OmahaWagon's Bacflofen Journal

[TexasAg]

OmahaWagon's Bacflofen Journal

RedThread12;1494253 wrote: You're less than 3 weeks, in at a relatively small dose, and getting, from my eyes, pretty phenomenal results. My only suggestion is to notice, as much as you can, every moment you do not craving alcohol. Breathe in and savor those sensations. Don't cling to them as if you will never crave again; and don't worry when/if cravings come. Stay your course with the bac. And even from here - wherever you are - you never, ever have to go back to where you were.

This is great advice!

I was a clinger! Don't be a clinger! :H

Cheers!

[TexasAg]

OmahaWagon's Bacflofen Journal

oops! double posted

[omahawagon]

OmahaWagon's Bacflofen Journal

I'm actually in the upper midwest...I chose "Omaha Wagon" in reference to a) the silly kids game Omaha Trail and the expression "on the wagon" for getting sober.

Don't worry, people are just as progressive up here (cough)...

Bumped up to 20mg dose this morning, so far so good, just a but weird/loopy feeling. BRING ON THE SWITCH!!!

[omahawagon]

OmahaWagon's Bacflofen Journal

Day 19: 20mgx4= 80mg, Drank around 6 units.
Day 20 20mgx4= 80 mg, AF.
Day 21 20mgx4= 80 mg, Drank around 6-8 units.
Day 22 20mgx2, 25mgx2, 90mg total, AF.

General observations:

1) Feeling a complete lack of concentration/focus at these doses, but it seems to be improving. Other side effects include the loopy feeling and a bad case of dropping crap and feeling tired, but it's manageable. Bac hangovers are not feeling as bad as they did at first, but I am also not drinking as much either.

2) Thinking I need to boost up my personal efforts not to drink...I haven't been trying to quit and expecting that the switch will happen and that will be it. I need to put in some effort dammit!

[bleep]

OmahaWagon's Bacflofen Journal

Drinking less will definitely make the next day more tolerable. Even if you aren't getting a bad hangover, the SE's are much more pronounced after a nights drinking.

Other members have found that a supplement, Piracetam, helps with the foggy head. I've never tried it, so can't comment. Ritalin also works, but only every 3rd day or so, otherwise tolerance builds up pretty quickly.

You've got a nice steady titration going Omaha, keep it up.

[omahawagon]

OmahaWagon's Bacflofen Journal

Day 23: 20mgx2, 25mgx1 and another 25 expected:

Feeling disenchanted. I know Bac will work, but feeling the SE's more and more. I have ADD, and spent 30+ years in that 'can't think straight and don't know why I can't focus like other people' haze. And then have spent the last 2 years knowing what it is like to be "the other people", under the right medications, and had a life that worked better than before.

I feel back to the pre-med days when I could not focus, concentrate, or live finctionally. Which would be fine if I didn't know a life without ADD (or better said ADD meds). But I do, and knowing that I am functioning at half speed at best is very troubling. For fucks sake, I spent a good 2 hours today staring at my computer refreshing between a few windows over and over because I forgot that I had read that a couple times before until I DID for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th time.

UGH.

[Colin]

OmahaWagon's Bacflofen Journal

Maybe it's time to back off a little (maybe 10 mg less) and sit there for a couple of weeks. That helped me get over a few humps.

[MaryGoRound]

OmahaWagon's Bacflofen Journal

Omaha-

You really are doing great. I have no idea about titration as I am still trying to figure it out. I did sit at certain levels when I became concerned.

You have shown great progress in a short amount of time. If you have to back off for awhile to feel comfortable it will be OK.

[TexasAg]

OmahaWagon's Bacflofen Journal

Omaha,

Remember, you're on day 23 of a medical treatment for a deadly disease. If this was cancer and you were getting chemo it would suck too. The difference is you'd have doctors and nurses and family and friends encouraging you and telling you you're doing great! Instead you have a former drunk from Texas telling you:thumbsup!

Everyone is different and I don't know how Bac affects people with ADD but I think you were going up 20mg every 3 0r 4 days so that might be too fast. Good thing is we're our own doctors, so Dr. Omaha, I suggest you might try lowering your patients dosage for a bit or not titrate as fast.

