My journey with Baclofen started

[Mandiekinz]

My journey with Baclofen started

Maxi, I can't speak on behalf of the onset of "indifference" as I'm still working my way up to reach that.

However, with how quickly of a titrate up you've taken, I would take a much slower approach going back down. Dr. L told me to titrate down from the goal max of 230mg, I would take the same schedule he gave me going up. Which would be to take 20mg less each week. From reading on horrible stories of coming off Bac, I, personally, plan to titrate off at a much slower rate. You know your body best though, so you can always adjust accordingly.

Maxi;1540660 wrote:

I fear though that I will have to take Baclofen for life and I would not like that. I would like to have children some time in the future and I am afraid that taking high Baclofen doses might not be good for that.

I am with you on that boat. However, I know that I won't be worthy of bearing a baby if I'm throat deep in a bottle. I know that I won't be able to stay on it while trying to conceive nor through pregnancy, but at least for now it will give me the chance to live and learn to re-correct my thoughts and habits for the time being.

[Xadrian]

My journey with Baclofen started

Maxi;1540660 wrote: I fear though that I will have to take Baclofen for life and I would not like that. I would like to have children some time in the future and I am afraid that taking high Baclofen doses might not be good for that.
I actually think it's a strange argument.
Do you really think that taking high dose alcohol would be a better alternative for the children you might have in the future than high dose baclofen?

Maxi;1540660 wrote: I also fear the fact that I am high on Baclofen and this is not a real me. I have a feeling that perhaps the reason why it is easier not to drink is because I have a different high, a Baclofen one.

The "real" you that you knew for a while wasn't the real you, but was the you that was severely affected by alcohol.
Could be that the "baclofen high" you experiencing is the real you, but since you don't have any comparison, you don't know it. Could be just how a "normal" person feels, but since it's new for you, for you it feels like a "high"
If it's just because it is new, it probably will wear off a little. Otherwise: Who cares. Do you?

Maxi;1540660 wrote: I was thinking that if I was taking other drugs I could also be not drinking – different thoughts come to my mind.

Have you ever found any other drug that also could prevent you from drinking? (And I don't mean Antabuse, but a drug that will take away the cravings).
If so, let us know. You could become a second Olivier Ameisen.

[Maxi]

My journey with Baclofen started

Xadrian;1541364 wrote: I actually think it's a strange argument.
Do you really think that taking high dose alcohol would be a better alternative for the children you might have in the future than high dose baclofen?



The "real" you that you knew for a while wasn't the real you, but was the you that was severely affected by alcohol.
Could be that the "baclofen high" you experiencing is the real you, but since you don't have any comparison, you don't know it. Could be just how a "normal" person feels, but since it's new for you, for you it feels like a "high"
If it's just because it is new, it probably will wear off a little. Otherwise: Who cares. Do you?

That is very true. I remember being a very positive person before started drinking at the age of 18 or so. But not the extatic person I am now

Have you ever found any other drug that also could prevent you from drinking? (And I don't mean Antabuse, but a drug that will take away the cravings).
If so, let us know. You could become a second Olivier Ameisen.

I misunderstood me. I though that if I switched to grass or xanax I would be able not to drink because I would be getting high in a different way. I just fear that the reason of not drinking would be because I would be getting hight from Bac.

Anyway 2 more days at 75mg. My observations are as follows:
1. No obsessive thoughts about alcohol. I will be honest ? I was drinking heavily of between 500ml to 600ml vodka per night. But I could easily not drink if I had some obligations and needed to drive my car. I drank just because I wanted the drinking high, not out ox extreme anxiety, depression or ?must? feeling.
2. Could I have reached indifference? I do not know but I did not have the feeling that I had to drink. I did it because I wanted the high. I could have easily stopped but did not have enough will power to do so. Perhaps I?m close to a switch.
3. I ?suffer? from extreme euthoria. I usually would take maximum dose of 12.5 at once. I tried 25mg and damn ? I felt as if I was on extasy. I just hope that I will not have to pay the price for feeling so great.
4. For the first time in my life I do not feel anxiety. I am just fearless. I pretty much enjoy anything. I indulge in talking to people for hours. This is really strange.
5. Baclofen is a vey potent substance. I though that there is nothing better then Xanax but after Bac I feel awesome. I hope that this is true what you write here that Bac is not addictive is true because I tend to take Bac recreationally and fear that there will be a price to pay when I titrate down. Anyway I have 25mg to take today and I will do it in one dose when I come home and think about drinking. Hopefully it will give me enough buzz I will not drink tonight and have AF day again this week.
All the luck to all of you and take care

[thomas m]

My journey with Baclofen started

Don't take this the wrong way Maxi but your posts are kind of confusing. I'm not sure if its a substitute buzz your after, or to be able to stop drinking.

