Freaking out, almost out of baclofen

[fishcake]

Hey guys,

So I titrated up to 150mg per day for the past 22days, everything is fine, no real SE's, all of this AF.

I am freaking the fuck out, though, because my order of baclofen for the rest of this month is still stuck in customs in india and I won't get in time before I run out of baclofen!

A couple of questions:

- how can I get my hands on bac as fast as possible?
- any Dr to call to get prescription ASAP? Websites will be too slow to deliver
- what are the bac withdrawal symptoms like? will I have to take days off work, or worse, go to the hospital?

Everything was going well until riverpharmacy's partner fucked it up...I am so lost and afraid of the couple of days to come....

Thanks in advance for your responses.

[man on mars]

Freaking out, almost out of baclofen

Do not try to ride out the withdrawals. Seizures, hallucinations, delirium.

From a different thread:

Rusty;1514007 wrote: Call Dr. Levin at home. I was told a couple of years ago to call him between 7:00 - 9:00 Central Standard Time. I called him right at 7:00 p.m. Here is his number: 312-642-5803.

Call Dr. Levin tomorrow, explain that you're already taking a lot of baclofen and need a prescription because your supplier has failed to deliver.

You will probably get a few PMs from people offering to send you some pills.

If all else fails, and you really do run out, you can go to an ER and tell them that you're taking a high dose of baclofen and that you're about to run out, and will go into dangerous withdrawals if something isn't done.

This is why I think it should be standard recommended policy that anyone who is taking baclofen without a prescription should always keep on hand no less than one month's supply at the highest dose they expect to reach in the next month. If you expect a two-week turnaround time on your orders, you should order more when you have 6 weeks' worth left in your medicine cabinet. We should be telling this to everyone who comes onto this forum and announces that they are taking baclofen without a prescription.

[bleep]

Freaking out, almost out of baclofen

MoM got it right.

How much have you got left? What you need to do is to reduce your dosage to prolong your remaining supply. If you let us know how much you have left, and what your dosage currently is, we can try and help.

How long have you been taking baclofen? That's also quite key to this whole thing.

[Xadrian]

Freaking out, almost out of baclofen

What Bleep says.
You could reduce your daily dose with 15 mg per day until you are at 75 mg or so for the time being, depending on how much you have left.

If you completely run out, you have to be prepared for severe baclofen withdrawal symptoms, a.o psychosis. You can find them all on the internet.

In the mean time, you have to do your utmost to get a temporary supply of baclofen elsewhere. If you completely run out, be sure you write a letter where you explain you are on baclofen 150 mg per day and that you ran out of pills and keep that letter in your wallet, so if you end up in a hospital, not able to speak, they know you need baclofen.

Except for baclofen self, I know of no other substance that can take away baclofen withdrawal symptoms.
However, I suggest you could try alcohol (rather not, of course) if you experience severe baclofen withdrawal symptoms. If baclofen greatly reduces alcohol withdrawal symptoms, chances are it will also work the other way around. But I don't know if anybody tried that out.

Keep in mind that I'm not a doctor, but just another guinea pig giving his opinion.

[fishcake]

Freaking out, almost out of baclofen

Hey guys,

First of all, WOW. Thanks so much for your quick support, you are awesome people.

I've been taking bac for 23 days now, I titrated up to 150mg/day. I have 1500mg left. And the delivery is scheduled to be in 2 weeks!

This was supposed to be my normal schedule:

6/11/2013 140mg
6/12/2013 150mg
6/13/2013 150mg nothing left

[Diver]

Freaking out, almost out of baclofen

Fish,
Definately give the good doctor a call. I had my own fiasco this past week and contacted him at home ealier in the week. He hooked me up with a script, just be prepared to let him do much of the talking.

Keep us posted.

[Xadrian]

Freaking out, almost out of baclofen

I read some articles that going down the same speed as the normal speed for titrating up, which is 15 mg every third day, is considered safe.

If you start going down tomorrow, you could safely go down and you would have sufficient for three and a half weeks.

It would be something like this:

Date Daily dose Cumulatives
14-Jun 115 115
15-Jun 115 230
16-Jun 115 345
17-Jun 100 445
18-Jun 100 545
19-Jun 100 645
20-Jun 85 730
21-Jun 85 815
22-Jun 85 900
23-Jun 70 970
24-Jun 70 1040
25-Jun 70 1110
26-Jun 55 1165
27-Jun 55 1220
28-Jun 55 1275
29-Jun 40 1315
30-Jun 40 1355
1-Jul 40 1395
2-Jul 25 1420
3-Jul 25 1445
4-Jul 25 1470
5-Jul 10 1480
6-Jul 10 1490
7-Jul 10 1500


If your order would arrive in the meantime or you can get it elsewhere (please try so!), you could titrate up from that point. Otherwise you could go down relatively safe to 0 (Hey, I'm still not a doctor, so if it doesn't work the way it's supposed to, I only refund you for the money you paid me for my free advice ;-)

Me myself went from 40 to 0 once without withdrawal symptoms, but the drop from 70 to 0 looks a little too much to me. A fellow guinea pig went down from 150 to 0 in 6 days with the "help" of a clinic and committed suicide 3 days after.
Not to make you scared, but you better go down wisely now you still have 1500 left.

