by going out and drinking 20+ units in a night, waking up with an awful hangover, drinking all day to keep hangover at bay hopefully not drinking too much and getting drunk for a second night in a row. If I somehow make it without getting drunk I can drink about 8 units on the third day and feel pretty good by day 4. On day 4, I would start the process all over again. If I did over drink on day 2, this process ended up being a 5 day and as long as 6 days. I had at least 6 units a day minimum.
Back to late November.
One morning I hit Google looking for an inpatient rehab center and somehow ended up on this website. I spent the entire day reading all of the stories, good and bad, deciding that Baclofen was the answer that I was looking for. I called up Dr. L and briefly chatted with him about who I was and what I was trying to accomplish. I found him very easy to talk to and what anxiety I had before I called quickly vanished.
Here is the titration plan that was decided upon:
Early December
Week 1 – 4 days 5mg mornings, 3 days 5mg morning, 5mg 3 hours before bed; No SE’s.
Week 2 – 10/10/10, 30mg; No SE’s
Week 3 – 20/10/20, 50mg; No SE’s
Week 4 – 25/20/25, 70mg; Noticing fatigue
Week 5 – 30/30/30, 90mg; Fatigue, minor confusion
Week 6 – 35/40/35, 110mg; Fatigue, minor confusion, mucus buildup in back of throat
Week 7 – 50/30/50, 130mg; Major fatigue, confusion, mucus buildup, conscious breathing i.e. feeling the need to gasp for breath
Week 8 – 60/30/60, 150mg; SE’s as week 7 but noticeably much worse
I lasted about 3 days at 150mg before dropping back to 100mg as the SE’s were too much to withstand. I was apprehensive to drop so much so quickly but I felt it was the right thing to do at the point. It was.
I didn’t add the alcohol units consumed because I didn’t keep track. Basically, when I first started I noticed that the first 3 weeks I was seriously craving at all waking moments. Even more than usual, after that I was drinking about the same amount EXCEPT on the days I titrated up. I absolutely had to over drink for two days every time I titrated up. Up to week 6 I hadn’t noticed much of a decline in my average unit consumption. Week 7, I started to notice that my drinking was slowing down noticeably. I was finding beer in my fridge in the mornings and noticed I wasn’t drinking in the afternoons as was my normal action plan for the day. Week 8, I just couldn’t function at all and ended up on a 3 day bender that left me so hung-over that I thought I was going to die with major anxiety. That was last week.
Today, WOW, What happened to me? Since I went to 40/20/40, 100mg I have hit a point that I have never been at in my life. In the last week I have had maybe 12 units. I had 6 total yesterday due to having a couple beers at the local brewery, did I say I only had 2 beers at a brewery? GTFO!!! Bought a couple beers to have with the wife at home and drank 1.5 Coors Light after that. Not sure why I ended up opening the last one, I didn’t want it.
I have always been an alcoholic and generally I have been able to function to a point. Sadly, once I started I would over drink and act the fool. It has been embarrassing and has caused many bad decisions in my life. Although, I have had many, many good times too.
I have been putting off stopping because I really like beer and enjoy having wine with dinner if I am out at a nice restaurant. I really didn’t want to give it up completely but it was going to kill me drinking in the way and in the amounts I would drink in. Plus, I don’t think I could have stopped for long term. I did stop a few years back and it was hell, mass cravings all the time that I would assuage with 1.5mg of Ativan. It was no way to live.
Baclofen has given me more than I expected. It has given me an ‘I have had enough’ switch that I have been missing. I could have had one beer at the brewery yesterday no problems. My wife ordered another one I had declined at first; she looked at me and said that has never happened in the twenty years she has known me.
Thank you my friends, you have given me my life back.
EDIT: I'm only experiencing light SE's as of now.
I think it‘s time to add another story to the Baclofen road to success stories.
In late November of 2012 I decided that I had it with my lifestyle of drinking for 25+ years. Wow, where has my life gone?