The extreme euphoria your experiencing sounds strange (to me anyway). I've experienced extreme euphoria from recreational stimulants, and Bac doesn't even come close. I do feel slightly different on Bac (usually after upping my dose) but nothing to write home about.

For the love of God... don't start on Xanax as a sub for booze. That's a road you don't want to go down. You'll most likely end up popping them and drinking. I'd have switched to a weed addiction any day but weed won't take your craving for booze away. You'll just end up drinking and smoking.

[Maxi]

My journey with Baclofen started

PS.
Another though I have is that the ecstatic feeling I have is what I deserve. I used to worry more then 100 normal people together. I would worry about the most crazy things you would imagine. I would .even feel ashamed to list them here anonymously.
Let me just list a couple examples so that you guys can have a laugh and see how Bac worked for me:
A short list of examples:
1. I would come back over and over again to the same place looking if I cause a car crash while driving.
2. Are there any needles on my cinema chair? Or on the street I walk on? Perhaps the waiter cut his hand and while serving the drink a droplet of his blood dropped into the glass (hiv, hbv, hcv and rare viruses which can only been tested in 2 clinics in EU which of course I visited). Well the doctor taking the blood test perhaps did not change the gloves and could have easily given me the disease I cannot test for.
3. A person stared at me and had bad intentions.
4. Local mobsters will probably come after me for crazy reasons.
5. I’ve been an active poster on hiv forum. If somebody misunderstood my posts they can catch hiv and then blame me for that. They could find me and inject my with a syringe to get even
6. What if an ikea lamp falls over when I leave my house and turns itself on causing fire? I would lose my home and probably had to pay for my neighbours house. Therefore let’s plug it out and to be extra safe let’s put it in the middle of my room and check 20 times if it is unplugged and far from the socket
Anyway after being at Bac 75mg per day all of that stopped and I only suffer from extasy. Perhaps my brain believes that I deserve some pleasure after worrying about all of these stupid things.

[Maxi]

My journey with Baclofen started

thomas m;1541667 wrote: Don't take this the wrong way Maxi but your posts are kind of confusing. I'm not sure if its a substitute buzz your after, or to be able to stop drinking.

The extreme euphoria your experiencing sounds strange (to me anyway). I've experienced extreme euphoria from recreational stimulants, and Bac doesn't even come close. I do feel slightly different on Bac (usually after upping my dose) but nothing to write home about.

For the love of God... don't start on Xanax as a sub for booze. That's a road you don't want to go down. I'd have switched to a weed addiction anyday but weed is a completely different animal that booze. It would turn most drinkers into an anxious mess after a few weeks.

Hi Thomas. I am not after a substitute buzz. I did not expect it. I want to quit booze and lead a normal happy live. I do not take xanax which was presribed for me for the problems descibed in my post above. I do not use weed or any drugs. I just want to use alcohol like normal people do, perhaps once per week in normal quantities. I never though that Baclofen would work this way on my and it is really puzzling that it's so hard to find people who had similar observations. I extectaed sleepiness but not this.. I stopped using xanax a month ago and was using it on and off for perhaps 12 weeks in 2 years

[Xadrian]

My journey with Baclofen started

Maxi;1541670 wrote: Another though I have is that the ecstatic feeling I have is what I deserve. I used to worry more then 100 normal people together. I would worry about the most crazy things you would imagine. I would .even feel ashamed to list them here anonymously.
Let me just list a couple examples so that you guys can have a laugh and see how Bac worked for me:.................
Anyway after being at Bac 75mg per day all of that stopped and I only suffer from extasy. Perhaps my brain believes that I deserve some pleasure after worrying about all of these stupid things.

Hey Max,

I didn't laugh at all, but I conclude that you are (were) overconcerned.

Surely, life involves risks. Tose risks can vary anything between small risks that are likely to happen and huge risks that are unlikely to happen.

It seems to me that your risk assessment was out of proportion, thinking that those risks that are unlikely to happen, could happen to you any moment. Like being hit by an airplane door while standing in your garden.
Being so concerned about those things is not "normal" and is probably caused by the same chemical brain imbalance that causes our alcoholism, which also is not "normal".

While baclofen corrects the imbalance, you finally feel like a "normal" person, without the extreme anxiety of what could happen.
In your case, I can imagine that it gives a feeling of euphoria, to be freed from those anxious feelings.
I'm glad for you, man!

And sure, you deserve it to feel like a "normal" person. We all deserve that. And with baclofen it is possible. Be careful not to pass by your switch. Don't titrate up more than you have to. Once you reach your switch, the feeling will not improve when you titrate up even more.