[fishcake]

Freaking out, almost out of baclofen

shit, i miscalculated, I have 1180mg left as of today.

I left Dr L. a VM. Do you guys know how long it takes to get a script from him? Can't I just ask the pharmacy to call him?

[StuckinLA]

Freaking out, almost out of baclofen

I've gone 20mg every 3 days and been fine. It's a bit of a mind-fuck, with some depressively dark thoughts that creep in unexpectedly, and some anxiety, but no hallucinations, seizures, or true paranoia, or anything like that.

Dr. L is your very first good bet--though he tends to mail--as in, postal service snail mail--scripts, so be sure to let him know your situation. He could perhaps speak to your pharmacist directly.

Another option that was recommended to me, but which I never tried, is going into an ER or Urgent Aid, and complaining of Restless Leg Syndrome. If you're insistent, and maybe even say you've been on bac for it in the past, you could probably walk out with a script for up to 80mg/day--which is the Physician's Desk Reference maximum dose. Or, you could be completely truthful and say you're taking bac off label, about to run out, and after explaining the dangers of bac--and the fact that there is simply no substitute for the withdrawal--they might help you out. Like I said, I never tried either of these.

[Xadrian]

Freaking out, almost out of baclofen

StuckinLA;1519206 wrote: I've gone 20mg every 3 days and been fine. It's a bit of a mind-fuck, with some depressively dark thoughts that creep in unexpectedly, and some anxiety, but no hallucinations, seizures, or true paranoia, or anything like that.

If Stuck did so, I suggest you could also reduce 20 mg every 3rd day and if you reach 30, reduce with 10 mg every third day and stay at 10 as long as the supply lasts, if you really, really can't get the baclofen.

Isn't it ridiculous that cocaine or XTC appear to be easier to get than baclofen and that alcohol can be bought in every supermarket, while you have to have a prescription for baclofen?

[bleep]

Freaking out, almost out of baclofen

Man, don't quote me on this, but I believe it takes a couple of months before baclofen is part of your daily routine. Meaning you could probably stop cold turkey and be fine. However, I would do my very best to avoid it, and err on the side of caution. I have no idea if that 2 month figure only relates to a cautious titration, which would put you a figure of about 60 to 80 right about now.

All that said, you have enough baclofen to last you a while, if you are careful. Others have drawn up tapering schedules, which look reasonable. You should be able to source more in the meanwhile. If you can't for some very strange reason, you can taper more drastically than they have suggested, which gives you an even bigger window.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Freaking out, almost out of baclofen

Hey, Fish.

Hopefully this is resolved and you have enough bac in hand to last you until 2014. But if not, here is Dr. L's office number: 312-236-6675.

Levin is a rotary phone kind of guy who is amazed and confounded by technology later than 1912. It would not surprise me (at all) if he checks his voicemail less frequently than he checks the oil in his car.

If you have the name and phone/fax number of a pharmacy handy, he very well may take care of it immediately. And if he asks you to have the pharmacy call him, it can be awkward but it works out. He might want you to tell them how much you want and etc. If you have questions about that, ask away.

Good luck and post again if you need someone to send you some in the meantime.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Freaking out, almost out of baclofen

Btw, you can pay cash and if you go to Walgreens, get their membership card for $20 and it should cost you about $75. You'll still be off the grid, so to speak, until we get nationalized healthcare. (Maybe in your kids' lifetime? )

[spiritwolf333]

Freaking out, almost out of baclofen

hI Fish -I know this does not help you in anyway -but you and your posters have certainly scared the hell out me. I will now order more (as said- at least 1 more month supply than I have). After reading this, my only thought was that if I could not get Dr. L, I would force myself to go see my local doctor and explain the whole situation. I would rather do this than face the hell that I am hearing about here and the hell I read about from: Dr Phillip Thomas, based in the UK..: baclofen4alcoholism.com
Hope all goes well for you. Peace

[fishcake]

Freaking out, almost out of baclofen

Thank you so much for your support guys.

One of you sent me some baclofen via fedex and I am so grateful. Dr L. will call me back Monday and will set me up with a script as well.

The help I received from you guys really inspired me. I am going to help new members myself once I've gained more experience. The love on this board is amazing.

Cheers,

- fish