Where are the doctors?

[spiritwolf333]

Where are the doctors?

To all the skeptics, moral majority, uninformed, and other non-believers:

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance ? that principle is contempt prior to investigation." -William Paley (not Herbert Spencer)

[RedThread12]

Where are the doctors?

Like.

[Lo0p]

Where are the doctors?

spiritwolf333;1535518 wrote: To all the skeptics, moral majority, uninformed, and other non-believers:

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance ? that principle is contempt prior to investigation." -William Paley (not Herbert Spencer)

Thief. I stole it first. How much of my earlier writings have you read? :nutso:

[RedThread12]

Where are the doctors?

:H:H:H to do with you???

[spiritwolf333]

Where are the doctors?

Lol-lOop -sorry for the steal. You will have to blame my 13-step program. I use to read it weekly. Funny thing, this particular quote does not seem to apply to the group that promotes it.

[Lo0p]

Where are the doctors?

Ahh, never mind. I used to use that quote when trying to crack open the skulls of steppers on different sites.

[Want2BWell]

Where are the doctors?

Here's a link to a doctor in San Francisco CA who will prescribe Baclofen for Alcohol Addiction. I spent some time on the phone with him and he was a decent guy. Unfortunately I cannot afford his services. He requires that you do an initial visit of 1 - 1.5 hours, (at 400 an hour), with him, followed by a monthly visit with him at the same rate, and weekly or bi-weekly visits to a therapist in his practice at the rate of 200 an hour. Total cost is around 1200 a month or more. Too rich for my blood. He is an out of pocket doctor aside from some possible reimbursements via PPO health care providers.

Addiction Treatment | My Doctor Medical Group

[Cassander]

Where are the doctors?

bump

Cassander;1532699 wrote: Notwithstanding the more than five years that members here have been exploring Baclofen treatment, both with and without the knowledge and/or support of a physician, the accumulated knowledge on this board regarding professional support for Baclofen treatment is fairly sparse.

Some of the resources below may, in fact, not currently be treating patients with Baclofen. And reaching some of the indicated resources may require you to PM (private message) an mwo member, who may or may not still be looking at his/her mwo messages or otherwise be in a position to help.

If you are an mwo member and I have referred to you incorrectly in this post or you would like me to remove the reference to you, please let me know and I will do so.

Here is what I have been able to find by combing through the pages of mwo. A lot of the information comes from this thread: https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...ion-47247.html, which Ne/Neva Eva started and led and which many long time members, including RedThread12, Lo0p, bleep, Cinders, Sunnyvalenting, Otter and others have contributed to. A big thank you to them.

Please let me know if I have missed relevant information. I am sure newbies and lurkers, and in fact all of us, would be grateful for more information.

Please post here on this thread and I will update.

Thanks,

Cassander

USA

Many members on mwo have contacted Dr. Fred Levin in the Chicago area for help. He is an Associate Professor at Northwestern University in Chicago and a practicing psychiatrist. He has prescribed Baclofen to patients for alcoholism throughout the US. His home telephone number is 312-642-5803. He can be reached between 7 and 9pm Central USA time at his home number, which is his preference. He is not much of an email user.

Georgia, USA

An mwo member, Spiritwolf333, was an inpatient resident at Assisted Recovery Center in Savannah, Ga, where he underwent a Baclofen course of treatment under a doctor?s supervision.

Here is the contact info: Owner: Terry Bruce; Phone: (912) 352-2425; Web: Contact | Assisted Recovery Centers of Georgia, Inc.

An mwo member, Sunnyvalenting, has reported that a doctor in Atlanta, Dr Tommy Richardson, is familiar with Baclofen.

Another member here, Cinders, lives in the Atlanta area and may have a recommendation if you PM her.

Texas, USA

An mwo member, PbarE, may have information regarding doctors who treat with Baclofen in Austin and Dallas

Arizona, USA

An mwo member, JustJill, may have information regarding doctors who treat with Baclofen in Arizona.