[Mandiekinz]

My journey with Baclofen started

Wow, Maxi...I'm thrilled to hear that the Bac is helping clear out those obsessional thoughts! That must have drove you to the moon with anxiety all the time!

I asked Dr. L about taking Bac during pregnancy, he said that it was safe. However, this man is a very hopeful man and refuses to see any negatives about this particular drug. I would not rely solely on that.

here is a link that will explain possibilities although the study was only done on rats and a breast feeding mother

Baclofen Use During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding | Drugs.com

Also note, with breastfeeding it was only 20mg of Bac which excreted .1% into her milk. So at upwards of around 200mg, the infant would be receiving a significantly higher dose of it. Makes you wonder how much of it passes the placenta while in the womb.

[Xadrian]

My journey with Baclofen started

Mandie,

The same source mentioned that baclofen will reach the baby and there were cases that the baby after birth had baclofen withdrawal symptoms and had to be tapered off baclofen slowly.

Also, keep in mind that the article is based on NORMAL dosage baclofen and not HIGH dose baclofen.

There was a small thread started on the subject, but the information is also based on drugs.com.
https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...ml#post1530321

[thomas m]

My journey with Baclofen started

Maxi;1541670 wrote:
Anyway after being at Bac 75mg per day all of that stopped and I only suffer from extasy.

I'd just go with the flow and enjoy it while it lasts Maxi. It sounds like a nice SE tbh. Don't worry about getting addicted to Baclofen, you won't. Maybe its what you've been looking for all along and its finally balanced you out.

Its nice to hear you've got rid of those awful thoughts. I get those to. You can really get caught up in them. Some times I have to snap myself out of them I get so deep.

[Maxi]

My journey with Baclofen started

Titration down - please please help asap. I'm in big trouble

Hi guys,

I have a favour to ask. Yesterday something happened within my family and I need to take the most important decision ever. I am stuck between what my family expects me to do and my wife and I can really mess up my life. I just do not know what to do at all....:upset:

Baclofen messes up with my brain a lot and I cannot think clearly at all. I need to stop it asap but wouldn?t like to stop cold turkey and mess up my life even more.

Can you please please please help me with titration down? This is my log so far ? each line is another day. I would really need your advice. Thank you so much in advance.
12,5mg
37,5
37,5
43,75
50
50
43,75
50
25
18,75
31,25
43,75
37,5
75
62,5
62,5
75
75
25 today

[Maxi]

My journey with Baclofen started

My Bac / chase of sobriety story continues. I woke up with severe anxiety 2 days after titrating up from 50mg to 75mg (when I wrote my last post).
I believed I felt totally crazy because of Bac. The reality might be that I indeed titrated to much and drank much more then normal (750ml of Vonda daily) due to the fact that I could not get drunk.
Anyway I titrated down with help from Xanax within 7 days. Xanax did wonders for me and I felt relaxed, finally. I arranged only Xanax for 7 days in order not to get hooked. After the 7 days I still had anxiety as pre bac and decide to give it a try. With one 10mg pill of Bac the anxiety was gone and I decided to give it a try again.
After 1 week I am on 50mg of Bac again and will be more cautious. I was thinking a lot about that and I believe that I simply need more will power not to drink. At the moment I do not have the kind of feeling that I must drink. I rather do it because I really enjoy it.
Do you believe it can be a switch? I will try to drink only on Saturdays and not at weekdays. With current Bac dosage I might be successful with some will power.
Wish me luck – today I decided to go AF for the whole 5 weekdays. I believe that if Bac took away anxiety (which was forcing me to drink) then I might take some will power to stay away off alcohol and not use (abuse) it each evening to get a kick of instant pleasure. I would love to be indifferent but I cannot grasp the idea that I would be indifferent to something I enjoy so much.
All the best,
Max

[Maxi]

My journey with Baclofen started

PS. I think now that Bac is a great tool but this is me in the end who needs to do the dirty work.. Previously I was waiting for a magical switch but perhaps this is it? Perhaps this is what indifference will mean for me?

[Colin]

My journey with Baclofen started

Maxi;1548385 wrote: I will try to drink only on Saturdays and not at weekdays. With current Bac dosage I might be successful with some will power.

The promise of baclofen is to be able to drink one day a week, if you choose, without will power being necessary.

Recent posts concerning the French baclofen web-sites strongly suggests that you should titrate up very slowly which somewhat contradicts the MWO wisdom. Maybe go up 10 mg per day every two or three weeks in an attempt to reduce the side-effects. You will also get some stability regarding the mood/sleep/anxiety/whatever problems.