I drank in mini-binges that would typically start after I was over my last hangover by going out and drinking 20+ units in a night, waking up with an awful hangover, drinking all day to keep hangover at bay hopefully not drinking too much and getting drunk for a second night in a row. If I somehow make it without getting drunk I can drink about 8 units on the third day and feel pretty good by day 4. On day 4, I would start the process all over again. If I did over drink on day 2, this process ended up being a 5 day and as long as 6 days. I had at least 6 units a day minimum.
Back to late November.
One morning I hit Google looking for an inpatient rehab center and somehow ended up on this website. I spent the entire day reading all of the stories, good and bad, deciding that Baclofen was the answer that I was looking for. I called up Dr. L and briefly chatted with him about who I was and what I was trying to accomplish. I found him very easy to talk to and what anxiety I had before I called quickly vanished.
Here is the titration plan that was decided upon:
Early December
Week 1 – 4 days 5mg mornings, 3 days 5mg morning, 5mg 3 hours before bed; No SE’s.
Week 2 – 10/10/10, 30mg; No SE’s
Week 3 – 20/10/20, 50mg; No SE’s
Week 4 – 25/20/25, 70mg; Noticing fatigue
Week 5 – 30/30/30, 90mg; Fatigue, minor confusion
Week 6 – 35/40/35, 110mg; Fatigue, minor confusion, mucus buildup in back of throat
Week 7 – 50/30/50, 130mg; Major fatigue, confusion, mucus buildup, conscious breathing i.e. feeling the need to gasp for breath
Week 8 – 60/30/60, 150mg; SE’s as week 7 but noticeably much worse
I lasted about 3 days at 150mg before dropping back to 100mg as the SE’s were too much to withstand. I was apprehensive to drop so much so quickly but I felt it was the right thing to do at the point. It was.
I didn’t add the alcohol units consumed because I didn’t keep track. Basically, when I first started I noticed that the first 3 weeks I was seriously craving at all waking moments. Even more than usual, after that I was drinking about the same amount EXCEPT on the days I titrated up. I absolutely had to over drink for two days every time I titrated up. Up to week 6 I hadn’t noticed much of a decline in my average unit consumption. Week 7, I started to notice that my drinking was slowing down noticeably. I was finding beer in my fridge in the mornings and noticed I wasn’t drinking in the afternoons as was my normal action plan for the day. Week 8, I just couldn’t function at all and ended up on a 3 day bender that left me so hung-over that I thought I was going to die with major anxiety. That was last week.
Today, WOW, What happened to me? Since I went to 40/20/40, 100mg I have hit a point that I have never been at in my life. In the last week I have had maybe 12 units. I had 6 total yesterday due to having a couple beers at the local brewery, did I say I only had 2 beers at a brewery? GTFO!!! Bought a couple beers to have with the wife at home and drank 1.5 Coors Light after that. Not sure why I ended up opening the last one, I didn’t want it.
I have always been an alcoholic and generally I have been able to function to a point. Sadly, once I started I would over drink and act the fool. It has been embarrassing and has caused many bad decisions in my life. Although, I have had many, many good times too.
I have been putting off stopping because I really like beer and enjoy having wine with dinner if I am out at a nice restaurant. I really didn’t want to give it up completely but it was going to kill me drinking in the way and in the amounts I would drink in. Plus, I don’t think I could have stopped for long term. I did stop a few years back and it was hell, mass cravings all the time that I would assuage with 1.5mg of Ativan. It was no way to live.
Baclofen has given me more than I expected. It has given me an ‘I have had enough’ switch that I have been missing. I could have had one beer at the brewery yesterday no problems. My wife ordered another one I had declined at first; she looked at me and said that has never happened in the twenty years she has known me.
Thank you my friends, you have given me my life back.
EDIT: I'm only experiencing light SE's as of now.
This time 4 SURE! 
)
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