SF/Bay Area, USA

An mwo member, Suneeleca, has information regarding a doctor in the Bay Area who is familiar with Baclofen.

Dr. Lawrence Doyle of the Plymouth branch of Family Practice at Sutter Amador Hospital -- Laurence L. Doyle, NP - Phone & Address Info – Jackson, CA - Nursing (NP) was at one time responding to questions about Baclofen.

An mwo member, Want2BWell, has posted a link to a doctor in San Francisco CA who will prescribe Baclofen for Alcohol Addiction. He requires an initial visit of 1 - 1.5 hours (at $400 an hour) with him, followed by a monthly visit with him at the same rate, and weekly or bi-weekly visits to a therapist in his practice at the rate of 200 an hour. He is an out of pocket doctor aside from some possible reimbursements via PPO health care providers. His contact info is: Addiction Treatment | My Doctor Medical Group


Boston, USA

Otter has posted that the McLean Hospital (affiliated with Harvard) is familiar with Baclofen treatment. Here is a link to McLean?s website: McLean Hospital | Patient Care : Adult. For further information, call 1.800.333.0338, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For outpatient services, call Intake at 617.855.2300, Monday through Friday.

Twin Cities, MN USA

Dr. Mark Willenbring, a former NIH official who practices in St. Paul, MN with Allina Health Care, is familiar with Baclofen, although some of his public comments have been skeptical. It is not clear if he is currently prescribing. He can be reached at 651-241-5959.

Oklahoma, USA

An mwo member, redthread12, may have information regarding availability of Baclofen treatment in Oklahoma. You may be able to PM her for more current information.

Los Angeles/SoCal USA

Stuckinla has reported a lead for a doctor in Los Angeles who has prescribed up to 80mg Baclofen. You may be able to PM him for more current information.

Colorado, USA

An mwo member, skullbabyland, has information regarding availability of Baclofen and naltrexone treatment in the Denver and Boulder areas.

United Kingdom and Ireland

Professor Jonathan Chick in Edinburgh has prescribed Baclofen and works with general practitioners in the UK and, apparently, Ireland. Here is his Internet contact information:
Professor Jonathan Chick Psychiatry Consultant, Edinburgh, private hospital specialist.

A member, chelsea98, also reports that Dr Chick will see patients in London and he can be contacted via email at: jonathan.chick@gmail.com. chelsea98 further reports: "When I first saw him a few years back I think the fee was ?250 but my most recent appointment with him was when he was in London on Harley Street for a day. He saw me for half an hour and the fee was ?100" .

It has also been reported in this forum that Dr. Susan Cooper of Fenwick Road Surgery, Giffnock, Glasgow, prescribes Baclofen for alcoholism and that The Royal Alexandra Hospital and the Dykebar Hospital in Paisley treat alcoholism with Baclofen.

In Liverpool, an mwo member, Robbiel, reported that he was prescribed Baclofen through the Alcohol team (LCAS) at the Liverpool Royal Hospital.

An mwo member, Longshot, may have information regarding Baclofen treatment in Ireland.

Canada

The Addiction Medicine Clinic of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto has prescribed Baclofen for alcoholism.

Western Australia

Dr George O?Neil of the Fresh Start Recovery Programme has been recommended as someone familiar with baclofen. His ABN is: 84 106 876 019 and his contact information is 65 Townshend Road, Subiaco, Western Australia 6008. Telephone: (08) 9381 1333 and fax: (08) 9388 7073. Email: info@freshstart.org.au

Aruba

For information regarding possible assistance in Aruba, PM mwo member, Xadrian.

Zimbabwe

Should you find yourself at the ends of the universe in Zimbabwe, and in need of a doctor to prescribe Baclofen, or need help for practically any other reason, PM mwo member, bleep.

[Lo0p]

Where are the doctors?

Dr Lawrence Doyle was my contribution. I've no idea where he is now.

[Cassander]

Where are the doctors?

Lo0p;1541759 wrote: Dr Lawrence Doyle was my contribution. I've no idea where he is now.