Another thing that might help is to distribute the dosage even more and make sure you keep the same times every day. Not drinking helps with the SE's too. (but if that were easy why the hell do we have to take these pills!)

Last thing is liquid bac is easier on the SE's. Unfortunately, I think there's a "under maintenance" for the site but if you think you want to look into it PM me.

Cheers and best wishes!

[RedThread12]

OmahaWagon's Bacflofen Journal

Ditto' the sage advice already offered, OW. The tortoise wins this race most of the time.

[omahawagon]

OmahaWagon's Bacflofen Journal

Thank you all so much I am not giving up! I knew going in that this would not be easy every day, but I am in it for the duration. The advice you've given is helpful and appreciated

Days 25, 25, 26, 27 and 28:

I've spent the last 5 days between 75-100 mg a day, my schedule has been a bit off and I missed a dose on 2 days, but I am getting most of them in. I drank on day 24 after posting my last entry, perhaps 4-6 units, and have since then been AF going on my 5th night now. I have been away from home and that is always when it easiest to abstain, but I have also not wanted to drink, either, even though I have had a pretty stressful issue come in in life recently. So yay!

The overwhelming brain fog is a bit better but still annoying me to no end, since I feel so frustrated with it. But better is better. Powering through, forward and upward, onward ho! Bring on the soberiety!!!!

[omahawagon]

OmahaWagon's Bacflofen Journal

So here we are, a little over a month in. I have been hovering around 100mg/day and the side effects are finally waning, so I will be bumping up to 110 tomorrow.

I had 6 sober days in and then drank waaaaay too much on Tuesday, the result of a few very stressful days. Then last night something weird happened. Same stress, different day, decided to have a drink. Now folks, it's been a great many years since I have even tried to fool myself into thinking I will stop after just one. I can...and in social situations I can and do have a glass of wine and walk away. But when I am at home, I pour that first drink knowing I will drink the rest of the night and only stop when it is time to go pass out. Except last night I didn't. I didn't intend to moderate, but after that first one I felt something I can only describe as...

Indifference.

I don't think I am at the switch yet, but last night for the first time in forever I didn't crave the 2nd drink after having the first. So I only had the one and went to bed. That NEVER happens...

[spiritwolf333]

OmahaWagon's Bacflofen Journal

Hi Omah -
This is really good info and in a great format. (The entire post). Today marks my 29th day BAC and 34th day AF. This has been a very trying time for me as well, but the Baclofen made all the difference in the world. My anxiety is at an all time -life time low. Thank you for your posts.

[kronkcarr]

OmahaWagon's Bacflofen Journal

omahawagon,

This is great news! What a pleasure to read your progress. Indifference--isn't it something?

[omahawagon]

OmahaWagon's Bacflofen Journal

I regret to say my Bac journey may be coming to an end. I tried very hard to hold on the last couple weeks and had a few decent days, but I just have to accept the fact that Baclofen isn't going to work for me. It just doesn't work with my ADD, and in fact it seems at the 80-100 mg level it was nuetralizing my ADD meds and making it so much worse. I wasn't functioning.

The second straw was an 'invisible sunburn' on my legs. I can only describe it as feeling like I had to worst sunburn ever on my to the point where it hurt to sleep, move, or have anything touching them. Holy heck...it was HORRIBLE. I've bumped back to 50mg or under the last couple days and it's gone thankfully. There was no way I could put up with that any longer.

Funny thing is I may have actually reached indifference...I am hesitant to say I was at the switch because it seems too tragic to turn around when I had almost opened the door. but I have not craved booze for over a week. The passing thought is met with the equal thought that I really won't enjoy it. Even now that I have dropped down under 50mg. So I am going to try taking the low 30-50-ish mg level for a few days and see if it sticks without side effects. I pray it does, and if so, I will continue and see what happens.

I ordered Naltrexone and am going to switch to TSM regardless. I am NOT giving up, just accepting that Bac isn't going to be a solution for me. I would still recommend it...