Where are the doctors?

[Xadrian]

Where are the doctors?

drb120;1531951 wrote: also,of course, Phillip Thomas,MD. he offered me skype consultations and a titration schedule for $6500 up front.

I already had an aversion to this guy, but now I see what he offered you, I dislike him even more.

[kronkcarr]

Where are the doctors?

[QUOTE=Ne/Neva Eva;1531369]Why would he?
I ask the question because I am genuinely curious. Hyperbole is not what I'm looking for.

I wasn't clear when I answered this question before. I had only read Dr Ameisen's book when I called my doctor. I had not seen this site. I had no idea that there was such controversy. So, when I called and asked him to prescribe baclofen, and he said yes, I believed him.

I had no clue how much I'd need to titrate up and no thought about it until I wanted to titrate up. It was, for me, a road I was walking alone because I didn't know you all existed.

[kronkcarr]

Where are the doctors?

Ne asked:

Why would he?
I ask the question because I am genuinely curious. Hyperbole is not what I'm looking for.

I wasn't clear when I answered this question before. I had only read Dr Ameisen's book when I called my doctor. I had not seen this site. I had no idea that there was such controversy. So, when I called and asked him to prescribe baclofen, and he said yes, I believed him.

I had no clue how much I'd need to titrate up and no thought about it until I wanted to titrate up. It was, for me, a road I was walking alone because I didn't know you all existed.



__________________

[Colin]

Where are the doctors?

drb120;1531951 wrote: he offered me skype consultations and a titration schedule for $6500 up front.

$6500? Shomeonesh made a mishtaqe. Let'sh have anosher drink.

[drb120]

Where are the doctors?

He knew what I do for a living. While it actually varies enormously, we have a reputation for being high earners. That is beside the point though. He is not a legitimate source of help, either for alcoholics, or those struggling with baclofen itself. When I first read his handbook, (the little blue book called Baclofen B4a Handbook), I was impressed. It is a little book you are supposed to give to your doc and keep on you at all times in case of a medical emergency. Both seemed like great ideas. The book seems much more clinical in nature and less like a far fetched story than Amiesens book. It was the thing that really gave me the initial confidence to push the dosage up high.

I'm not confidant this is going to catch on frankly. A more likely scenario is it is used as an adjunct in treatment to help with cravings. It certainly does do that.

What I definitely think needs to happen though, is doctors at the very least need to be made aware of this high dose Baclofen phenomena and know how to treat someone who presents on 270mg. Or even 150mg. Or else more tragedies are going to follow.

[Cassander]

Where are the doctors?

Here are some doctors...

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. EDIT (as of 10/27/2013): Unfortunately Dr. Levin is no longer prescribing.

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. Or you can pm Spiritwolf333.

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.

PeeDee, South Carolina, USA

PM mwo member billyb for the name of a doctor in the Darlington County area in the PeeDee region of South Carolina

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.r />
The Netherlands

PM mwo member joanna_d regarding an Eindhoven based psychiatrist who prescribes baclofen and has patients throughout Holland and two doctors in Dordrecht and Rotterdam who are in the know.

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.

[Xadrian]

Where are the doctors?

Cassander has exceeded their stored private messages quota and can not accept further messages until they clear some space.

[Colin]

Where are the doctors?

Cassander gets an immediate double wow. It was immediately applicable on another thread.

WOW, WOW. That is my highest praise possible.

[spiritwolf333]

Where are the doctors?

Great work Cass- This is great info to pass our way -and especially to newcomers. Well done and thank you.

[Cassander]

Where are the doctors?

Xadrian;1532703 wrote: Cassander has exceeded their stored private messages quota and can not accept further messages until they clear some space.

Hi X -- I will see if I can figure out how to clean out my mailbox without losing stuff...

[skullbabyland]

Where are the doctors?

HI Cassander, great post! Please add me to the list- I can help direct people to a bac/nal friendly doctor in the Denver/Boulder area.

[RedThread12]

Where are the doctors?

Thanks. Cassander. Yes. Awesome work.

Just a "heads-up," though, to you earnest and sincere MWO'ers. I offered to connect drb120 with my D.O. and friend months ago. He's not good at taking suggestions other than his own. This particular doctor is also one of very few who could have helped him with one go the major compounding contributors to his suffering with baclofen. None of which he discusses in his posts.

I've spent, literally, dozens of hours emailing him, thinking "this time he will follow my suggestion" only to discover the next layer of obstruction that has nothing to do with baclofen. My favorite, regarding his phenomenal ignorance and abuse of baclofen has been,"Alcoholics can't be trusted to take medication on their own. That's what we do - we abuse stuff to get high."

Raise your hand, dear formerly drunk friend, if that's how you found your way out.

This is my first confrontational post in 4 years here. I have never deleted a single post. I just cannot not say that since early March until a few posts after his latest suicidal plea for help, to which I responded, drb120 is like quicksand. And I am not a lightweight. Tread lightly and do whatever work you do for yourself as much as for him. He will ignore it or discount you. But may spark some brilliance, as in your collection, Cass.

Now - where do we put your incredible post, Cassander,, so it can be saved forever, and hopefully modified over time, and also be seen quickly by those who need it most. A "stickie" on MWO? Has anyone noticed that there is not a single one re baclofen, which leads to unrelenting wheel re-venting?

[RedThread12]

Where are the doctors?

And I notice that ALREADY you are cutting and pasting, Cass. Argh . . . but thank you. Really.

[Cassander]

Where are the doctors?

RedThread12;1532736 wrote: Now - where do we put your incredible post, Cassander, so it can be saved forever, and hopefully modified over time, and also be seen quickly by those who need it most.

Hi RT -- I am happy to post it over at baclofenforalcoholism, where I am happy to say I am (and have been for at least a whole month ) a fully registered junior member. Perhaps it also deserves its own thread here on mwo, although I have just now also referenced it in an edit to post #1 in this thread... Cass

[RedThread12]

Where are the doctors?

What a GREAT idea! :H

And here's the inside skinny about THAT forum. It has a life of it's own, and we are totally making it up as we go along . . . quite like you and I and many others did when we started down this road of self-treatment to quit drinking against our will.

That site will become what it is intended to be - a means to gather and leverage our collective knowledge and experience into it's next iteration - based wholly on individual input, focus, and interest. And believe me, there is a lot of room for lots of collaboration. There really is no template for some of he things we've seen, eh? But I trust one will reveal itself. It's just too dang important!!! See 'ya around. :l