Lo0p -- Should I delete him or do you want to give him a call and see if he is still in business?

[Lo0p]

Where are the doctors?

In his place I went to see my new doctor and on my second visit he pubmed'ed some stuff, his eyes looked like a deer caught in headlights and told me he was putting his grad student in charge of "this project".

I've no idea what came of it, this was May 12th

He runs a clinic in Amador County that is extremely cheap and his name is... To be edited

As for Lawrence Doyle FnP, I'd Google him

[Lo0p]

Where are the doctors?

Dan Fields, M.D.

Sutter Plymouth Health Center

9279 Locust St.
Plymouth, CA 95669
(209) 245-6968


I just sent him an inquiry/message requesting his stance, informing him of current developments and whether or not we could refer people to him. I told him there are many people self treating and wish to have an MD's guidance.

Will update, probably on Monday.

[Cassander]

Where are the doctors?

Lo0p;1541824 wrote: Dan Fields, M.D.

Sutter Plymouth Health Center

9279 Locust St.
Plymouth, CA 95669
(209) 245-6968


I just sent him an inquiry/message requesting his stance, informing him of current developments and whether or not we could refer people to him. I told him there are many people self treating and wish to have an MD's guidance.

Will update, probably on Monday.

Thanks, E.

[kronkcarr]

Where are the doctors?

Bump. This may answer some recent questions.

[Alky]

Where are the doctors?

Getting back to the spirit of Cassander's original post, these ideas have been gestating in me for a few weeks now. I don't want this to devolve into a political donnybrook and I personally don't care which side of the political divide regarding Obamacare anyone is on, but the simple fact is, for those of us in the United States, healthcare is driven by a profit margin. Even hospitals that are run by religious institutions and are not for profit have to pay insurance companies that are, and it's no secret that these insurance companies gouge. Anyone catch this article in the New York Times last week?

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/27/he...anted=all&_r=0

Every physician I've sought help from except one has been dismissive of baclofen, instead trying to steer me toward drugs that are shockingly expensive. One insisted she would only treat me with vivitrol, injectable naltrexone. If you don't have insurance or crappy insurance (like I do) good luck - a shot that lasts one month is (OUCH!) $1,166.82, and that's at Sam's Club, (an American wholesale warehouse club for those of you from across the ponds) where I am a member and am supposedly able to buy stuff for cheaper. She didn't even offer the option of naltrexone tablets, which are significantly cheaper, but still not as cheap as baclofen. My own psychiatrist keeps insisting campral is the answer to all my problems. I had to pay out-of-pocket to the tune of $200 a month until I reached my deductible (again the shitty insurance), and then the copay was only (oooh!) $100 a month. I stopped taking it because it gave me wicked diarrhea, made me irritable and frankly wasn't doing a whole heck of a lot otherwise. Contrast that with a 270 tablet supply of 20mg baclofen (for which Dr. Levin was going to write me a script) for $30 at my local grocery store pharmacy around the corner. I wouldn't go so far to accuse doctors of receiving kickbacks from the pharmaceutical companies (though some undoubtedly are), but as Dr. Ameisen hammered time and time again in his book, there is no financial incentive for the healthcare industry to promote this drug when they can get people to pay through the nose for drugs under patent like vivtrol and campral.

I personally am ready to take the bull by the horns, find my own "under the table" source of baclofen using Dr. Levin's dosing schedule he dictated to me over the phone before he was shut down and go back to my own psychiatrist in the weeks or months that follow after I feel I've hit my "switch" and demonstrate positive tangible results and hope that he will take it seriously after that.

For the record, the one psychiatrist that would have treated me with baclofen (albeit reluctantly), would not take me on as a patient since his practice is in Vermont and I am only a seasonal resident there. After seeing what happened to Dr. Levin, I perfectly understand his decision and the red flags that me refilling bac prescriptions in Florida that were written in Vermont, would raise.

Anyway, these are just my opinions, for whatever they're worth, but it's cathartic for me to be able to finally express these ideas that have been floating in my mind for the past three weeks or so.